BYU men’s soccer fell to FC Tucson 1-0 in a hotly contested game Tuesday night at South Field.
“I felt like we were at least deserving of a tie, if not a win,” BYU coach Chris Watkins said. “I’m disappointed we started slow. Overall I’m happy with our quality, except for the finishing touch.”
The Cougars got off only a couple of shots in the first half with play mostly contained on their side of the field. FC Tucson has the division-leading offense coming into the game with 16 goals on the season. Though pressured for nearly 45 minutes, the BYU defense let through only one goal in the 32nd minute off the foot of FC Tucson’s Kevin King.
The second half brought a fresh set of 45 minutes and an aggressive Cougar lineup. Coach Watkins made a few personnel changes in the midfield and a re-energized BYU squad saw a lot of play on FC Tucson’s half of the field. Despite eight corner kicks and even a one-on-one with the keeper in the 51st minute, the Cougars were unable to convert shots to goals.
“In the second half we played really well, we just need to work on finishing,” BYU defender Sterling Hancock said. “We controlled the game the second half of the game, we just need to bring that intensity for the whole game.”
The Cougars will get their chance to bring new intensity Saturday night when they play in-state rival, the Ogden Outlaws in Ogden.
