By Ashlee Headlee
After a week of away games, BYU women’s soccer has returned home to face its next opponent.
BYU takes on Loyola Marymount University tonight at 7 on South Field.
The Cougars are excited to be back at home and plan on taking full advantage of the games they have left in the season, according to head coach Jennifer Rockwood.
[/media-credit]- BYU forward Colette Jepson dribbles by Pepperdine’s Katie Gallanes in a match earlier this month.
“We only have two more home games, so we really want to make the most of it,” Rockwood said. “The end of the season is coming and all of the hard work we have done is for these types of games.”
Senior forward Jennie Marshall said she knows the team has what it takes to make the most of this game and to come out on top with a win.
“Everyone has had such a positive outlook, especially since conference has started,” Marshall said. “We have really come together and feel unified as a team, so we are definitely excited and prepared to play hard and get another win.”
In order to beat the Lions, Rockwood said the Cougars have been working on finishing the opportunities they have on goal.
“LMU is a very good team, and our goal is to get better every game,” Rockwood said. “One of the things we are trying to do to prepare for Loyola is spending time in front of the box. We have also been doing a lot of set piece work.”
Marshall said the reason the Cougars have been giving set pieces extra attention is because of the past opportunities they have given up.
“We have had quite a few critical set pieces in the last couple games that could have resulted in goals, but they just didn’t go our way, so we have really been focusing on those,” Marshall said. “We have also been doing a lot of shooting in front of the goal to make sure we are comfortable taking those shots and know what to do in the actual game.”
Loyola Marymount University comes to Provo after its most recent 2-0 loss against Pepperdine. With that loss, the Lions now have a 7-6-2 season record.
The last time the Cougars faced the Lions was in 2004 and resulted in a 2-1 victory for the Lions.
BYU and Loyola Marymount have each played Cal State Fullerton, Gonzaga and Pepperdine. Both the Lions and the Cougars lost to Pepperdine and added a win to their record against Cal State Fullerton. However, Loyola Marymount tied Gonzaga 0-0 — a team BYU beat 3-2.
Fans who aren’t able to make it to the game can listen to the game on BYU Radio (Sirius XM 143) or follow the live stats found on the BYU women’s soccer website.
