BYU faces Alabama in NCAA second round Thursday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — No. 4 seed BYU women's soccer will travel to Virginia to face the University of Alabama on Thursday, Nov. 18 at Klöckner Stadium in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Thursday’s matchup is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST on ESPN+. The game will also be carried live on the BYU Sports Network — BYU Radio 107.9 FM/BYU Cougars App.

LAST TIME ON THE FIELD. The Cougars defeated the Lobos of New Mexico 6-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on South Field, netting five goals in the second half. It was the eighth time that the Cougars have scored six or more goals this season and seventh time that they’ve done so in Provo. Brecken Mozingo tied her single-game career high of two goals, scoring back-to-back in the 53rd and 55th minutes. The Cougars continue to dominate offensively, leading the nation with an average of 3.58 goals per game. Below the Cougars in second place is University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with a scoring offense of 3.15 goals per game. Milwaukee will face No. 1 seed Virginia, immediately following BYU’s second round match, at Klöckner Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. EST.

No. 4 BYU (14-4-1, 8-1-0 WCC) vs Alabama (10-9-1, 5-4-1 SEC)

• Thursday, Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. EST at Klöckner Stadium
• Streaming: ESPN+
• Radio: BYU Sports Network/BYU Cougars App/107.9 FM
• Radio play-by-play: Greg Wrubell

THE CRIMSON TIDE. Alabama is 10-9-1 on the season, coming off a 1-0 NCAA first round victory over the Clemson Tigers to claim their first ever NCAA Tournament win. Junior midfielder Allie Berk scored an early goal in the fourth minute which would stand as the game-winner. This will be Alabama’s first second-round appearance in NCAA Tournament history. Alabama has found success at home this year with a record of 10-2-1, but have fallen short on the road with a record of 0-6-1. Earlier in the season, Alabama upset two top-25 teams, beating No. 24 LSU and No. 19 Auburn. They are also one of three teams to compete in overtime against Big 12 Champion TCU who was ranked No. 6 at the time. Senior forward Ashlyn Serepca and sophomore midfielder Kate Henderson both have five goals on the season and multiple assists to contribute to the Tide’s 28 goals on the season.

COUGARS VS. CRIMSON TIDE. BYU and Alabama have only faced each other one time in both teams’ history, with the Cougars winning 1-0 in a physical game in their opening game of the 2019 season. The game was held in Alabama Soccer Stadium and Mikayla Colohan scored the game-winning goal in the eighth minute.

NCAA BRACKET. Thursday’s second round game will begin at 4 p.m. EST, with Alabama facing No. 4 seed BYU. Virginia, the top seed in the region, will face Milwaukee at 7 p.m. EST. The two winners from Thursday’s games will face each other in the third round for a spot in the regional final on Saturday at 7 p.m. EST.