PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s soccer (7-2-2, 3-0-1 Big 12) overcame a first-half deficit to defeat Kansas State 2-1 Friday night at South Field.
With a 3-0-1 conference record, the Cougars are now tied for first in the Big 12 with No. 9 Baylor and No. 14 Texas Tech.
BYU dominated possession despite entering halftime trailing 1-0. The Cougars then came alive in the second half scoring twice leading to a win for the first time this season when trailing at the break.
“Super gritty comeback in the second half,” head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “Kansas State came out and did to us what we like to try to do to our opponents, put a lot of pressure and win balls. They came out strong and we really struggled to keep the ball and I think we were trying to score goals with every pass and it got away from us a little bit. I think in the second half we came out and settled things down and tried to move the ball like we’ve done the last two games and we felt the goals would come if we were patient and kept the ball.”
The win marks BYU’s first three-match conference winning streak since the Cougars’ first season in the Big 12 in 2023.
The Cougars outshot the Wildcats 21-9, including an 11-3 advantage in shots on goal, marking BYU’s most shots on goal in a match this season. BYU also earned 15 corner kicks to Kansas State’s five.
First Half
Kansas State came out with early pressure, getting a shot on goal in the fourth minute, but the Cougars quickly responded with six corner kicks before the match reached the 15-minute mark.
BYU racked up seven shots with five on frame over the first 20 minutes of play with the ball rarely crossing midfield to the Cougars backfield over the period.
A back and forth battle ensued before Mattyn Summers-Oviatt saw a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper in the 40th minute but was denied, marking the Cougars 13th shot of the half.
Chelsea Peterson made a diving save at the net in the 43rd minute just before the Wildcats capitalized on their first corner kick of the game to take a 1-0 lead over BYU.
The Cougars ended the half with eight corner kicks to Kansas State’s one and leading the Wildcats in shots 15-5. The Wildcats keeper was forced to make seven saves in the first half.
Second Half
The Cougars opened the half quickly, with Lucy Kesler launching a shot from just outside the 18-yard box in the 47th minute that forced the Wildcat keeper into a diving save.
Afton Perry followed with two shots before heading a free kick from Kesler inches over the keeper’s hands and into the top-left corner in the 53rd minute to knot the score at one.
Kansas State was caught offside in the 60th minute setting up a BYU possession that ended with a Wildcat handball in the box. Woods took the penalty kick for the Cougars a minute later, launching the ball into the back of the net marking her first goal in a BYU jersey and giving the Cougars the lead 2-1 in the 61st minute.
The Wildcats saw an opportunity in the 79th minute with a corner kick but the subsequent shot was off target. The Cougars then took that possession down the field with Mia Goettsche forcing another keeper save at the net.
BYU then recorded back-to-back-to-back corner kicks in the 81st and 82nd minutes keeping the pressure on the Wildcats defense before closing out the game.
Up Next
The Cougars head on the road to Morgantown to face off against West Virginia at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Thursday, October 8th at 5:00 p.m. MDT. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.