AUSTIN, Texas – No. 6 BYU women’s soccer overcame an early deficit in the first half to beat No. 14 Texas 3-2 on Thursday evening in the Cougars' first comeback victory of the season.
Tonight's win puts the Cougars at 9-1-1 on the season and 2-0-1 in Big 12 conference play.
“It was an exciting match against Texas tonight,” said head coach Jennifer Rockwood. “We got off to a little bit of a slow start, which you can’t do against a team like Texas who is so dangerous and loves to attack like we do. It was a great matchup, but I thought our girls fought really hard and found a way. Erin Bailey with a phenomenal game-winner and we were able to put the game away at the end.”
BYU recorded more shots than any other team against Texas this season, outshooting the Longhorns 23-14, forcing their goalkeeper, Mia Justus, to make a season-high nine saves. In a very physical match, 22 fouls were called with 15 being on Texas. Both teams recorded eight corner kicks on the night.
Ellie Walbruch, Olivia Wade-Katoa and Erin Bailey notched tonight’s goals against the Longhorns, with assists by Olivia Smith-Griffitts, Brecken Mozingo, Kendell Petersen and Tara Warner. Bailey now leads her team in goals with seven.
First Half
In the fifth minute on the pitch, BYU’s Mozingo took the ball up the spine of the field, sending it to Allie Fryer who fired off a shot that was blocked by the Texas backline.
Wade-Katoa took another shot for the Cougars, but Texas was able to clear it out and start a counterattack. Off of a broken play, the leading goal-scorer in the Big 12, Texas forward Lexi Missimo, collected a ball from her teammate and took a shot that just snuck under the hands of BYU goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez, giving the Longhorns the 1-0 lead.
After a Longhorn corner kick in the 24th minute, BYU built the ball out of the back and got the ball to the feet of senior forward Bella Folino who fired off a shot from the top of the 18-yard box, forcing Texas goalkeeper to make a diving save.
BYU’s offense continued to press with another Mozingo shot inside the box just two minutes later, being tipped over the goal.
In the 35th minute, BYU defenders Petersen and Smith-Griffitts exchanged shots from outside the box, forcing more saves by the Texas keeper.
The Cougars continued pressing the Longhorn backline as Smith-Griffitts drove the ball up the right side of the pitch. She sent the ball into the box, finding the feet of sophomore Walbruch who turned her defender and found the equalizer just before the end of the half in the 43rd minute.
The Cougars outshot the Longhorns 14-4 in the first half, adding four corner kicks compared to Texas’ two. BYU went into the locker room tied for just the second time this season.
Second Half
The Cougars came out of halftime strong, with several shots in the first few minutes back on the pitch. In the 51st minute, Ellie Boren drew a foul in the box for BYU’s third penalty kick of the season. Looking to take the lead, Wade-Katoa took the shot, but was denied by Texas goalkeeper Mia Justus.
Just five minutes later, Boren fired off a shot from the top of the box, tipped over by Justus for her seventh save of the night.
In a defensive breakdown in the 61st minute, Texas forward Trinity Byars took the ball into the BYU box and fired a shot, bending toward the net and barely hitting off the outside of the post.
Just one minute after the missed Longhorn opportunity, BYU was fouled in the 62nd minute and Mozingo lined up to take the free kick on the right side of the 18-yard box. Mozingo sent a perfect ball into the box and after the ball took a high bounce off the turf, Wade-Katoa leaped into the air and put the ball in the top of the net off a volley, putting the Cougars up 2-1.
Texas answered back with a goal of its own in the 66th minute, another from Missimo for her second of the night, tying the game up again at 2-2.
In a counterattack, Walbruch took a one-touch shot off a Boren cross, narrowly missing the near side of the goal.
With only seven minutes left in the game, Petersen sent a through-ball for Warner who took the ball all the way down the left side of the pitch and centered the ball to the top of the box for a run-on goal by Bailey, who one-touched the ball off the right post and into the net.
BYU contained Texas in the final minutes on the pitch, bringing home its first ever win at Mike A. Myers Stadium, 3-2.
The Cougars next face Big 12 opponent Cincinnati in Provo Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. on South Field. The game will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.