BYU Soccer Advances To Big 12 Tournament Final
Nov 2, 2023, 9:22 AM | Updated: 11:37 am
PROVO, Utah – BYU soccer has advanced to the Championship round of its first Big 12 Tournament.
The No. 6 ranked Cougars defeated UCF 4-1 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. BYU’s high-powered offense rolled to a dominant 4-0 lead in the first half and pulled away from the Knights.
— BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) November 2, 2023
“It means a lot to make it to the championship match our first year in the tournament,” said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood who earned career win no. 451 on Wednesday. “It says a lot about these girls and our seniors leading this group. We played a phenomenal first half, and got to get a lot of our younger girls into the game in the second half, so it was an overall great performance tonight.”
Senior leader Oliva Katoa got the offensive onslaught started with a pair of goals in the 28th and 34th minutes of play. Katoa’s two goals bring her up to 10 goals on the season.
After Katoa, BYU star Brecken Mozingo scored in the 39 minute then Ellie Walbruch closed out the first half with a goal in the 44th.
BYU had eight shots on goal to UCF’s seven. But the Knights were only able to capitalize on one, which was in the 79th minute on a goal from Katie Bradley.
Through two matches in the Big 12 Tournament, BYU has outscored its competition 10-1.
BYU Soccer will face Texas in the Big 12 Tournament Final
BYU is now 16-1-3 on the season. The next match is a chance at a Big 12 Tournament Championship.
onto the next➡️ pic.twitter.com/kExud3PQc4
— BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) November 2, 2023
BYU will face four-seed Texas on Saturday, November 4, at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex in Round Rock, Texas. The kickoff for BYU/Texas is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MT) and will stream on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.
