BYU women’s soccer toppled No. 9 UCLA in the season opener on Wednesday.
The Cougars bested the Bruins 2-1, opening up head coach Jennifer Rockwood’s final season with a statement win.
Despite making a deep run in the national tournament last year, BYU was the first team out of the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll top 25 preseason rankings. BYU has three players named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, Presley Freeman, Lucy Kesler and Ellie Walbruch.
Additionally, Rockwood is entering her 32nd and final season with the team. She has been the team’s head coach since 1995.
She is the first and only coach of the women’s soccer team in BYU history and has the most wins among active female coaches. Rockwood also holds the highest winning percentage among active female coaches.
The teams traded goals throughout the first half of Wednesday night’s season-opener.
UCLA’s Kara Croone was the first to score in the match. Near the 37th minute mark, her shot went into the bottom-left corner of the goal. Just minutes later, just before the 41st minute mark, BYU’s Mattyn Summers-Oviatt also booted the ball into the goal’s bottom-left corner.
Halfway through the second period, freshman Brynnli Tolbert scored BYU’s second and game-winning goal, a shot that also found itself in the bottom-left corner of the net.
The Cougars finished the match with 14 total shots, seven shots on goal and two saves. BYU and UCLA met twice last season, once in Provo, which resulted in a BYU win, and a second time in the NCAA tournament, where BYU won on penalty kicks and advanced to the Sweet 16.
Wednesday’s win gives the Cougars a 5-4 advantage over UCLA in all-time matchups.