PALO ALTO, Calif. – BYU women’s soccer closed its 2025 season Monday afternoon with a 6-0 loss to No. 1 Stanford in the Sweet 16.
The Cardinal outshot the Cougars 20-7, putting seven shots on frame to BYU’s two. BYU added two corner kicks, while Stanford added four.
The last time BYU conceded six goals was a 6-0 loss to then-No. 3 UCLA in 2002. This was BYU’s second shutout loss of the season, the first coming in a 1–0 defeat to Arkansas.
First Half
The Cougar backline was tested early as the Cardinal had four shots in the first four minutes of play. In the second minute, BYU goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson took a shot to the gut when coming out to grab a ball from the feet of a Stanford forward.
Stanford found the back of the net in the 8th minute to take an early 1-0 lead.
As the Cougars struggled to keep the ball out of their defensive third, the Cardinal capitalized on a give-and-go and finished with a one-touch shot into the upper 90 in the 11th minute to extend the lead to 2-0.
In the 19th minute, Stanford sent a long ball over BYU’s backline and Cardinal forward Jasmine Aikey was able to volley the ball over Peterson’s head, bringing the score to 3-0.
Through the first 22 minutes of play, Stanford held BYU to zero shots and the Cardinal had seven, with four on frame and three finding the back of the net.
BYU’s first shot of the match came in the 29th minute on a long-range, right-footed attempt by Ellie Walbruch that missed wide right.
In the 34th minute, Ella Labrum was fouled just outside the 18-yard box, giving BYU a free kick. Halle Dixon sent the ball into the box and found the head of Walbruch, but Stanford’s goalkeeper punched it away. The ball stayed in play, and the Cardinal countered quickly, moving it down the pitch and scoring on a headed finish to extend the lead to 4-0.
Another free kick in the 39th minute by Afton Perry found the head of Kate Denney, whose attempt missed just left of the post, bringing BYU’s shot total to four.
The Cardinal outshot BYU 10-4 in the first half, putting five shots on frame to the Cougars’ one. Stanford led 4-0 at halftime, BYU’s largest first-half deficit of the season.
Second Half
Stanford had the first two shots of the second half in the 48th and 49th minutes, both blocked by BYU’s backline and cleared out.
In the 55th minute, Stanford worked down the right side and sent a cross into the box, finding Charlotte Kohler on the back post for a header that extended the Cardinal lead to 5-0.
Just three minutes later, the Cardinal had another cross into the box for a header goal that extended their lead to 6-0.
In the 80th minute, a Stanford corner bounced around the box before a shot toward the near post was blocked on the goal line by BYU’s Ella Rustand and cleared.
Stanford had another chance on goal in the 84th minute on a shot from outside the 18 that struck the post before the BYU defense cleared it away.
The Cardinal had a breakaway in the final two minutes but sent the shot high over the crossbar.
The Cougars battled to the end but were unable to generate chances offensively, falling 6-0 to Stanford.
Stanford held BYU to just two shots in the second half, the Cougars’ fewest in a half this season.