The first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament kicks off for BYU women's soccer with a rematch of the 'Crosstown Clash' on Friday night.
Ever since since BYU fell 4-2 to UVU back in September, the Cougars have yet to lose another match. With so much progression throughout the season, BYU looks forward at the opportunity for revenge.
'We've evolved a lot throughout the season, and so I think moving forward we're a completely different team from when we played them originally in the season,' midfielder Olivia Wade said. 'So we just look forward to showcasing the progress that we've made together as a team.'
With a lot of momentum going into the postseason, the Cougars understand that tournament play is a whole different beast when it comes to pressure. They also know that there is a lot more riding on the line for these kinds of games.
'The tournament is different. There's higher pressure and the games just really mean something and so we're excited,' said WCC midfielder of the year Jamie Shepherd.
One advantage the Cougars will have from being q 6 seed is that the first round gets to be played at South Field in Provo. With having home field advantage for the first game, the Cougars only can only hope to have more opportunities to play at home in the postseason.
'That's what we do all season, is work for an opportunity to play as many games as we can at south field,' head coach Jenn Rockwood shares. 'We were a few goals away from getting a much higher seed, so we would have liked to have been able to play a few more games at south field but the opportunity to play at south field no matter who it is, is a great thing.'
Although BYU posted a 5-2-3 record at South Field this season, the Cougars not only show up, but they show out when playing at home in the postseason. Since 2015, BYU boasts a 7-0-0 record at home when playing in the tournament. The Cougars look to have the ROC out in full force for Friday's game to help keep the streak going.
'Huge advantage for us, there's nothing like playing out on south field, we've got the best fans, the best environment, and a beautiful field,' Shepherd said. 'It's a huge advantage for us and so we're super excited to be out playing for our fans.'
While the main focus for the Cougars is always the next game, there are high hopes for this team to make another deep run in the tournament.
'This team can go far and do great things,' Rockwood stated.
Kickoff for the match will be at 6 p.m. at South Field. Fans can also stream the game live on ESPN+.