BYU seemed to get back to its normal style of play with a dominant 4-1 win against Portland this past Saturday, and the Cougars are looking to keep that momentum going into this week. The Cougars hope to keep their trend of starting games fast and on the attack.
'We are able to come out with a high energy, we have a strong start every game and I think that's huge because it puts the other teams on their heels,' midfielder Kendell Petersen said.
When preparing for the two matches this week, BYU is focusing internally before putting any thought towards its opponents.
'We tend to just focus on ourselves and make sure that we are focusing on our strengths and making sure we are doing the best at what we are best at,' Petersen said. 'There are still things that we can work on cause there always will be, but I think we've come to find our identity a little more.'
BYU heads to Malibu this Wednesday to face Pepperdine, but the trip will be anything but a vacation for the Cougars, with their all-time record a ho-hum 7-6-0 against the Waves.
'Expect to win, go out and win. We've proven that we know how to get our shots off and the last couple of games we can score goals,' said forward Bella Folino. 'We've turned that page and the goals are going to keep coming.'
After the quick road trip, BYU returns to south field to face Gonzaga in a matchup that will test the Cougars in their ability to continue to score in high amounts. BYU will be going for its 15th straight win against the Zags to end its WCC run against the Bulldogs completely undefeated. In order to do that, the Cougars will need to focus in on their fundamentals.
'Communication. Just continuing to get better at communicating and demanding our teammates and organizing,' Folino said. 'Just go out there and keep playing how we play. Just BYU soccer. Go out there and play.'
BYU squares off against Pepperdine Wednesday at 4 p.m. MDT with fans being able to listen to the game through BYU Radio. BYU's game against Gonzaga will kick off Saturday at 7 p.m. MDT at South Field.