PROVO, Utah – No. 16 BYU women's soccer (11-3-3, 7-1-2 Big 12) used strong second-half play for their fifth straight victory against Utah.
Coach Jennifer Rockwood’s first and last game against Utah yielded the same result, a win. She also notched her first career win at South Field against Utah in her inaugural season in 1995.
The Cougars extended their unbeaten while leading at halftime streak to 89 games.
BYU saw a combined team effort in all three of its goals. Sydney Snow notched her first career two-assist game, Kyleigh Hastings had her first career assist and Mia Goettsche tallied her first brace of the season.
First Half
The Cougars wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, scoring their fastest goal of the season in one minute and two seconds. A quick through ball from Presley Freeman found Afton Perry down the left wing. Perry, head up, rifled the ball into a crowded box where Mika Krommenhoek slotted home the cross to put the Cougars up 1-0.
BYU was inches away from finding a second in the 16th minute after Freeman weaved through three defenders via nifty footwork but struck the outside of the post. It wasn't until the 39th minute that Utah registered its first shot on goal, also forcing BYU’s first save of the night. A through ball slipped behind the Cougar’s back line compelled Paiton Collins to come off her line and quell any additional danger.
Through the first 45 minutes, the Utes and Cougars sat almost even on all stats. The teams were equal with two shots on goal a piece while Utah notched six shots compared to BYU’s five.
Second Half
A trio of shots from the feet of Ute attackers highlighted the offensive pressure BYU faced in the opening minutes of the second half. Under the misty sky neither team found much consistency in the middle third as bouncing balls slipped past players and disrupted attacks for both sides.
Amidst the pressure, Goettsche received a yellow card after pulling the jersey of a Utah midfielder to stop a counter attack. Goettsche quickly made up for the caution however, tapping in a redirected header from Avery Frischknecht off a corner swung in from Snow. The ball trickled through the legs of the Utah keeper, crossing the line before Utah could clear it out, giving BYU the 2-0 lead.
With the game getting late, the Cougars looked to pad their lead. Sending a ball long over the top, BYU found the feet of Snow again on the right side of the pitch. Snow, akin to her corner that led to the second goal, swung the ball into the six. The cross found Hastings on the back post who directed it to the middle where a waiting Goettsche finished off the attack, extending the BYU lead 3-0.
Utah found the back of the net late, cutting its deficit to 3-1 before the Cougars defense locked it down to finish the game off.
Up Next
The Cougars will wrap up their regular season on Thursday, Nov. 5th, taking on Arizona State at South Field. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.