COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jamie Shepherd’s brace secured the 2-0 win for the Cougars against No. 20 Ohio State at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
“Huge game for us to come into Ohio State,” said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood. “It’s such a great program, and I’m really proud of the girls for coming in and playing the way we did. I’m proud of the energy and effort that they gave tonight, and a great all-around team performance for us.”
With the goals by Shepherd and assists by Brecken Mozingo, BYU is now 2-0 on the season heading into the first three home games.
The Cougars applied pressure right from the beginning of the game with seven shots in the first 10 minutes of the match, two of which were on target. The Buckeyes answered back with a run up the spine of the field and a shot on goal that was denied by BYU goalkeeper Savanna Mason.
In the 16th minute, OSU had a good chance in the box, but freshman defender Izzi Stratton was able to take possession of the ball and clear it out of pressure. BYU’s offense pushed back with six more shots within a six-minute span.
During the 25th minute of play, junior captain Shepherd sent a through-ball up to Rachel McCarthy for a one-on-one against the OSU goalkeeper. McCarthy’s left-footed shot did not have enough power to get through the arms of Ohio State’s keeper, Katherine Robinson.
Although BYU outshot Ohio State 24-1 in the first 45 minutes of play, the score remained 0-0 going into the half. Of the 24 shots by the Cougars, six were on frame and four were taken by McCarthy.
Within the first minute of play in the second half, BYU had an opportunity in the box cleared out by Ohio State’s defense. The Buckeyes answered back and earned themselves their first corner kick of the night, cleared out by Shepherd.
With some room to run in the attacking third, Mozingo took a shot from outside the eighteen that caught the foot of an OSU defender for a BYU corner kick. Although cleared out, BYU’s offense kept pushing and McCarthy earned another shot on goal in the 55th minute sent straight into the arms of the OSU keeper.
OSU had back-to-back goal-scoring opportunities in BYU’s defensive third, but the Cougar’s backline kept their composure and managed to clear the ball out both times. On the counter, McCarthy chipped a ball in the box and Bella Folino went up for the header without success.
Just a few minutes later, Shepherd found the ball in the center of the field and sent it out to the right flank to Mozingo. Mozingo sent the ball back in to Shepherd who found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead in the 65th minute.
This goal marked Shepherd's first of the season and Mozingo's first assist of the season.
In the 72nd minute, BYU earned its seventh corner kick of the night. Mozingo sent the ball into the six where Shepherd got her head on the ball for her second goal of the night, extending the Cougars’ lead 2-0.
“We talk a lot about getting to that assist-zone and serving the ball into the box,” said Shepherd. “Mozingo played great balls in for easy finishes tonight. She’s our go-to for taking corners, and tonight she had great service right into the back of that six, which was another easy finish.”
As a final attempt on goal, OSU sent the ball over the top of the BYU defensive line and took a strong shot, which was punched out by Mason. With a second-chance opportunity in the box for the Buckeyes, BYU defender Olivia Smith was able to get a foot on the ball and regain possession for the Cougars.
BYU’s 42 shots tied for the second most shots taken in a single game in program history. With seven corners and 13 shots on frame, BYU took away the 2-0 win against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Cougars next take the field Monday, August 29 as they host their first home game of the 2022 season against the Colorado Buffaloes at 3 p.m. MDT. The game will be carried live on the BYU Sports Network — BYURadio.org/BYU Radio app/BYU Radio 107.9 FM. The game will also be streamed on the BYUtv App.