No. 13 BYU women’s soccer team (13-2-2, 5-1-1) scored more than two goals in a single game for the first time this season in its 3-0 win over the Pepperdine Waves (8-6-3, 3-3-1).
The game began with steady, light rain conditions but as the rain let up, the Cougars’ quick attack poured down. BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood’s said the team played their best offensive game of the season. BYU outshot Pepperdine 30-8.
Junior midfielder Elena Medeiros scored her sixth and seventh goals of the season and for the first time in her BYU career, scored two goals in the same game.
“Elena’s just a special player,” Rockwood said. “Everyone can see her quickness and her agility. And tonight, she showed her composure in front of the net, too.”
Medeiros’ first goal of the game came in in the 32nd minute on the rebound of forward Madie Lyons’s far post shot to put the Cougars up 1-0. Lyons recorded the assist.
Forward Brittain Dearden came in off the bench and scored her first goal of the season just two minutes into the second half. She took advantage of a rebound off of a Pepperdine defender and hit the back of the net, giving BYU a 2-0 lead.
BYU’s final goal came in the 77th minute as Medeiros received a through ball from Bizzy Phillips and then beat the keeper to net the goal. The goal put the Cougars up 3-0 for the first time all season.
Medeiros said the team focused in practice this week on going faster on the attack and taking opponents on. Based on the game’s final score, the Cougars applied what they practiced.
“I think that desire for us to go forward and get those shots off is what paid off tonight and got us those goals,” Medeiros said.
Eleven different BYU players took shots, but Lyons led the Cougars with seven shots, Medeiros had six and Michele Murphy Vasconcelos had five. The Cougars gave Pepperdine goalkeeper Hannah Seabert a workout as she made seven saves on the night.
BYU goalkeeper Rachel Boaz recorded her 65th save of the season in the first half and reached five saves by the end of the game. The Cougars have yet to concede a goal at home this season and recorded their ninth consecutive home shutout.
Defender Paige Hunt played some good minutes in the first half and started the second half after missing the last three games with a concussion. Hunt contributed two shots.
Rockwood said the team’s defense has been solid all year.
“We’ve only given up six goals with a very challenging schedule, so that’s something we take a lot of pride in, it’s an effort from everybody on the field,” Rockwood said.
BYU extended its home game win streak to 15 games, second in the nation after Florida State’s record of 19 home games.
The Cougars will play Loyola Marymount Halloween night on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. (MDT). The game will be broadcast on BYUtv, the Cougar IMG Sports Network, ESPN 960 AM and BYU Radio – Sirius XM 143.
