PROVO, Utah – No. 11 BYU women's soccer picked up a 2-0 victory against Long Beach State Thursday night at South Field improving to 3-0 on the year.
“It was a huge win for us to start this season 3-0 playing against a very good Long Beach State team that is very quick and technical,” said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood. “We got off to a slow start, but really regrouped at halftime and came out really strong, and it was a much better performance in the second half.”
In an offensive battle, the Cougars outshot The Beach 14-13, with seven shots on goal. It was a highly-physical game, with a total of 23 fouls called on the night, BYU forcing 10. The keepers from both teams had five saves a piece.
First Half
A defensive battle through the first 10 minutes of play limited both teams to no shots, until LBSU broke the stalemate in the 13th minute of play. BYU keeper Savannah Mason had a quick save from a shot to the top right of the net.
In the 26th minute, BYU's Kendell Petersen rocketed a shot from the top of the box, bouncing off of Long Beach’s Zora Standifer. Attempting to tap the ball in, Ellie Walbruch rushed in but was called offside. The Cougars were called offside three times during the match.
In the 30th minute, Oliva Wade-Katoa scored the first goal of the night, with a rocket of a shot that ricocheted under the crossbar. Kotoa now has scored a goal each game this season game for the Cougars and has 15 in her career.
Twelve fouls were committed the first half. BYU was whistled for eight and LBSU for four. For the first time this season, the Cougars were outshot at the half, The Beach up 7-4.
Second Half
The Cougars put on the pressure entering the second half, and Bella Folino notched her second goal of the season with her first shot of the night to the top left of the net in the 48th minute of play, assisted off of a cross by Olivia Smith-Griffitts. Folino’s 30th career goal put the Cougars up 2-0.
In the 53rd minute, Savanna Mason launched in the air for a diving save from a deep shot from the Beach. It was her fifth and final save of the night.
Gameplay was stopped in the 64th minute for 18 minutes, when LBSU midfielder Cherrie Cox went down with an apparent head/neck injury. The two teams joined together in a moment of prayer in solidarity, before resuming play.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Long Beach player who went down,” Rockwood said. “It’s always hard to restart a game when something like that happens, so hopefully she’s ok.”
Brecken Mozingo broke away in the 69th minute, dribbling through the box on an impressive individual effort, nearly scoring on her first shot of the night. It was saved by Standifer for her fifth save of the night.
Next up, the Cougars head to Boise, Idaho on Saturday to face Boise State in a 7 p.m. matchup for BYU's first regular-season road matchup of the season. The game will be available to stream live on the Mountain West Network.