PROVO, Utah - BYU came up short in its final home game of the season Thursday night at South Field.
"There was a lot riding on this game," head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. "Kansas has had a fantasic season. We knew they were physical, we knew they were fast and aggressive and press hard. They just came ready to play and they took it to us in the first half. We came out and battled hard and I thought played pretty well in the second half. We're still young right now and these are learning and growing pains. Hopefully it pays off somewhere down the road."
The Cougars outshot Kansas 15-12, with six of those on target, forcing the Jayhawks goalkeeper to make five saves.
The aggressive game concluded with 25 total fouls committed, with BYU claiming responsibility for 14.
Mika Krommenhoek and Ellie Walbruch led the Cougars in shots, with four a piece.
First Half
Kansas opened with the first shot of the game in the second minute of the contest, which proved unsuccessful after a save from BYU goalie Paiton Collins.
Kansas got themselves on the board first with a goal in the bottom right corner of the net just past the eight-minute mark.
The two teams battled back and forth for the next five minutes, which was capped off by another Jayhawks goal 13 minutes into the match, going up 2-0.
Krommenhoek attempted the Cougars’ first shot 20 minutes into the game, which was off target.
As the half progressed, physicality ramped up on both sides, with fouls being committed by both teams and a yellow card awarded to BYU 23 minutes into the game.
Just over a minute later, Kansas scored again off of a missed header that was rebounded and put into the back of the net, moving the Jayhawks ahead 3-0.
The remainder of the half featured shots from Walbruch and Halle Dixon that were unsuccessful.
In the final minute of the half, a Kansas shot was blocked, ending the first half with the Cougars trailing by three.
The half ended with BYU being outshot 9-3 and both teams committing six fouls apiece.
Kansas is the first team to lead the Cougars by three unanswered goals entering halftime this season.
Second Half
Led by an intense effort from Izzi Stratton, BYU began the second half aggressively, which included two corner kicks and two shots in the first four minutes. Freshman Kate Denney laid claim to the second shot, which was narrowly saved in the bottom left corner of the goal.
Kansas returned the favor after flipping the field in the 49th minute of the game, with the shot being saved by Collins.
In the 55th minute of the game, Stratton pressed down the field and shot, which ricocheted to Afton Perry. Perry sent the ball through to Walbruch, who scored the first goal of the night for the Cougars.
Walbruch’s goal marked her fifth consecutive game with a goal, moving her total to seven in the five-game stretch.
Back-and-forth play ensued for 15 minutes until Krommenhoek shot and bounced the ball off the right goal post.
Physical play continued, with a yellow card being assessed to Kansas in the 82nd minute of play. A free kick was to Walbruch, which was saved by Kansas.
Krommenhoek offered the Cougars’ final shot of the night, which sailed over the net in the 83rd minute of the match.
Collins saved a Kansas shot in the 87th minute of the game, concluding the final score 3-1 for the Jayhawks.
Up next
BYU faces the UCF Knights in Orlando, Fla., Monday, Oct. 27, at 11 a.m., with streaming available on ESPN+.