PROVO, Utah - In its first conference match of the season, the No. 6 BYU women’s soccer team tied 0-0 with No. 21 Santa Clara in double overtime at South Field.
“We played really well tonight,” head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “We knew this was going to be a tough team and a tough game. We gave it everything we had. We needed to get one in but just couldn’t get it done. We’ll take the tie against a very great team.”
BYU’s record goes to 11-1-1 while Santa Clara ends its six-game winning streak to send their record to 7-2-4.
Both team's defenses went to work early in the first half. BYU’s first attempt at the goal came thirty minutes into the half as Michele Murphy crossed a shot that bounced into the hands of the Santa Clara goalie. BYU added only one more shot in the half, while Santa Clara took four shots and four corner kicks to head into the locker room tied at zero.
BYU came out aggressive on the offensive side of the ball in the second half and took 12 shots compared to Santa Clara’s five.
In the beginning of the half, Santa Clara threatened to score early, but BYU’s goalkeeper Erica Owens poked the ball up and out of play to send the Broncos for a corner kick, which flew into the side of the goal.
BYU’s first attempt on goal, in the second half, came soon after as Jaiden Thornock took a deep shot that floated just over the crossbar.
Five minutes later, BYU’s Jessica Ringwood took the team’s first corner kick of the game and gave BYU its best opportunity to score, but the play was cut short on an off-sides call.
Santa Clara took two more shots of their own, but couldn‘t get it past Owens for the score.
Twenty-five minutes in, BYU earned another chance to score as Ringwood took a hard shot at the goal, which bounced off the right crossbar.
The Cougars and Broncos continued to exchange shots, but the game remained scoreless at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime.
With five minutes remaining in the first overtime, BYU earned a free kick just outside of the goal box, but Cloee Colohan sailed the shot over the goal.
BYU had multiple chances to score throughout the rest of the first and second overtime, but failed to convert and the game ended in a 0-0 tie.
BYU plays next at home on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. MDT for another conference matchup against San Francisco.