Colohan's two goals lead BYU to dominant season-opening win over Ohio State

PROVO, Utah — Mikayla Colohan began the night as the ninth leading goal scorer in BYU women's soccer history. With two goals in a 3-0 victory over Ohio State, Colohan became BYU’s sixth all-time leading scorer and helped the Cougars open the season on the right foot.

The Cougars applied pressure right from the beginning of the game, and in the sixth minute, Olivia Smith played a perfectly-placed ball into the right side of the box to Colohan who chipped it over the goalie’s hands to give BYU a 1-0 lead.

“We wanted to come out with a lot of energy, and hopefully our defensive pressure leads to some goals,” said Jennifer Rockwood, BYU head coach. “Our outside backs, (Kendell) Petersen and Smith were phenomenal, working up and down the sideline. They took some hard hits and got up and kept running.”

Ohio State tried to answer in the ninth minute with a shot that found the back of the net but was negated by an in-the-box offside call. BYU countered with a corner that found Colohan, on the far side of the box, whose header almost got past the keeper.

A yellow card was issued in the 20th minute to Ohio State defender Marissa Birzon which led to a Colohan free kick that was narrowly saved by goalie Bailey Kolinski.

Another yellow card was issued to the Buckeyes’ Emaly Vatne in the 34th minute and led to a corner kick played out to Jamie Shepherd who just missed high over the crossbar.

In the 40th minute, the continual pressure from BYU paid off again as it was Smith again playing a ball to Colohan at the top of box, who sent a rocket into the top left corner of the goal, extending the Cougars’ lead to two with five minutes to play in the first half.

The Cougars came out strong again early in the second half with three shots in the first five minutes and kept the pressure on the Buckeyes, earning 10 corner kicks total to OSU’s two in the game.

In the 81st minute, Smith played a ball into the top of the box to Ellie Maughan who buried it in the back of the net for her first goal since injuring her ankle in the exhibition game against Weber State on January 30, 2021. That goal extended the Cougars lead to three with nine minutes to go, marked Smith’s third assist of the match and sealed the victory for the Cougars.

The Cougars move to 1-0 on the season. BYU outshot Ohio State 24-17, nine of the Cougars shots finding the frame. Ohio State put two shots on frame, both being saved by BYU goalie Cassidy Smith for the shutout.

BYU defender Laveni Vaka came up with three possibly-goal-saving plays early in the first half and made another four in the second half.

Colohan now trails former teammate Elise Flake by three goals for fifth place in BYU history for all-time goals scored.

BYU next takes the field Saturday, August 21 as they travel to Auburn, Ala., to face to Tigers of the SEC at 6:30 p.m. CDT. The game will be carried live on the BYU Sports Network — BYU Radio 107.9 FM/BYU Cougars App.