Box Score

CHENEY, Wash. -

Eastern Washington 3, Utah State 2

n a match that came down to final minutes of play, Utah State soccer was dealt its first loss of the season Monday, falling at Eastern Washington, 3-2.

With the loss, Utah State falls to 1-1 on the year, while Eastern Washington improves to 2-0.

On the day, Eastern Washington had the slight shot advantage, 11-10. Shots on goal were even at five apiece, while team fouls were also equal at eight each.

The control was all with Eastern Washington early on Monday, as the Eagles scored the first goal of the day in the ninth minute of action. Savannah Hoekstra broke through the USU line to find the back of the net and put EWU on the board. Nine minutes later, after taking a shot that was blocked by the Aggie defense, Hoekstra followed up with a rebound shot for her second goal of the afternoon.

The Aggies were able to cut Eastern Washington's lead in half in the 31st minute. After a foul was called on the Eagles, senior forward Jessica Brooksby took the free kick from just outside the box. She hit the top left corner of the net to put Utah State on the board with her second goal of the season.

After a balanced second half, Utah State evened the score in the 73rd minute. Brooksby dealt the cross over the box, finding the feet of junior forward Bailee Hammond before making its way to senior midfielder Jayne Robison-Merrill to push into the net.

The score remained tied until the final minutes of the match, as Hoekstra struck again to score the go-ahead goal with less than two minutes to play.

Utah State will play its first home game of the season on Sunday, Aug. 28. The Aggies host in-state rival Utah at 1 p.m.

Fans can follow the Aggie soccer program on Twitter, @USUSoccer, on Facebook at /USUSoccer or on Instagram, @USUSoccer. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.