The BYU women’s soccer team defeated UC Santa Barbara 2-0 in Thursday’s first round of the NCAA Women’s College Cup.

The game was the first-ever matchup between UC Santa Barbara and No. 8 BYU, and it marked BYU’s 11th NCAA appearance. After losing in the MWC tournament finals to San Diego State, BYU was eager to return to the soccer field against the Gauchos.

“It was a real team effort out there, and I'm very proud of the girls,” BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “Everybody stepped up and played their hardest.”

Freshman Carlee Payne scored the first goal of the night after the ball was deflected into the goal off one of the Gauchos’ defenders.

Senior Alyssa Vander Veur scored BYU’s second goal of the half off an assist from sophomore Jennie Marshall, who led the Cougars with five shots on goal. The second half featured more shots by both teams, but BYU’s defense held strong and goalkeeper McKinzie Olson recorded her 12th shutout of the season, a personal record.

The BYU win eliminates UCSB from the College Cup, while the Cougars will wait to play the winner of the game between top-seed Stanford and Northern Arizona.

If Stanford beats Northern Arizona and advances to play the Cougars, it will be the third meeting between the two schools. The previous two times occurred in 1998 and 2000, with BYU winning both games. If Northern Arizona advances to the second round, it will be another first-time match up for the Cougars.

The second round match will take place at Stanford at 1 p.m. PT on Saturday.