By ELIZABETH PALMER
The field was sloppy. At times, the play was too, but the BYU women’s soccer team managed to pull out a 3-1 win Saturday night against Portland State University.
The field was soaked and muddy from earlier rainfall, but head coach Jennifer Rockwood didn’t think the conditions were much of a factor. Junior forward Karen Robbins said the mud made the game “a lot slower than usual.”
“We couldn’t run as fast,” she said.
BYU started the scoring early with a goal by junior midfielder Maren Hendershot off a pass from senior forward Shauna Rohbock that came in the first minute of the game.
The Cougars extended their lead with a goal by Robbins. Her shot attempt was blocked by Portland goalkeeper Kim Street. The ball stopped in a patch of mud in front of the goal and Street slid past it. Robbins followed up her own shot, beating Street to the ball, and kicked it into the wide-open goal.
BYU’s early lead allowed Rockwood to make substitutions, giving playing time to some of the younger players, who usually spend more time watching from the sidelines. “It was a good opportunity for everyone to play,” Rockwood said.
The Cougars completed their scoring with another goal by Hendershot, who hit a header into the goal off a free kick by sophomore defender Staci Reynolds.
Portland State responded with its only goal of the night put in by freshman forward Joanna Bowns.
Although the nationally ranked BYU team dominated the game offensively, keeping the ball in its control and away from its goal most of the night, the Cougars were unable to finish on many of its plays.
“We felt like we controlled the game,” Robbins said. “But we couldn’t put the ball away as much as we should have.”
“We could have put some more (goals) in, and we would have liked to score more,” she said. But Rockwood acknowledged that “the most important thing is that we won the game.”
“I’m pleased that we’re undefeated on the season,” she said. After Saturday’s victory, BYU’s record stands at 4-0. Their next game will be against New Mexico on Friday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at the South Field in Provo.
