Cougars advance to Sweet 16 after 1-0 nail biter over USC

PROVO, Utah — No. 1 seed BYU women’s soccer defeated No. 8 USC 1-0 Thursday night at South Field in a tight, back-and-forth contest to move the Cougars on to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

Thursday’s win was the Cougars’ 18th of the season and extends BYU’s home unbeaten streak to 18 games. It was just the fourth time this season that the Cougars had scored one or fewer goals in a game and the first time BYU won in those four games.

"I thought it was a fantastic game for us,” said Jennifer Rockwood, BYU head coach. "Right from the start our girls came out with high energy, and we got off to a great strong start. At halftime we talked about trying to be a little bit more direct, getting in the box, and Bella [Folino] was able to find the back of the net for us. Defensively we held strong. Lava [Vaka] and Izzi [Stratton] in the back did a phenomenal job helping keep the shutout, which is big against the team as good as USC.”

USC ended the game with 16 shots to BYU's 15. Both teams had six coner kicks, and both teams' goalkeepers had six saves each, in the very evenly played matchup. 

“Our commitment as a team to defend was the difference,” said Folino, who scored the game’s lone goal in the game’s 58th minute. “We busted our behinds to get behind the ball and not allow any good opportunities.”

The Cougars will now take on No. 5 Michigan State, who defeated Harvard by the score of 1-0 at South Field earlier on Thursday. It’s the first time Michigan State has advanced to the third round of the tournament in program history. Saturday’s game will be at 6 p.m. on South Field.

First Half

The game started with BYU maintaining possession of the ball in its offensive third for the vast majority of play.

The Cougars had shots from Olivia Wade-Katoa and Kendall Peterson in the first 10 minutes of the match, after sustained offensive pressure. The Trojans had shots of their own in the fifth and 10th minutes, coming in transition, with BYU goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez standing tall between the pipes.

BYU’s best chance in the half came in the 30th minute as Jamie Shepherd fired a shot that forced the USC goalkeeper to dive to her right and just barely corral the ball with her outstretched arms.

USC’s best chance came in the 35th minute, as the game turned into a back-and-forth affair, with chances on both ends. Hernaez settled in as the half continued, bobbling a few saves initially, but catching the 35th-minute chance as the ball drifted high toward the back post.

The half would end without a goal scored on either side. Despite the Cougars maintaining the majority of possession, USC got a myriad of chances in transition and key offensive stats remained very even. 

Both teams had eight shots, four on goal and four corner kicks in the first half.

“I thought we had great energy and were moving the ball,” said Jennifer Rockwood, BYU head coach at halftime. “We obviously haven’t had a good look at the goal yet. We’re serving balls a little too late and not getting shots off in the box. USC is holding real tight in the back. We need to be a little more disciplined and find our forwards in behind.”

In 22 games previously played this season, BYU had only been tied at the half six times. The Cougars were 2-2-1 in those six matchups.

Second Half

The Cougars came out in the second half controlling play, registering the first five shots of the half.

On BYU’s fifth shot of the half and 13th of the game, in the 58th minute, the Cougars broke the deadlock on the Folino goal. The play started with Peterson winning a ball on the left side of the field and sending a cross right through the goal mouth to a waiting Brecken Mozingo. Mozingo settled the ball and sent a pass into the box where Folino took a quick touch and turn and fired the ball into the back on the net, sending the 4,176 South Field fans into a frenzy.

 

Bella taps it HOMEEEEE

📺 https://t.co/87nsnuKFTM pic.twitter.com/OtguyiYPTl

— BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) November 17, 2023

 

Following the goal, USC had some sustained pressure immediately after. The Trojans however would not register their first shot of the half until the 69th minute. USC would force Hernaez to make key saves in the 69th, 70th and 71st minutes.

Both teams traded chances, as USC started to take a few more risks to keep its season alive. In the 84th minute, USC had a great chance for the equalizer, with BYU defender Zoe Jacobs just getting a piece of the attempt to ricochet the ball wide.

In the 89th minute, USC earned a corner to set up one final push. With just 10 seconds left on the clock, the ball eventually got into the box, and USC sent a screamer that just glanced off the top of the crossbar and out of play, ending the game.

The Cougars next matchup on Saturday can be viewed on ESPN+. Tickets remain available to purchase at byutickets.com.