PROVO, Utah — No. 13 BYU women’s soccer put on efficient offensive showing in a 4-1 win over Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night at South Field.
BYU outshot the Titans 22-7, including 15-3 in shots on goal. The Cougars also forced 13 Fullerton fouls and a career-high 11 saves from Titan keeper Mia Ranson.
BYU’s four goals resulted from seven assists and came off the feet of four different scorers. Brecken Mozingo, Olivia Wade-Katoa, Ellie Walbruch and Erin Bailey scored for BYU. Wade-Katoa and Bailey each scored for the second time in the young season while Walbruch notched her first-career Cougar goal in her starting debut for BYU.
Walbruch also recorded three shots, each of them on goal, along with an assist. Mozingo added three more shots, with two on goal and an assist while Wade-Katoa totaled four shots and an assist. Bailey’s goal came out of six shots on the night with three on goal.
BYU punctured the Titan defenses early and often and for the second time in as many games, recorded two goals in the first 16 minutes of play.
First Half
Mozingo notched her opening goal of the season and put BYU up 1-0 with a shot into the bottom left of the goal in the sixth minute. Wade-Katoa assisted on Mozingo’s score only to have the favor returned in the 16th minute. Mozingo and Walbruch worked the ball to Wade-Katoa who found the back of the net putting the Cougars up 2-0.
The 18th minute saw the Titans begin to test the BYU defense with Savanna Mason recording two saves for the Cougars in short order. Mason corralled Fullerton’s first shot at the bottom center then tipped the ball over the crossbar and out of play following a second shot moments later.
BYU widened its shot advantage with a five-shot barrage in the closing minutes of the half but came up empty on each and headed to the locker room holding its 2-0 edge.
Second Half
"We got lulled in and frustrated, but the great thing is that the team bounced back and started the second half strong again," Rockwood said.
Cougar shots began finding the back of the net again in the 51st minute of play as Olivia Smith-Griffitts connected with Walbruch on a cross and assisted the UCLA transfer in her first-career BYU goal.
BYU’s fourth and final goal on the night came in the 81st as Bailey fired the ball into the lower left of the goal off assists from Kendell Petersen and Jamie Shepherd.
The Titans recorded their lone score of the game in the 74th as a Fullerton attacker slid past the Cougar defense and found the upper right of the goal, cutting the BYU lead to 3-1.
"Fullerton is a dangerous team, especially with counter-attacks and we definitely had to respect that," Rockwood said. "I'm really pleased with the way things are going and the energy from our team, on to the next!"
BYU hosts Long Beach State on Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. MDT. Watch the Cougars battle the Beach with live coverage from South Field on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.