The No. 5 seeded BYU women's soccer team will host the Utah State Aggies at home at South Field Friday at 6 p.m. in its opening match of the NCAA College Cup.
These two teams are very familiar with each other, with a matchup between the in-state rivals being on the schedule almost every year.
BYU has historically dominated against Utah State, boasting a record of 15-3-1. The last game between them ended in a 2-0 win for the Cougars, with the true freshman Mia Goettsche earning her first collegiate brace back in early September.
Here is what we can expect from Friday's game:
1. A hot start from the Cougars
Following Saturday's win in the Big 12 title game, BYU has now won four straight games, keeping clean sheets in three out of the four games. Backup goalkeeper Chelsea Petterson has been phenomenal, earning Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the tournament for her performances in the Cougars' run to the Big 12 title.
BYU coach Jen Rockwood said after the tournament, “It’s been a tough year. We’ve gutted it out, and these girls have been resilient. They got up after they’ve been hit down over and over again."
Rockwood is extremely experienced and ready for this moment. This game will mark her 26th appearance in the NCAA tournament with the Cougars.
2. Utah State's tough defensive duo
The Aggies are also coming off a tournament win this Saturday, beating Boise State in penalty kicks in what was a tough Mountain West title game.
This Utah State team relies heavily on the experience of graduate defender Carli Conner and Goalkeeper Taylor Rath. Conner was named to the all-Mountain West first team, and Rath was named to the second team.
These two combined have played almost 3,000 minutes for the Aggies this season, earning six clean sheets.
This duo will try and slow down the Cougar offense that has been in red-hot scoring form.
3. Ellie Walbruch's dominant presence
Ellie Walbruch's form has picked up to a blistering pace nearing the end of this season. In the Big 12 tournament, she led the tournament with five goals in three games, including the game-winning strike from far outside the box to beat Kansas in the title game.
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— BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) November 9, 2025
Her presence and pace up top will be a challenge for this Utah State defense.
She will look to combine with her teammates Lucy Kessler and Mia Lopez, who have both been at the top of their games in recent matches.
This matchup will be the test for BYU women's soccer to see how far it can extend their season and make another dark horse run at a national championship.