No. 14 BYU soccer rallies to stay unbeaten at home after potentially devastating injury

PROVO — Presley Freeman thought she had a goal for just the third time of her BYU career when the junior outside back drove the ball into the back of the net.

But the offside flag was up.

“I was hungry,” the Atlanta native said after the match.

Moments later, the outside back more than made up for it.

Freeman found Emma Hamberlin with her team-high third goal of the year to give No. 14 BYU soccer  a 2-0 lead en route to a 2-1 win over Colorado State in front of an announced crowd of 3,117 fans Thursday night at South Field.

Mattyn Summers-Oviatt also scored for the Cougars (4-1-0), who improved to 3-0 at South Field to start head coach Jennifer Rockwood’s final season at the helm of the program.

Hamberlin’s goal from Freeman helped BYU rally when it needed to most. But it wasn’t the first time the Cougars rallied Thursday night.

ICYMI: Watch both of tonight’s goals HERE👏 pic.twitter.com/gynTJvVykd

— BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) September 4, 2026

Just over 20 minutes after the opening whistle, team captain Ellie Walbruch collapsed in a heap of pain. The senior from Highland who led the Cougars with 16 goals a year ago en route to an 11-7-6 record and the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament was visibly shaken as she had to be helped from the pitch with medical staff helping brace her knee.

Walbruch did not return, and imaging on the injured leg won’t be available. But her teammates were visibly shaken watching their captain pulled to the sideline early.

“It’s scary seeing anyone go down, and Ellie’s our captain; she’s one of my best friends,” said Freeman, who started her 50th consecutive match Thursday night. “I think we just kind of turned it on for her.

“We’ve got to just stay strong and support her. Whatever happens, we’re with her.”

Walbruch was clearly on the Cougars’ mind in the 39th minute, when Summers-Oviatt scored her second of the season to give BYU the early lead. Lucy Kesler — the starting midfielder and younger cousin of Walbruch — found freshman Kate Fuller with a well-weighted through ball from the top of the box, and the former Lone Peak standout punched a cross across the face of goal to Summers-Oviatt en route to the 1-0 halftime advantage.

“When someone like Ellie goes down, that frazzled us a bit,” Rockwood admitted. “But I’m really proud of how we reacted and stayed locked in. And then in the second half, the same thing; we just created lots of good opportunities. Our bench keeps coming through for us and put some good goals in.”

Moments after Freeman thought she opened the second half with a goal, Hamberlin — who trained all spring at center back to help provide BYU key depth at the position — met Freeman’s cross from the end line and redirected it on frame in the 52nd minute to double the Cougars’ advantage.

Hadley Delaney pulled one back five minutes later. But BYU’s back line rallied behind Paiton Collins, who replacing starting goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson after a four-save performance in the first half, to keep the Cougars’ unbeaten on South Field.

After conceding the goal, BYU remember what Rockwood said at halftime, when emotions spilled over for their captain.

“We jsut say, we’ve got to live in the present,” the legendary head coach recalled. “We talk about that all the time: playing in the present. There’s nothing we could do. Obviously, we’re praying that Ellie’s OK and that it’s not too bad. We don’t know yet. But there’s nothing we can do, so we just have to play for the present — and the girls did a really good job coming out in the second half and doing that.”

Walbruch’s numbers speak for themselves: 27 goals and five assists in 55 matches since transferring to BYU after her freshman season at UCLA, including 29 starts. She’s been the lead on and off the field while winning a Big 12 Tournament title and earning all-conference, all-region and All-American honors — so much that the Cougars named her a team captain in 2024, when she was recovering from a torn ACL sustained during the spring.

“She’s been a captain ever since I’ve been here,” Freeman said. “I’ve always looked up to her. Before I even got to BYU, I remember watching games with her, and saying, ‘oh my gosh, I’d love to play with Ellie.’ She’s a beast.

“Now that I’m here, I can’t believe I get to play with her. I’ve always looked up to her; she’s an amazing person. Keep her in your prayers.”

As the Cougars look toward a Saturday afternoon showdown with Oklahoma (2 p.m. MT, ESPN+), they may look toward other leaders — including the former Gatorade Georgia player of the year who has started every game since she arrived in Provo while taking her game to another level in 354 minutes as an upperclassman with wins over UCLA, USC and Minnesota before Thursday’s win over the Rams.

“Presley’s playing with some really good confidence,” Rockwood said. “Obviously, she has a lot of experience and has reason to be confident. I think she played with a chip on her shoulder in the second half, and that’s kind of what we needed to get going. She’s physical, a great competitor, and she brings a lot of emotion and passion and energy on the field.

“And we love that.”