No. 1 BYU and TCU draw 3-3 in historic first-ever Big 12 Conference matchup

PROVO, Utah — In a historic first-ever Big 12 Conference matchup, the No. 1 BYU women's soccer team played to a 3-3 draw against TCU on Thursday night before a crowd of 5,416 at South Field.

The Cougars are now 7-0-1 this season, and the Horned Frogs are 3-3-2.

The three goals conceded by the Cougars against the Horned Frogs marked the most goals they've allowed in a match this season.

BYU dominated in shots, outshooting TCU 24-7 and secured two corner kicks compared to zero for the Horned Frogs. Both teams played a physical game, resulting in a combined total of 17 fouls, with 11 fouls assessed to the Cougars.

Rachel McCarthy, Allie Fryer and Erin Bailey each contributed goals for BYU, while Brecken Mozingo and McCarthy led the team with five shots each. Olivia Wade-Katoa provided an assist and took four shots. Ellie Walbruch tallied two assists.

“It was a fantastic college game tonight,” said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood. "The atmosphere was unbelievable, and the soccer was awesome. We’re obviously disappointed with the outcome, but really proud of the way we fought back against a great TCU team that proved to be able to score goals more than we had hoped.

They came on top with those first two goals, but our team fought back in the second half. I felt we had all the momentum and played really well, even though we didn’t get the go-ahead, winning goal. It's a great introduction for us to the Big 12. There’s a lot on the line, a lot of energy but I’m proud of the way we battled and played particularly in the second half."

(Full recap below.)

FIRST HALF

The first half saw an electrifying battle, eventually ending with a 2-1 deficit for the Cougars. Both teams displayed offensive prowess in the initial 45 minutes of play.

TCU got on the scoreboard early with a goal from Gracie Brian in the second minute, giving the Horned Frogs a 1-0 lead, marking the first time BYU had trailed all season.

The Cougars applied pressure in the 10th minute, but a shot by Wade-Katoa was blocked by a Horned Frog defender at the top of the box.

In the 18th minute, BYU defender Kendell Petersen charged down the field and took a shot that narrowly missed the top portion of the net. Wade-Katoa had another opportunity in the 20th minute, but her shot was saved by TCU's goalkeeper near the bottom right corner of the net.

The momentum shifted quickly as Seven Castain took a shot on goal for the Horned Frogs, which was saved by Cougar goalkeeper Savanna Mason, igniting cheers from the crowd.

In the 27th minute, the Horned Frogs extended their lead to 2-0 as Castain found the back of the net.

BYU closed the gap in the 36th minute with a goal by McCarthy on a flying header, fed off of a free kick taken by Walbruch. The score tightened to 2-1 as both teams headed into the locker room.

This marked the first time BYU had trailed at halftime since Sept. 10 of the 2022 season.

Despite trailing, BYU led in shots 9-6 and corner kicks 1-0, but TCU held the advantage in saves at 4-1.

SECOND HALF

The second half continued to be a physical, back-and-forth battle.

BYU came close to scoring in the 50th minute when Mozingo's shot near the Big 12 logo on the field was saved by TCU. Moments later, Petersen's shot hit the crossbar bouncing down to the field just in front of the goal line, leaving BYU trailing 2-1.

In the 54th minute, BYU found the equalizing goal as Wade-Katoa provided an assist to Fryer, tying the score at 2-2.

Wade-Katoa's shot in the 58th minute nearly gave BYU the lead, but Horned Frog goalkeeper Lauren Kellett made another crucial save.

A breakdown in the Cougar defense led to another goal by Castain, her second of the evening, in the 61st minute, giving TCU a 3-2 advantage.

In the 70th minute, a corner kick by Mozingo resulted in two chances for McCarthy, but they were not converted.

Walbruch's header in the 73rd minute narrowly missed the net, keeping the score at 3-2.

Finally, Bailey found the equalizer for BYU in the 78th minute with a shot that found the back of the net and electrified South Field with cheers.

As time dwindled down, BYU had one last attack in the final 30 seconds, culminating in a shot by defender Olivia Smith-Griffitts that went off-target.

The Cougars will return to play on Saturday when they face in-state rival Utah State on Chuck and Gloria Bell Soccer Field at 3 p.m. MT. The game will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network.