PROVO, Utah – The BYU women’s soccer team concluded its 2024 season fourth in the Big 12 Conference and made it to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh year in a row.
Finishing with a record of 9-7-5, the Cougars finished the season at No. 19 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll. BYU’s young starting lineup clinched six home field wins and six conference wins. The Cougar’s backline and goalkeepers tallied six shutouts.
With one of the best environments in NCAA soccer, the Cougars finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation for accumulative attendance (33,956) and No. 2 in the nation for average attendance (3,396).
The Cougars earned a bye in the first round of the Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship and beat OSU in the quarterfinals before falling to TCU in the semifinals. The Cougars earned a No. 7 seed and faced Santa Clara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, hosted on South Field. The Cougars fell to the Broncos 1-0 to end the 2024 campaign.
BYU led the Big 12 in corner kicks, posting 148 on the year. Starting forward Allie Fryer ended the season tied for second in the conference for shots (73) and fourth for shots on goal (36). She also ended the season tied for third in the conference with 11 goals, a new career high for the junior.
The Cougars were led by just two returning starters in Fryer and goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez. With both captains being out with injury this season (Tara Warner and Ellie Walbruch), the Cougars relied heavily on their underclassmen on the pitch.
Playing every minute of every game for BYU this season was center back Avery Frischknecht. With 1,890 minutes on the pitch, the Mapleton, Utah native was a crucial leader for the Cougars this year. Frischknecht tallied her first career goal against Arizona State, and proceeded to score three more goals on the year.All four goals by Frischknecht came from headers, including her goal in the 90th minute against Texas Tech to give BYU the 2-1 win for its last game of the regular season. She also earned Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career in week two after beating ASU. After a successful season, Frischknecht was selected for the All-Big 12 First Team.
As BYU’s only returning offensive player, Fryer led the Cougars in goals with a new career-high 11 goals in a single season. She started and played in all but one game for BYU and also tallied 73 shots, 36 shots on goal and two assists. She notched three braces on the season against Utah, Baylor and Oklahoma State. Along with Frischknecht, Fryer earned All-Big 12 First Team honors, her second year in a row earning Big 12 conference honors. With her brace against OSU in the quarterfinal match of the Big 12 tournament, Fryer was named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team.
Freshman Mika Krommenhoek was a key contributor on the pitch for the Cougars this season. Playing and starting every game for 1,705 minutes as a center midfielder, Krommenhoek proved to be an important piece of BYU’s attack and moving the ball in transition. She scored her first collegiate goal against Oklahoma State during the regular season, and her first career brace against OSU in the Big 12 tournament. She led the team in assists with four on the year, and also added 31 shots with 12 being on frame. Following a successful freshman season, Krommmenhoek was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and the All-Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
Junior transfer Mackenzee Vance was the second-highest scorer for the Cougars this season, with seven goals on the year. She also had 44 shots and one assist in 2024 as a new member of the BYU squad. Vance scored her first goal as a Cougar against Utah State, and scored in three-straight games at the end of the year, with two goals in the Big 12 tournament. After scoring in back-to-back games in the Big 12 championship, Vance was named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team. Two of Vance’s goals this season came from free kicks outside the 18-yard box, proving her to be crucial in set plays. She earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors following her first season at BYU.
Playing in 19 games and starting in 12 as a 17-year old freshman, Lucy Kesler proved to be a dominant force in the midfield for the Cougars. She scored her first and only goal against Houston, and tallied three assists on the year. After becoming an important part of BYU’s starting lineup, Kesler earned All-Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors.
BYU had five players who scored their first collegiate goals this season: Avery Frischknecht (4), Mika Krommenhoek (3), Lucy Kesler (1), Halle Dixon (1) and Ella Labrum (1).
The Cougars had 11 players play in their first collegiate matches this season: Kelsey Hoopes, Savannah Hansen, Josie Shepherd, Presley Freeman, Mia Curry, Mika Krommenhoek, Abbi Sine, Emma Hamberlin, Tylie Pratt, Ella Labrum and Halle Dixon.
Vance and Mattyn Summers played their first minutes at BYU since transferring from UCLA and St. Louis, respectively.