PROVO, Utah – BYU Women’s soccer (8-3-2, 3-3-1 Big 12) beat Arizona 3-2 at South Field Thursday night behind three goals from junior Ellie Walbruch.
Arizona scored its first points on the road since August 31st in tonights match.
The last Cougar to score a hat trick was Mikayla Colohan in 2021. Five different Cougars tallied assists on Walbruch's three goals.
BYU outshot the Wildcats 17-11 and had a 10-4 advantage on corner kicks taken.
First Half
Arizona started strong with four shots in the first nine minutes, outshooting BYU four to none over that span despite the Cougars having the ball for the majority of that time.
After two offside calls on the Cougars, in the 17th minute Walbruch dribbled through the defense off a give-and-go from Mika Krommenhoek and Camryn Jorgenson, scoring on BYU’s first official shot of the night.
The Wildcats then shifted the momentum by quickly moving the ball up the field. Paiton Collins kept Arizona from scoring by diving on the ball when confronted with a one-on-one inside the 18-yard box.
Walbruch then sent it into the back of the net off a pass from Mackenzee Vance in the 22nd minute to earn her second goal of the night.
In the 41st minute the Wildcats found some space taking a shot that went high over the net.
Second Half
BYU started off quick with back-to-back corner kicks in the 46th and 49th minutes. Mia Goettsche then got a one-on-one look with the keeper that ended with the goalie jumping on the ball.
Arizona carried the momentum from the save down to the other side of the field putting it in the net to make the score 2-1. This was the Wildcats' first score on the road since August 31st of this year.
The Cougars hustled down the field with Walbruch getting an open look on the goal in the 53rd minute but pushed it wide of the net.
BYU kept the pressure up, taking three more shots by Izzi Stratton, Mia Lopez and Avery Frischknecht in the 54th, 55th and 56th minutes respectively.
Arizona flipped the script tying the score at two a piece in the 60th minute.
The Cougars shot four corner kicks in the span of six minutes with the final one creating three shots in the 75th minute. The final shot of the sequence was a header by Krommenhoek that was saved by the keeper.
In the 76th minute Afton Perry sent a ball up the left side of the pitch to Presley Freeman who found Walbruch in the box on a cross, netting her third goal of the night to take the 3-2 advantage.
Up Next
The Cougars are back on South Field facing Colorado Monday, October 20 at 6:00 p.m. MDT. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.