No. 7 BYU hosts No. 1 UCLA Thursday evening for a top-10 matchup

No. 7 BYU women’s soccer will host reigning National Champion UCLA on South Field Thursday evening.

Author Brenna Seeman
Brecken Mozingo UCLA preview picBrecken Mozingo UCLA preview pic

PROVO, Utah – No. 7 BYU women’s soccer will host reigning National Champion UCLA on South Field Thursday evening.

GAME NOTES

Thursday’s matchup is scheduled for 8 p.m. MDT. The game will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

BYU vs. UCLA

IN THE RANKINGS. As the highest ranked Big 12 team and after posting two more wins, the Cougars have moved up in the polls, going from No. 11 in the Top Drawer Soccer Poll to No. 9, and moving from No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll to No. 7. UCLA has held the top spot in both national rankings for three weeks now. 

STANDOUT PLAYERS 

  • With four goals in four games, Olivia Wade-Katoa was named to the College Soccer News Women’s National Team of the Week

  • Mozingo’s 216 career shots ranks No. 11 overall at BYU

  • Mozingo’s 71 career points ranks No. 16 overall at BYU

  • Mozingo’s 24 career goals ranks No. 18 overall at BYU

  • Folino’s 31 career goals ranks No. 13 overall at BYU

  • Folino’s 69 career points ranks No. 19 overall at BYU

UCLA CONNECTION

BYU's roster has a pair of UCLA transfers in senior Brecken Mozingo and sophomore Ellie Walbruch. Mozingo played six games for UCLA as a freshman in 2019 before returning to her home state of Utah. Walbruch played for the Bruins in their 2022 National Championship run, tallying one goal in 13 games played.

BYU RECORD AS A RANKED TEAM

  • BYU overall as a ranked team: 247-59-37

  • BYU home record as a ranked team: 137-20-17

BYU RECORD VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

  • The last time BYU hosted a No. 1 ranked opponent was in 2018 when Stanford visited South Field, besting the Cougars 2-0 

  • BYU vs. Top 10 ranked opponents: 10-25-2

  • BYU vs. Top 5 ranked opponents: 3-17

  • BYU vs. No. 1 ranked opponents: 0-6 (last vs. Florida State in the NCAA College Cup Finals. Lost in PK’s)

LAST TIME ON THE FIELD. BYU last played Boise State at the Boas Soccer Complex on Saturday, Aug. 26. The Cougars defeated the Broncos 4-1, courtesy of an offensive surge in the second half that saw three BYU goals. Senior Bella Folino started the scoring for the Cougars with her lone goal in the first half. This goal marked Folino’s 31st career goal. Olivia-Wade Katoa, Allie Fryer and Brecken Mozingo each tallied goals in the second half to secure the win for BYU. Wade-Katoa has now scored in all four matches for BYU, while Fryer’s goal was her first of the 2023 season. 

THE BRUINS. The UCLA Bruins last played at UC Irvine on Sunday, Aug. 27, besting the Anteaters 4-0. Ally Cook scored her third goal in as many games to open scoring in the 18th minute for the Bruins. Freshman Val Vargas scored her first career goal in the 86th minute from outside the 18. Cook was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week after her two-goal, one-assist performance in both UCLA victories last week.

COUGARS VS. BRUINS. BYU and UCLA have met six times previously, with the Bruins leading the series 3-2-1. The Cougars and Broncos last met in the spring season of 2020-21 at the Wallis Annenberg Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. when UCLA defeated BYU 2-1. The last time the Cougars beat the Bruins was in the 1998 second round of the NCAA tournament when BYU blanked UCLA, 2-0.