PROVO, Utah — No. 3 BYU women’s soccer took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute and warded off consistent attacks from No. 19 Wisconsin on its way to a season-opening 1-0 win at South Field on Thursday night.
With tonight's win, BYU secures its seventh-straight season-opening win.
While BYU gained the upper hand on the scoreboard and held it to the finish, the Badgers held the edge in shots and corner kicks from the start. Wisconsin outshot the Cougars 17-7, 6-3 in shots on goal and 12-1 in corners.
BYU goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez was tested early and often, turned each shot away and totaled six saves on the night. Hernaez has now recorded seven career games with five or more saves.
Allie Fryer scored the Cougars’ first goal of the season with assists from Erin Bailey and Addie Gardner. Fryer posted two other shots on the night, both of which were on frame.
“That goal was such a great feeling," said Fryer. "It was complete tunnel vision. We’ve worked so hard in the preseason, so it was nice to finally get one in the back of the net. It was a big weight off of our shoulders and you could feel the momentum shift after that. We are going to have so many more goals this season, but that was a great one to start us off."
Mika Krommenhoek also posted a pair of shots while Gardner and Bailey contributed one a-piece.
First Half
Wisconsin wasted no time penetrating the attacking third, leaving BYU to weather two shots and a corner kick in the opening three minutes of play. The Cougars recovered possession and got off their first shot of the season in the ninth minute as Mika Krommehoek forced a Badger save in the bottom right of the net.
BYU’s defenses were further tested in the 14th minute with Lynette Hernaez recording a diving save to keep Wisconsin scoreless.
Over the first 15 minutes of play, the Badgers held a 5-1 advantage in shots and 2-0 in corner kicks. Despite the slow start to the game, the Cougars turned the Hernaez save into some attacking success of their own moments later.
Allie Fryer probed the Wisconsin defenses and paid it off in the 17th minute as she collected a pass courtesy Erin Bailey and Addie Gardner, then drove it past the Badger keep for the 1-0 BYU lead.
Just 10 minutes after facing a crooked stat sheet, the Cougars had evened the numbers to 5-5 in shots with three on goal and a 1-0 advantage to show for it.
Second Half
No sooner had the second half started than Wisconsin continued to besiege BYU’s third. The Cougars responded to the relentless attacks with relentless defense of their own, denying each of the Badgers’ nine shots of the period.
Frischknecht disrupted Wisconsin’s first drive into the attacking third. Ella Rustand closed on a Badger attacker and forced a corner and ensuing errant shot in the 53rd minute.
A BYU handball in the 60th gave Wisconsin a golden opportunity to score on a penalty kick. Even then, Hernaez turned away the shot with a diving save to her left.
The visitors continued to badger BYU with five more shots, including two in the final five minutes of play. Hernaez and the Cougars denied them all and preserved their 1-0 lead for a 1-0 record on the young season.
BYU begins a three-game road swing with another top-25 matchup on Aug. 22 at No. 12 Saint Louis. The Cougars and Billikens will meet at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri at 7 p.m. CDT with live coverage on ESPN+.