PROVO, Utah – In a dominant offensive performance, senior Michele Vasconcelos scored twice to help No. 7 BYU to a 4-0 shutout against SMU on Thursday night at South Field.

“It was a great night and a real complete performance by all of our team,” BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “I was really proud of the way the girls in our starting group came out and played strong and we had tremendous play off the bench that kept the momentum going."

BYU vs. SMU Box Score

For the Cougars (5-1), it was their second shutout in a row. For the Mustangs (3-2), it was the first time they've been shut out this season. 

With both goals coming in the second half, Vasconcelos recorded her fourth game with multiple goals, tying her for sixth all-time in program history in multiple-goal performances. Teammate Ashley Hatch had two assists on the night, tying Vasconcelos for 14th on the all-time assists list with 18.

"Michele has done so much for us." Rockwood said. "She already has more goals at this point in the season than she did all of last year, so she is on a great roll right now." 

Senior Paige Hunt Barker scored her first goal of the season in the 30th minute to help BYU establish an early 1-0 lead. Vasconcelos started the play with a cross to Nadia Gomes, whose shot attempt inside the box was blocked by the SMU defense. Hunt Barker collected the rebound and blasted it into the net to give BYU the advantage.

In the 47th minute, Vasconcelos netted the Cougars' second score with her 21st career goal, moving her up to the 14th spot on the all-time BYU scoring list. The goal came after junior Bizzy Phillips Bowen found Hatch open along the side and Hatch crossed the ball to find Vasconcelos, who knocked it in from the penalty spot to the right of the keeper.

Two minutes later, Hatch struck another crossing pass to Elena Medeiros at the top of the box and Medeiros drove the ball far post to give BYU a 3-0 lead.

The Mustangs threatened to score in the 61st minute with a close shot on goal, but goalkeeper Hannah Clark made a diving save to preserve the shutout. 

In the 71st minute, Vasconcelos added her second goal for the final BYU score of the night. Vasconcelos created an open look from the right side and pushed the ball past the charging keeper for the score. Freshman Brynlee Welch was credited with the assist on the play, the first of her BYU career as the Cougars sealed the 4-0 win.

BYU hits the road to face No. 18 Ohio State on Monday at 7 p.m. EDT at Jesse Owens Stadium. The game can be heard live on The Cougar IMG Sports Network, BYU Radio on Sirius XM 143 and locally on ESPN 960 AM Radio.
 

PROVO, Utah – Coming off three straight wins, No. 7 BYU women's soccer faces SMU at home on Thursday, Sept. 8, and No. 19 Ohio State on the road on Monday, Sept. 12.

Game Notes for SMU and Ohio State

BYU Storylines

The Cougars (4-1) came in at No. 7 in the NSCAA Poll that was released on Sept. 6. It is the highest ranking of the season for the Cougars. BYU's Ashley Hatch leads the nation in goals scored with eight and MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Nadia Gomes is tied for second in assists with five. Goalkeeper Hannah Clark recorded 10 saves in her first career complete-game shutout as the Cougars beat Utah 2-0 in Salt Lake on Sept. 5.

SMU Storylines

With 17 goals in their first two games, the Mustangs (3-1) lead the nation with 20 total goals. The SMU offense cooled down considerably in its last two games, a 2-1 loss to Butler and a 2-1 win over Indiana. Freshman Allie Thornton leads the Mustangs with four goals scored.

SMU Game Information

• Thursday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. MDT at South Field
• TV: BYUtv (live)
• TV Talent: Spencer Linton (play-by-play), Natalyn Lewis (analyst) and Lauren Francom (sideline)
• Radio: The Cougar IMG Network, BYU Radio (Sirius XM 143) and ESPN 960 AM
• Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell (play-by-play) and Hugh Van Wagenen (analyst)

SMU Series Information

The all-time series is tied at 1-1. The Mustangs beat the Cougars back in 1997 in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. BYU beat SMU 3-0 two years ago in Dallas, with Ashley Hatch scoring two goals and Elena Medeiros adding another.

Ohio State Storylines

The Buckeyes (5-1) beat No. 16 Virginia Tech 2-1 on Sept. 1, and lost by one goal (2-1) against No. 4 West Virginia on Sept. 4. Ohio State will take on Texas on Friday, Sept. 9, before squaring off with BYU. Lindsay Agnew leads the Buckeyes with four goals scored, and also has two assists.

Ohio State Game Information

• Monday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. EDT at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
• Video Stream: btn2go.com
• Radio: The Cougar IMG Network, BYU Radio (Sirius XM 143) and ESPN 960 AM
• Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell (play-by-play) and Colette Smith (analyst)

Ohio State Series Information

The game on Sept. 12 marks the first matchup between BYU and Ohio State.