The no. 8th ranked BYU women's soccer team extended its record to 19-3-1, 6-0 last Saturday with a 5-0 shutout over Stanford in this year's NCAA Women's Soccer Championships. The Cougars advance to "Sweet Sixteen" round, hosting Santa Clara Saturday, Nov. 18, with a 1 p.m. kick off.
Last Week Recap
• BYU picked up its 19th overall and 12th consecutive victory of the year, a 5-0 shutout over 15th ranked Stanford in second round NCAA Championship play.
•Five different players including three who came off the bench scored for the highly explosive Cougar offense. All five goals were scored in the second half of the game. Sophomore starter Farrah Hofheins tallied her first goal of the season to get the BYU offense going just four minutes into the second half.
•The other four scores were made by senior starter Sara Reading and reserve players Kelly Hungsberger, Jennie Christianson and Donna Werts.
•BYU outshot Stanford 31 to 6. The Cougars held The Cardinal to just one shot on goal in the second period.
Cougars Pick Up MWC Honors In Las Vegas
On the night before the conference tournament, head coach Jennifer Rockwood was honored as the conference's Coach of the Year. At the banquet the team also received the regular conference championship trophy after compiling a perfect 6-0 record in league play. Several players also picked up individual regular season honors.
First-Team All-Conference
Michelle Peterson, Aleisha Cramer, Sara Reading, Staci Reynolds
Second-Team All-Conference
Athelia Graham, Natalyn Lewis, Kim Lowe
MWC Player of the Year
Michelle Peterson
MWC Freshman of the Year
Aleisha Cramer
More honors came the Cougars way at the end of the MWC Soccer Championships.
Tournament MVP
Michelle Peterson
All-Tournament Team
Sara Reading, Jeni Willardson, Michelle Peterson, Aleisha Cramer
BYU In The Polls - Highest Ranking No. 8 By The NSCAA
Monday's no. 8 ranking by the NSCAA placed the Cougars at number 8, that is the highest ranking for the six-year Division I women's program. Last week the Soccer America poll had the BYU team ranked 9th.
• 9th in Soccer America (as of 11/06/00)
• 9th in NSCAA Coaches (as of 11/06/00)
BYU's NCAA History
• This will be the Cougars fourth consecutive visit to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championships, the first time they have gotten a first round bye, the second time they've advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and the fourth time they've encountered the Broncos from Santa Clara.
• In 1997, BYU made its first appearance losing 1-0 in the first round to Santa Clara in Santa Clara.
• The Cougars had their best showing to date in 1998 finishing in the "Sweet Sixteen." They got there after a 6-1 victory against Stanford in Provo, and a 2-0 shutout over UCLA in Los Angeles. In the round of 16, BYU once again met Santa Clara on their home field with the Broncos picking up a 3-0 win to end the Cougars run at the title.
• Last year, BYU got its third straight invite, hosting a first round game against California where the Cougars picked up the 2-0 win. Then it was once again to Santa Clara for a third meeting against the Broncos who were ranked number one in the country. Santa Clara defeated BYU 0-2 in that matchup.
•BYU's overall record in the NCAA
Year Team Record NCAA
1997 19-4-0 0-1
1998 21-4-0 2-1
1999 21-4-0 1-1
2000 19-3-1 2-0
Overall Record: 5-3
2000 Season Highlights
• Record:19-3-1, 6-0-0
• Senior midfielder Michelle Peterson continues as the team's leading scorer with 18 goals and 10 assists for her 44 points from 63 shots.
• Kim Lowe leads the team in the assist category with 15 for the season. She's third on the leader board in scoring with 38 points from 11 goals and14 assists.
• The Cougars are currently on an 12-game winning streak and one tie since Sept. 28. Their last loss was on Sept. 22 against Marquette.
• BYU finished their regular home season undefeated in 2000 with a 7-0-1 record at South Field, their second consecutive unbeaten year.
• There have been eight shutouts to date for the Cougar defense and they have allowed just 20 goals.
• Head Coach Jennifer Rockwood picked up her 100th win in the 2-0 victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Sept. 23.
BYU Returning Starters To Watch - 2000 Stats
• 13 Michelle Jensen Peterson - MF/F, Sr (18G, 12A, 48PTS, 68SH)
• 15 Kim Lowe - MF, Sr (11G, 15A,37PTS, 75SH)
• 12 Sara Reading - F/MF, Sr (17G, 4A, 38PTS, 105SH)
• 04 Natalyn Lewis - MF, Sr (6G, 6A, 18PTS, 60SH)
BYU Newcomers To Watch - 2000 Stats
• 17 Aleisha Cramer - MF, Fr (7G, 13A, 27PTS, 63SH)
• 14 Annie Hoecherl - 5-10 D, Fr (Played in 18 games, has one goal)
Cougar 2000 Quickie Stats
• Averaging 26.7 shots on goal per game
• Averaging 3.7 goals per game
• Average 3.7 assists per game
Home Sweet Home
In 2000, the Cougars went 7-0-1 playing on South Field during the regular season. Last year, BYU went undefeated at home with a 12-0 record. BYU's last home loss dates back to the 1998 season when San Diego State defeated the Cougars 1-2 in overtime for the WAC championship title on Nov. 7. Overall, the Cougars are 44-5-1 playing at home.
Women's College Cup Third Round Opponent Notes
Scouting Santa Clara
The No.24-ranked Santa Clara women's soccer team will be making its first-ever visit to Provo and South Field. They come into the third round of the NCAA soccer tournament with a 15-6-1 record and first and second round wins over Cal Poly (3-1) and a 2-0 upset over 7th ranked Cal. The Broncos also had 4-3-0 West Coast conference record this year and are on four-game winning streak. Santa Clara is 5-2 on the road. Eight Bronco players are in double digits in points with Kristi Cadau at the top after tallying 11 goals and seven assists to date. Teammate Kathleen Celio follows in points with 24 from 10 goals and four assists. Heather Aldama is the team's assist leader with 12 on the season. Santa Clara is averaging 15.8 shots, 2.6 goals, 2.9 assists, and 5.41 corner kicks a game.
Series Record: 0-3 favoring Santa Clara.
Last Meeting: The Broncos and Cougars met in last year's NCAA second round at Santa Clara with the homestanding team picking up the 2-0 shutout. Santa Clara has been the team that has ended BYU's run in the NCAA tournament the past three seasons.
Santa Clara in the NCAA History
The Broncos have gone to the NCAA tournament the past 12 years, won 19 games and lost 11, have played in the Final Four the past four straight years, seven overall.
Miscellaneous Santa Clara Notes
•The Revenge Factor
There are 15 players on the 2000 Cougar roster that have played/watched the BYU vs Santa Clara NCAA matchups:
(5) in 1997, 1998, 1999
Athelia Graham, Staci Reynolds, Sara Reading, Kim Lowe, Janet Jensen
(6) in 1998 and 1999
Jennifer Waldron, Aurelin Weidner, Jennie Christianson, Sarah Higham, Kristy Detton, Natalyn Lewis
(3) in 1999
Farrah Hofheins, Jeni Willardson, Kylee Dickson
(1) in 1997
Michelle Jensen Peterson
•The Teams vs common opponents in 2000
Opponent BYU Santa Clara
Washington @ L 0-1 @ L 1-2
Stanford W 5-0 W 4-2 ( at San Jose Spartan Stadium)
Weber State W 7-1 @ W 6-1
Portland @ L 1-2 ot @ L 0-2
Southern Cal T 1-1 W 2-1
San Diego W 4-1 @ W 4-0
RECORD: 3-2-1 4-2-0
Coach Jennifer Rockwood Quotes
(On the Cougars) It was a great win at home this past weekend against Stanford. I felt the team played very well and we were excited for the opportunity to play our second round game at home. We have played very well at home all year, and it helps our program immensely when we continue to draw the fan support. The fans really helped us in the second half of the Stanford game, they got really vocal and really energized the team. I was pleased that we were able to do what we talked about at half time in the second half. We were able to get some great speed and were able to score. This was very much a total team effort as our bench was able to solidify the win in the final 20 minutes.
(On Santa Clara) They are a very well respected team who have been a national power house for many years. We know that we're up against one of the best teams in the country. We're excited to have them play on our home field, especially because the last three years we've been on their home field. Our team has come together at the right time of the year. We're definitely going to have to put our best performance together to be able to beat Santa Clara because they are a very talented team.
The Rockwood File
Jennifer Rockwood begins her sixth season at the helm of BYU's women's soccer program. In the five year history of the Division I program, she has guided her team to two conference championships and three straight appearances in the NCAA Championships beginning with the 1997 season. The Cougars highest finish in the NCAA tourney came in 1998 when BYU finished in the "Sweet Sixteen." Her many honors include being named Coach of the Year by the Western Athletic Conference and by Soccer Buzz in 1996.
This season Rockwood was named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year after compiling a regular season 16-3-1 overall record and going undefeated in conference play at 6-0. She became the first MWC coach to eclipse the 100-win total on Sept. 23 with a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee-Wisconsin. Entering the 2000 season coach Rockwood was ranked fifth among active coaches by winning percentage. She has averaged 18.6 wins per season over the past five years, which ranks second behind only Anson Dorrance of NorthCarolina for wins per season. Dorrance has won an average of 22.2 matches per season.
Prior to becoming the head coach, Rockwood led BYU's highly successful club soccer team, for seven years compiling a 128-25-9 record. In her final two years, she took her teams to first place in the Western National Collegiate Club Soccer Association (NCCSA) championships and to second place in the NCCSA national championships.
A native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Rockwood was a three-sport athlete, receiving all-league and all-state honors in soccer, basketball, and track. She has also competed in the Olympic Development Program in both Oregon and Utah. Rockwood attended Ricks College on an academic and basketball scholarship for one year and then transferred to BYU, graduating in 1989 with a business administration degree. While at BYU, she played on the soccer club team as a four-year starter at center midfield.
Rockwood coached in the Utah ODP and has coached at the youth club and high school levels. She is also currently the director of BYU summer soccer camps which recently put through over 1,400 participants.
Rockwood's Record (11 Years at BYU)
Club team/years: 128-25-9/7
Division I/years: 112-25-2/6
1995 Record: 11-8-1
1996 Record: 22-1-0
1997 Record: 19-4-0
1998 Record: 20-5-0
1999 Record: 21-4-0
2000 Record: 19-3-1
NCAA Women's College Cup Ticket Prices
Tickets a prices for Saturday's game are as follows:
$7.00 for general public
$5.00 for students, seniors and children under 12
Tickets will be available for purchase at the gate on game day.
Up Next For The Cougars
If the Cougars beat the Broncos on Saturday, they would make school history by advancing to the "Elite Eight" in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championships. BYU would then most likely travel to South Bend, Indiana and take on no. 1 ranked Notre Dame team during the Thanksgiving holiday.