With two important away games this week, the BYU women’s soccer team has been striving to improve its play to avoid a repeat of Saturday’s match.
After the disappointing tie against Rice, head coach Jennifer Rockwood said the team would need to prepare differently.
“I asked the girls to think about what they did to prepare for the game because whatever they did, it wasn’t appropriate,” Rockwood said. “We need to address that because so much of the game is mental and preparing to come out and fight.”
Although BYU forward Colette Jepson was also upset with the outcome against Rice, she continued to be positive about the Cougars’ upcoming matches.
“I think the reason this team is such a good team as a whole is because we can fix what our problems are,” Jepson said.
The Cougars’ first away game will take place Thursday against No. 4 Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls have yet to lose a game, maintaining an unblemished record that is currently 9-0-0.
Oklahoma State has scored 22 goals and has only allowed two balls into the back of their own net. They have shut out their opponent in seven of nine games.
Although these statistics might seem threatening, Rockwood said she is confident in her team.
“We have a lot of work to do to prepare before we play the fourth-ranked team in the country,” Rockwood said. “I am confident that we can turn it around and be able to bounce back. Hopefully these girls get really hungry and excited to play against Oklahoma State Thursday night.”
BYU’s second away game will be on Saturday against the University of Oklahoma. The Sooners’ season record is currently 4-4-0, and they are heading into this game coming off a road win against the University of Arizona.
The University of Oklahoma faced ranked teams Tennessee and Oklahoma State early in the season but were unable to pull off a win in either game. However, their game against No. 4 Oklahoma State was a close match with a 1-0 final, and no goals scored until the 79th minute.
The Cougars are ranked No. 20 and have a season record of 4-2-1. The majority of their games have been played this season at home in front of dedicated BYU fans; this will mark the team’s third and fourth away games.
