PROVO, UT – Goals by Lizzy Braby, Elise Flake and Makaylie Moore led BYU to a 3-1 victory over Gonzaga at South Field Thursday night in the first West Coast Conference game of the season.
“In the first half we created so many opportunities," BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “I really liked how we started the game with intensity. I’m proud of them for not getting too flustered after the penalty kick in the second half and we settled in and pulled it out. This was a good battle and I think it’s a good lesson for us that no game in conference is going to be easy.”
BYU (6-3-1, 1-0 WCC) got on the board in the sixth minute when Bella Folino sent the ball to Flake who fired her shot into the left corner of the net for an early 1-0 lead.
The momentum continued in the 21st minute as Braby danced around in the 18-yard box and found the corner of the goal for a 2-0 advantage.
At the end of the first half, the Cougars recorded 18 total shot attempts to Gonzaga’s (5-6-2, 0-1 WCC) eight. Mikayla Colohan and Madie Siddoway Gates provided four shots apiece, while Braby and Flake each contributed three shots.
The Bulldogs picked up their attack early in the second half with an attempted shot by Gonzaga’s McKenna Ferrera, but Sabrina Macias Davis responded with a save.
A penalty kick was awarded to the Bulldogs in the 56th minute and Sophia Braun was initially denied by Davis before finding the back of the net off of the deflection.
Moore scored in the 72nd minute, shooting the ball past an outstretched goalkeeper to tally her second career goal and extend BYU's lead to 3-1.
At the end of the game Davis recorded eight saves and the Cougars outshot the Bulldogs 31-14.
The BYU women’s soccer team will continue at home when they play Portland on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. MDT. The game will be available to watch on TheW.tv and on an audio broadcast on ESPN 960 AM/107.9 FM. Live stats can also be found on Statbroadcast.com.
Game Notes
- In the first half, the Cougars recorded 18 shots for a season-high number of shots in a half.
- Flake and Braby each tallied a career-high of season goals. Flake scored her sixth goal this season and Braby scored her second.
- Davis grabbed a career-high eight saves.