SALT LAKE CITY -- The Mountain West Conference Championship was up for grabs Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, but the four-time defending MWC Champion Cougars fell 2-0 to in-state rival Utah in the final game of the MWC Tournament.
The loss was the first in MWC post-season history for the Cougars who are now 11-1 all-time in the MWC Tournament.
BYU outplayed Utah in every statistical category, out shooting the Utes 13-7, gaining a 5-0 advantage on corner kicks and getting nine shots on goal to Utah's five, but the Cougars came up short on goals.
"I felt like we played well enough to win this game," said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood. "We just weren't able to finish today."
The two teams battled through the first half of play with the Cougars coming out on top by out shooting the Utes by a 9-1 margin, including six shots on goal. However, the two teams played nearly an even half with possession as both teams fought to control the ball.
The Cougars' freshman Amberlea Anderson came close to striking for the Cougars but her shot from the right side deflected high off of the crossbar.
Neither team could come up with a goal in the first 45 minutes, resulting in a 0-0 half time score.
When play resumed it didn't take long for Utah to take a 1-0 lead as Amber Brower drilled in a shot from ten yards out as she took a one-touch pass from Lauren Field on the right side in the 59th minute.
BYU pushed to get back into the game, going with seven players that can play the forward position but were unable to punch one through the pipes.
With time winding down Utah's Amanda Feigt sealed the win for the Utes with a curling shot from 15 yards out that went into the net just out of the reach of keeper Ashley Smith.
The loss could mean the end of the 2003 season for the Cougars and with that will come the end of the storied career of senior All-American and 2003 MWC Defensive Player of the Year Aleisha Rose.
"More than anyone I feel sorry for Aleisha," said an emotional Rockwood, "she has had an outstanding career and deserves to end it differently."
BYU will now wait for the NCAA selection committee to make its decision on who will receive at-large bids to the NCAA College Cup that begins next week.
MWC All-Tournament Team
Aleisha Rose
Lydia Ojuka
Krissa Campbell
The Automated ScoreBook For Soccer
Univ of Utah #14 vs Brigham Young (Nov 01, 2003 at Brigham Young Univ)
Univ of Utah #14 (15-2-0,6-0-0) vs.
Brigham Young (12-5-2,4-2-0)
Date: Nov 01, 2003 Attendance: 2019
Weather: 30s cool
Goals by period 1 2 OT Tot
Univ of Utah #14 0 0 1 1
Brigham Young 0 0 0 0
Univ of Utah #14
Pos ## Player Sh SOG G A
GK 0 MASON, Ashley 0 0 0 0
D 2 DEATHERAGE, Michelle 0 0 0 0
F 3 FEIGT, Amanda 1 1 1 0
D 5 DUARTE, Tasia 0 0 0 0
F 6 HERDIC, Julie 0 0 0 0
D/M 8 WAYMAN, Melissa 0 0 0 0
M/F 10 BENEGAS, Bobbie 0 0 0 0
D 13 WILLIAMS, Jen 0 0 0 0
D 18 STRATTON, Tracy 0 0 0 0
F 23 FIELD, Lauren 3 2 0 0
MF 33 BROWER, Amber 1 1 0 0
Substitutes
4 DENNIS, Missy 2 0 0 0
16 IMOTAN, Esther 0 0 0 0
21 JOYNER, Mckenzie 0 0 0 0
22 WINEGAR, Carisse 0 0 0 0
Totals......... 7 4 1 0
Brigham Young
Pos ## Player Sh SOG G A
GK 0 SMITH, Ashley 0 0 0 0
F 8 BIGELOW, Terra 2 2 0 0
MF/F 9 CAMPBELL,Krissa 2 1 0 0
D 10 JENSEN, Nicole 0 0 0 0
F/MF 11 RENDICH, Jaime 1 1 0 0
MF/D 13 THULIN, Brooke 1 1 0 0
F 14 FIELDING, Jennifer 0 0 0 0
MF/D 16 LUI, Charlene 0 0 0 0
MF 17 ROSE, Aleisha 2 1 0 0
D 19 HOLMAN, Britney 0 0 0 0
D 25 THOMAS, Claire 0 0 0 0
Substitutes
1 EVANS, Natalie 0 0 0 0
6 ZWAHLEN, Annie 0 0 0 0
12 TILLOTSON, Bobbi 0 0 0 0
20 OJUKA, Lydia 0 0 0 0
23 SOFFE, Aydre 0 0 0 0
Totals......... 8 6 0 0
Univ of Utah #14
## Player MIN GA Saves
0 MASON, Ashley 94:45 0 6
Brigham Young
## Player MIN GA Saves
0 SMITH, Ashley 94:45 1 3
Shots by period 1 2 OT Tot
Univ of Utah #14 4 2 1 7
Brigham Young 5 3 0 8
Corner kicks 1 2 OT Tot
Univ of Utah #14 1 3 0 4
Brigham Young 1 0 0 1
Saves by period 1 2 OT Tot
Univ of Utah #14 4 2 0 6
Brigham Young 2 1 0 3
Fouls 1 2 OT Tot
Univ of Utah #14 7 11 1 19
Brigham Young 4 5 0 9
SCORING SUMMARY:
GOAL Time Team ## Goal Scorer Assists
1 94:45 UTA 3 FEIGT, Amanda Unassisted
CAUTIONS AND EJECTIONS:
Officials: Referee: Joe Pimentel; Asst. Referee: Travis Godfrey; Tyler Ploger;
Alt. Official: Bob Hammer; Timekeeper: Jerry Freestone; Scorer: Kathy Jensen;
Offsides: Univ of Utah #14 0, Brigham Young 1.