OREM, Utah – No. 7 BYU women’s soccer beat UVU 6-1 behind an Erin Bailey brace on Saturday evening, moving to 6-0 on the season.
“We knew this would be a tough game for us, especially after the results we had last year against them," said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood. "We knew their potential and their strengths, and we knew they would be coming after us, so I think the girls did great. We told them that this was the most important game of the season, and they showed up to play.”
Bailey scored two goals in the span of four minutes for her first career brace, earning four points on the night. Ellie Boren tallied a goal and an assist for three points, while Brecken Mozingo, Ellie Walbruch and Allie Fryer each added a goal. Lytiana Akinaka added her first assist of the season.
The Cougars were outshot by the Wolverines 21-18 but put nine shots on frame to UVU's eight, with six finding the back of the net. BYU had six corner kicks to UVU’s eight.
Two Cougars saw their first minutes on the pitch this season, with goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez and center-back Ella Rustand coming in during the second half.
First Half
The first ten minutes on the pitch saw little action from either team, with only one shot apiece. In the 11th minute, senior defender Kendell Petersen sent a long ball across the field to forward Bella Folino who crossed the ball in for a Brecken Mozingo goal.
Petersen has now tallied assists in three consecutive games, six total on the season. Mozingo’s goal is her third of the season and 25th of her career.
In the 21st minute, UVU and BYU exchanged a pair of corner kicks, with the Cougars capitalizing for their second goal of the night. Ellie Boren sent the corner to the middle of the six-yard box as Allie Fryer jumped for a goal off her head, extending BYU’s lead to 2-0.
The battle did not let up as the Cougars kept control of the possession on the pitch, taking five more shots through 32 minutes of play. In the 34th minute, BYU sent a long ball over the heads of the UVU backline to Erin Bailey for a foot race with the Wolverine center back. Juking out the UVU goalkeeper, Bailey put the ball in the back of the net for BYU’s third goal of the night.
The Wolverines answered back with a header goal of their own in the 36th minute off a set piece outside the 18-yard box, lessening the margin, 3-1.
Just two minutes later, the Cougars tore down the field, finding Bailey inside the 18 who slid the ball past the UVU keeper, extending BYU’s lead to 4-1. With two goals in four minutes on the pitch, Bailey recorded her first career brace.
The Cougars outshot the Wolverines 10-7 in the first half, four of their five shots on goal finding the back of the net. Both teams tallied four corner kicks, with each goalkeeper notching one save apiece.
Second Half
The pace of the game slowed down at the start of the second half. The Cougars earned a free kick outside the 18 in the 49th minute, which found the head of Olivia Wade-Katoa and missed just wide.
In the 62nd minute, Boren collected a loose ball in the center of the 18-yard box and threaded a shot into the top right corner of the goal, to give the Cougars a 5-1.
The Cougars kept possession of the ball and found the feet of junior Lytiana Akinaka inside the 18 in the 82nd minute. Akinaka passed the ball to Ellie Walbruch, who rocketed a shot into the back of the net for BYU’s sixth goal.
BYU held control through the final eight minutes on the pitch, finishing the night with a season-high six goals to UVU’s one.
The Cougars next take the field as they travel north to face in-state rival Utah on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. on Ute Field.