PROVO -- After a slow start, BYU defeated Wyoming 2-0 behind two second half goals by senior Jaime Rendich Beck, Saturday evening at South Stadium.
Despite a physical first half with numerous shots on goal, BYU was unable to put the ball in the net. Head coach Jennifer Rockwood said she knew this was an important game and wanted to see how the team would respond in the second half.
"I had our upperclassmen say a few things and told them of how much was riding on this game. I told them that this game could determine the rest of our season."
The team responded with two second half goals and passed another midseason test.
Following her four-goal game Thursday night against Air Force, junior Bobbi Tillotson wasted no time getting into the action as she dropped a short pass back to junior Brooke Thulin along the right side. Thulin then passed the ball up to Rendich, who headed the ball passed Wyoming keeper Ashley Sheppard with just over 22 minutes remaining in the game.
Rendich, nicknamed "Big Game James" because of her many late game heroics throughout her career, came right back and scored with 4:02 left to play. The play was started by a Tillotson deflection deep in Wyoming territory and kept alive by freshman Katie Larkin. Rendich one touched the ball over the outstretched hands and into the corner of the goal, sealing the victory for the Cougars. The goals were Rendich Beck's ninth and tenth of the season.
"I know we didn't do as well in the first half and we knew we could have," Rendich Beck said. "We just rallied together and believed in ourselves."
BYU, improving to 14-1-1 on the season, controlled possession throughout the game and outshot the Cowgirls 22-8.
"Jaime really did a great job tonight," Rockwood said. "She stepped up big and I'm really happy for her because she's a great player and she deserves this success."
Noting the growing maturity of the team, Rockwood said she believed this was a huge game for BYU to win, early into the conference schedule.
"Conference games are always the hardest games to win because no matter what you've done up to this point in the season, there is so much riding on each game. This year the conference is the strongest it has ever been and every contest is tough."
This weekend the Cougars travel to Las Vegas to play UNLV on Thursday, and then hit the road again, playing San Diego State on Saturday. Both games will begin at 6 p.m. (MDT).
The Automated ScoreBook For Soccer
WY vs Brigham Young Univ. (Oct 15, 2005 at Provo, Utah) WY (5-5-3 (1-1-0)) vs.
Brigham Young Univ. (14-1-1 (2-1-0)) -------------------------------
Date: Oct 15, 2005 Attendance: 1237 WY.................. 0 0 - 0
Weather: Brigham Young Univ.. 0 2 - 2
WY Brigham Young Univ.
Pos ## Player Sh SOG G A Min Pos ## Player Sh SOG G A Min
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
GK 33 SHEPPARD, Ashley.... - - - - 90 GK 28 WOODBURY, Erika..... - - - - 90
3 WALTERS, Kara....... - - - - 90 3 CUTHBERT, Haylee.... 1 1 - - 90
4 ADETOYE, Mercy...... 2 1 - - 90 7 SWENSON, Carolyn.... 1 1 - - 35
8 LATHROP, Amanda..... - - - - 79 9 HARMON, Jessica..... 2 1 - - 90
9 BROWN, Jessica...... 1 - - - 87 11 BECK, Jaime......... 6 4 2 - 90
11 CLARKE, Carolyn..... - - - - 77 12 NATE, Natalie....... 4 1 - - 62
16 HUBBARD, Laine...... - - - - 90 13 THULIN, Brooke...... - - - 1 90
17 THIEMAN, Corey...... - - - - 39 16 LUI, Charlene....... 1 1 - - 81
18 SOLTAU, Andrea...... - - - - 24 18 LARKIN, Katie....... 2 2 - 1 83
22 GROY, Katie......... - - - - 26 19 ANDERSON, Nicole.... - - - - 90
23 WILSON, Tamika...... 3 2 - - 82 20 Tillotson, Bobbi.... 4 1 - 2 73
---------- Substitutes ---------- ---------- Substitutes ----------
5 GURROLA, Kristin.... 1 - - - 0 4 AQUINO, Jessica..... 1 - - - 20
6 BUCHER, Jennifer.... - - - - 11 5 FELLER, Whitney..... - - - - 37
7 NAGEL, Christine.... - - - - 66 6 ZWAHLEN, Annie...... - - - - 34
10 BEST, Christina..... - - - - 64 8 STAPLES, Stephanie.. - - - - 0
12 ADETOYE, Comfort.... 1 - - - 62 22 FELLOWS, Katie...... - - - - 25
14 STANGL, Kristen..... - - - - 13 Totals.............. 22 12 2 4
Totals.............. 8 3 0 0
WY Brigham Young Univ.
## Player MIN GA Saves ## Player MIN GA Saves
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
33 SHEPPARD, Ashley.... 90:00 2 10 28 WOODBURY, Erika..... 90:00 0 3
Shots by period 1 2 Tot Saves by period 1 2 Tot
------------------------------- -------------------------------
WY.................. 4 4 - 8 WY.................. 8 2 - 10
Brigham Young Univ.. 15 7 - 22 Brigham Young Univ.. 3 0 - 3
Corner kicks 1 2 Tot Fouls 1 2 Tot
------------------------------- -------------------------------
WY.................. 1 3 - 4 WY.................. 3 2 - 5
Brigham Young Univ.. 6 3 - 9 Brigham Young Univ.. 3 1 - 4
SCORING SUMMARY:
GOAL Time Team Goal Scorer Assists Description
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. 67:22 BY BECK, Jaime THULIN, Brooke; Tillotson, Bobbi
2. 85:58 BY BECK, Jaime LARKIN, Katie; Tillotson, Bobbi - Corner kick
CAUTIONS AND EJECTIONS:
YC-BY #TM (89:08)