STORRS, Conn. (Nov. 29, 203) -- The BYU women's soccer team's NCAA tournament run came to an end Saturday at the paws of the No. 18 Connecticut Huskies who defeated the Cougars 3-1 in the Elite Eight.

For BYU, the 2003 season will go down as one of the most successful in the program's short nine-year history as the Cougars finish the as one of the top eight teams in the country.

"We had a tremendous season," said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood. "These girls have represented themselves and the school very well."

The Cougars end the 2003 season with a 16-7-3 mark, they earned the program's seventh-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, the school's best showing in the NCAA tournament as one of the team's in the Elite Eight and the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in senior All-American Aleisha Rose.

"We came together and made a good run in the tournament," said Rockwood, "The team played hard today and I am very proud of them."

Despite the lose the Cougars realize that this season is one to always remember as much for the team's success as for the friendships that have been made.

"I am so happy that we made it to the Elite Eight," said junior Krissa Campbell, "I am also happy that I got to play with these girls."

Rose echoed Campbell's comments saying, "I am proud I could play with all my teammates, they have been such great examples to me."

For the Huskies (14-5-3) it will mark their first appearance in the College Cup since 1997 when the team appeared in the championship game.

The game was played in 40-degree weather with winds around 40 mph, on a field that was soggy and muddy from rainstorms the day before.

In the first period the Huskies jumped out to a 3-0 lead, the Cougars ended the UConn bid for a shutout in the second period but it wasn't enough as the Huskies held on to win 3-1

The Huskies first strike came in the 22nd minute in the first period and gave UConn the early 1-0 lead.

Connecticut's goal came when Nikki Cross took an inbound pass and one touched it to Jessica Gjertsen in the box who turned and fired a shot pass Cougar keeper Ashley Smith.

The Husky offense kept on coming as Cross and Gjertsen hooked up again in the 29th minute as this time Gjertsen fed Cross in the box and Cross' sent a shot into the upper right had corner of the Cougar goal, increasing the UConn lead to 2-0.

It took the Huskies one minutes before they scored their third goal of the period and again it was Cross setting up the goal as she fed Megan Schnur who then put the ball in the net.

Coming out of half time the Cougars battle to get back into the game and in the 63rd minute they got on the scoreboard as Rose's free kick from 20 yards out connected with the head of sophomore Jaime Rendich to bring the Cougars within two at 3-1.

"We had our chances in the game to put the ball in the net but we just missed and weren't able to finish," said Rockwood.

When time expired the final stat line for the 2003 Cougars read 15 shots, 1 goal, 1 assist and 3 corners.

UConn will face No. 12 Florida State next week in the College Cup with the winner advancing to the championships game against the winner of the No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 UCLA game.

The Automated ScoreBook For Soccer
           Brigham Young vs Connecticut (Nov 29, 2003 at Storrs, CT) 
Brigham Young (16-7-3) vs.
No. 18 Connecticut (14-5-3)
Date: Nov 29, 2003  Attendance: 1335
Weather: 40 degrees swirling 45 mph wind
Goals by period 1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   0       1       1
Connecticut     3       0       3
Brigham Young
Pos     ##      Player                  Sh      SOG     G       A
G       0       SMITH, Ashley           0       0       0       0
M       8       BIGELOW, Terra          1       1       0       0
M       9       CAMPBELL,Krissa         2       0       0       0
B       10      JENSEN, Nicole          0       0       0       0
F       11      RENDICH, Jaime          2       1       1       0
M       13      THULIN, Brooke          1       1       0       0
M       16      LUI, Charlene           0       0       0       0
M       17      ROSE, Aleisha           3       0       0       1
B       19      HOLMAN, Britney         0       0       0       0
F       20      OJUKA, Lydia            4       1       0       0
B       25      THOMAS, Claire          0       0       0       0
Substitutes
        6       ZWAHLEN, Annie          0       0       0       0
        12      TILLOTSON, Bobbi        0       0       0       0
        14      FIELDING, Jennifer      1       1       0       0
        18      ASAY, Courtney          1       0       0       0
                Totals.........         15      5       1       1
Connecticut
Pos     ##      Player                  Sh      SOG     G       A
G       00      RICE, Erin              0       0       0       0
M       2       JALALIAN, Zahra         1       0       0       0
M       4       LEFEBVRE, Kristi        1       1       0       0
B       7       MISELIS, Karlyn         0       0       0       0
F       9       BARAKAT, Brittany       2       1       0       0
M       11      SCHNUR, Meghan          1       1       1       0
F       13      GRACZYK, Kristen        2       0       0       0
F       14      GJERTSEN, Jessica       7       3       1       1
M       19      CROSS, Nikki            2       1       1       2
B       22      SANDS, Courtney         0       0       0       0
B       25      KOSLOSKI, Alisse        0       0       0       0
Substitutes
        3       ZIEKY, Jen              0       0       0       0
        6       FISHER, Kristin         0       0       0       0
        10      SULLIVAN, Jennifer      0       0       0       0
        16      FRANK, Kathleen         0       0       0       0
        24      MERCHANT, Gina          1       1       0       0
                Totals.........         17      8       3       3
Brigham Young
##      Player          MIN     GA      Saves
0       SMITH, Ashley   90:00   3       5
Connecticut
##      Player          MIN     GA      Saves
00      RICE, Erin      90:00   1       4
Shots by period 1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   8       7       15
Connecticut     10      7       17
Corner kicks    1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   0       3       3
Connecticut     1       1       2
Saves by period 1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   3       2       5
Connecticut     4       0       4
Fouls   1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   3       5       8
Connecticut     5       9       14
SCORING SUMMARY:
GOAL    Time    Team    ## Goal Scorer  Assists
1       21:14   UC      14 GJERTSEN, Jessica    19 CROSS, Nikki
                        19 led 14 down middle of box
2       28:08   UC      19 CROSS, Nikki 14 GJERTSEN, Jessica
                        led 19 down middle of box
3       29:09   UC      11 SCHNUR, Meghan       19 CROSS, Nikki
                        cross to schnur, chipped over goalie
4       62:50   BY      11 RENDICH, Jaime       17 ROSE, Aleisha
                        off direct kick, header to right of rice
CAUTIONS AND EJECTIONS:
YC-UC #9 (29:16); YC-BY #9 (32:21)
Officials: Referee: Ken Anders; Asst. Referee: John Collins; Greg Dugas;
Alt. Official: Mike Violette;
Offsides: Brigham Young 0, Connecticut 2.

PROVO -- For the first time in the program's short nine-year history, the BYU women's soccer team advanced to the Elite Eight where the Cougars will face the No. 18 Connecticut Huskies in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championships.

BYU advanced to the Elite Eight after upsetting No. 15 Villanova on Saturday in the Cougars' first ever shootout finish with a 5-3 margin in penalty kicks after playing through regulation and a double overtime scoreless draw with the Wildcats.

Saturday's meeting between the 16-6-3 Cougars and the 13-5-3 Huskies will be the first for the two schools who have shared two common opponents this season, Michigan and Villanova.

The Huskies reached the quarterfinal round of the tournament after defeating Boston University in the first round, Central Connecticut in the second round and knocking off Michigan 5-0 in the Sweet 16 on Sunday.

In the NCAA tournament, the Huskies have had little trouble finding the back of the net as they have totaled nine goals in three games while allowing two in the same span.

The Cougars have yet to allow a goal in regulation or overtime through their first three rounds of the tournament, with 2-0 victories over No. 11 Colorado and Idaho State and a 5-3 shootout victory over Villanova.

BYU and the Huskies get underway on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Noon EST in Storrs, Conn., at the University of Connecticut with the winner advancing to the College Cup to face the winner of the Florida-Florida State game in the final four on Friday, Dec. 5, in North Carolina.