BYU women's lacrosse faced off against Utah Valley University on Friday night in Provo, with the beautiful mountain backdrop at West Campus Field.
UVU defeated BYU by a score of 10-9, with the winning goal being scored in the final seven seconds of the game.
UVU midfielder Sophie Grizzle calmly stepped up to take a free shot and slotted it in the bottom corner of the net to win it for the Wolverines as time expired.
"I knew what was coming," Grizzle said. "It's about not letting anything else get to you and just focusing on what you need to do."
The two programs, being so close in location, are closely tied, with many players having played with or against players on the other team in high school. Family and friends of both teams filled in intermixed in the stands.
BYU started quickly with senior attacker Whitney Holt scoring twice to put the Cougars up 2-0 in the first period. Penalties slowed down the Cougars, and the Wolverines were able to find themselves back into the game with two goals in response.
A big point of emphasis for BYU coach Melissa Nash was winning the ball on the ground.
"We have to win every single one," Nash said.
Winning loose balls throughout the game helped keep the Cougars in control of the game and its tempo.
The game went back and forth through the first and second periods, with goals being scored by players on both teams. Fast breaks and penalties led to a few more goals for UVU, while BYU worked it around and maintained more possession, crafting a couple more goals of their own.
The first half ended with BYU barely in front by a score of 6-5. Both teams took the halftime break to regroup and move things around to pull away after the break.
The third quarter had a strong start for BYU with freshman star Cam Ballard netting two more goals for a hat trick that marked another outstanding performance.
UVU bounced back quickly, being able to score 3 goals of their own to tie it all up at 8.
BYU then went ahead again with a goal by Berkley Royce about halfway through the fourth quarter, making the score 9-8 in favor of BYU. The Wolverines quickly countered and scored a goal of their own, tying the game up at nine goals each.
A few controversial penalty calls put the Cougars a few players down to finish out the last few minutes of the game.
UVU pushed hard for one final goal and drew another penalty, resulting in a free shot for the Wolverines and the game-winner.
The crowd was ruckus as usual between these cross-town rivals, but the visiting team left the night victorious with an inspired comeback win in BYU territory.