With injuries to key players and others leaving to serve full-time missions, BYU's women's soccer team has been facing the challenge of finding enough players to defend its goal this spring season, but that may be changing.
According to head coach Jennifer Rockwood, one of the important things that resulted from the weekend games against the University of Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount University was that she found another player who could replace her lost defenders.
Freshman Katie Gabbart, a walk-on, was inserted into the lineup on Saturday as a defender.
All-American defender Aleisha Cramer is not playing with the team this spring. Junior defender Farrah Hofheins suffered another ACL tear last week. A third defender, sophomore Rachelle Dixon will be leaving for Madagascar in June to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"That makes Katie's play this weekend, doing such an outstanding job for us back there, very vital," Rockwood said. "We found out that she can play that position, and she can play it well."
Rockwood said it is discouraging for Hofheins and the team to have her out, but she is hoping to have her return in October to complete the fall season.
Because of these circumstances, the Cougars are traveling with fewer players to games, taking 14 instead of their normal 20. This leaves only two players for substitutions.
In spite of this, BYU walked away from Pepperdine with a one-one tie, and neither school scored in the second game against Loyola.
The Cougars' point came off a 25-meter strike from junior forward Jeni Viernes with an assist from freshman forward Kim Devine.
Rockwood said the team was fortunate to have a top-20 team like Pepperdine score only one goal. The Waves outshot the Cougars, but their defense held.
Following the game, BYU traveled to Los Angeles to play a rested and waiting Loyola squad. Despite having to play their second game with less than a couple hours break, Rockwood said her players were able to dominate the Lions in the last period of play.
According to Devine, playing two games back-to-back is more strenuous on the body, but she feels the team is well conditioned to handle dual play.
"We put a lot of pride into our fitness in the spring season," Devine said, "so I think we are able to do it without a problem."
Against Loyola, the Cougars were able to get solid shots on goal during the final period that Rockwood said she thought were going in, but barely missed.