No.11 Cougars down Buffs 2-0 in front of record crowd

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PROVO, Utah – No. 11 BYU women’s soccer defeated the Colorado Buffaloes 2-0 in its home opener Friday night in front of a record crowd at South Field. With the win, the Cougars move to 2-0-0 on the season.

“The energy from the crowd was incredible. It was as good as I’ve ever seen it,” BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “I’m proud of the way our girls came out and played against a very good tournament team. I think we are in great shape, and we were better in this game than the last. Hopefully, we can come out and continue to get better each game.”

That unique energy came from Cougar fans, who set a new South Field attendance record of 5,589. The new record beat the old mark of 5,402 set in the 2013 season in a game against Utah.

BYU struck first in the 13th minute when sophomore defender Stephanie Ringwood gathered a corner kick attempt and pushed the ball across a crowded box to junior midfielder Elena Medeiros, who then launched the ball off the far post and into the net. The goal was Medeiros’ second of the season, and marked Ringwood's first assist of the year.

The Cougars scored again in the 28th minute when Medeiros sent a ball across the box to sophomore forward Nadia Gomes, who gathered and scored, putting BYU up to the final score of 2-0. That marked the first goal of the season for Gomes and the first assist for Medeiros on the year.

The BYU defense held the Buffs scoreless as junior goalkeeper Rachel Boaz recorded her second straight shutout for the Cougars, tallying five saves on the night. In her two-game career at BYU, Boaz has not allowed a single goal.

“It’s great to have Rachel Boaz out there,” Rockwood said. “She’s a great presence on the field, and she gives our team and the defense a lot of confidence.”

The Cougars outshot Colorado 18-11 and earned four more corner kicks than the Buffaloes. Hermann Trophy candidate Ashley Hatch led the Cougars with five shots, putting two on goal. Gomes tallied four, while Medeiros and Bizzy Phillips each had two.

BYU travels next week to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers Monday at 7 p.m. CDT (6 p.m. MDT). The game will be broadcast on ESPN 960 AM and on the Cougar IMG Sports Network on BYUCougars.com and the BYU Cougars app.

BYU returns home next Friday night to take on Utah in an in-state rivalry matchup. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. MDT and can be seen on BYUtv. The game will also be broadcast on the Cougar IMG Sports Network as well as ESPN 960 AM.