The Lady Spartans welcomed the Union Cougars to the soccer pitch on Thursday for a non-region tilt. Emery kept things close, but the Cougars came away with a hard-fought 3-2 win.

With the loss, Emery slips to 5-8 overall and sits at 0-4 in Region 13 play. The Lady Spartans also sit in the No. 14 spot in the latest rankings.

The contest was a battle from the opening kick to the final horn as both teams were able to exploit the other’s defense and find scoring opportunities throughout. When the clock hit zero, it was the Cougars coming away with the 3-2 win.

Megan Stilson was the lone goal scorer for the Lady Spartans, collecting both goals in the loss.

This contest marked the end of the first half of the region schedule for the Lady Spartans, who have now played every Region 13 team once. Emery has five games left on the schedule; however, they have one more go-around in league play and will also face Cottonwood in Castle Dale on October 1.

Next on the schedule for Emery is a contest with the Lady Dinos of Carbon in Castle Dale on Tuesday.

Game time is set for 4:00 p.m..