SANTA CLARA, Calif. - An 83rd minute goal beat the No. 22 BYU women's soccer team against No. 18 Santa Clara on Saturday at Buck Shaw Stadium.
The loss is BYU's (7-4-1, 1-1-0) first in conference play this season and first West Coast Conference loss since Oct. 29, 2011.
"We really battled hard," BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. "We're clearly improving, but Santa Clara was just better as a team today."
Santa Clara (8-3-1, 2-0-0) worked the ball across the top of the box and found Katie Spiedel who beat a defender then Erica Owens to the near post for the game winner.
In the 11th minute, BYU struck first. Jaiden Thornock found space just outside the box and crossed the ball to Colette Jepson Smith who beat the defense to the ball and the keeper for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Jepson Smith's third of the season and it was also the first goal against Santa Clara in conference play.
Santa Clara evened the game in the 40th minute as Sofia Huerta was led perfectly by Julie Johnston towards goal. Huerta toe-poked the ball over a sliding Owens for the equalizer.
The Broncos had almost taken a lead in the 8th minute off an errant back pass that hit off the crossbar. Morgan Marlborough tried to head it over Owens but headed it over the goal as well.
In the 48th minute, Cloee Colohan got an open look in the box but blistered the ball off the post.
After Colohan was given a yellow card in the 58th minute, Santa Clara followed with an open look on goal that hit off the crossbar. Owens smothered a chance at the near post on a header in the 72nd minute to keep the game tied.
BYU returns to action at South Field this Thursday, Oct. 17 hosting Pepperdine at 7 p.m. MDT. The game will be broadcast live on BYUtv.