BYU's Path to Women's College Cup

by Victor Olorunfemi

November 29, 2023

Down 3-0 in the national quarterfinal with thirty minutes to go against a team with one loss, doubling as the most storied program in college soccer history, and 99% of teams would have folded under the circumstances. But this BYU team is not like most teams. It is one of one with a culture and commitment level to be envied. So when the Cougars stormed back to win 4-3, it only emphasized the core principles the team had worked on for years. As Associate Head Coach Brent Anderson told TopDrawer, the team culture demands total commitment. “All in. Whatever your role or responsibility is, maximize that opportunity. Focus on our process, bring fun energy, and stay happy, hungry, and humble.”

Those principles have guided BYU all season, as time and time again, the program reaped the benefits of an elite culture. Take the guideline for players to maximize their role and opportunity. Ellie Walbruch and Erin Bailey are two of BYU's top scorers with 11 and 10 goals, yet between the two, they have started just one of their 49 appearances. Where it would have been far easier to give in and display low energy due to dissatisfaction with a reserve role, the two Sophomores bought into the position and maximized what they could give the team.

For examples of how the team has focused on the process through all conditions, consider that the North Carolina result was the second game in a row where the team overcame a deficit to win as the Cougars scored three unanswered to defeat Michigan State 3-1 in the previous round. That trust in the process, paired with a talented roster's infectious fun energy, explains how this team has scored a nation-leading 79 goals.

When it comes to staying happy, hungry, and humble, this team is happy to have made it this far, is hungry for the chance to win the program’s first-ever national championship, and will accept the result with humbleness in knowing it will empty the tank in a quest for victory as it has all season.

Ten Key Moments:

08/12/2023 – The Cougars scored 7 goals in a preseason exhibition versus Idaho State, the first evidence of its elite offense.

08/17/2023 – BYU opens the season at home with a 3-2 victory over No. 17 Saint Louis. South Field in Provo, Utah, would prove to be a stronghold as the team finished the season an undefeated 10-0-3 at home.

08/21/2023 – At home, BYU upsets defending national champions and No. 1 UCLA in a 3-1 victory.

09/09/2023 – A 6-1 over Utah marks the second game in a row where the Cougars scored six after defeating Utah Valley by the same score line days before.

09/16/2023 – Ranked No. 2, BYU suffers a shocking loss at Utah State, a result serving as a wake-up call as the Cougars would go undefeated in the following 11 games.

10/11/2023 – Lynette Hernaez places No. 69 in TDS Midseason Freshman rankings.

10/13/2023 – At No. 9, Brecken Mozingo is the highest-ranked Cougar in the TDS Midseason Player rankings. No. 21 Olivia Wade-Katoa, No. 34 Laveni Vaka, No. 59 Izzi Stratton, and No. 65 Jamie Shepherd join the list.

10/26/2023 – Big-12 Awards reveal Vaka and Mozingo make the First Team. Kendell Petersen, Wade-Katoa, Ellie Walbruch, and Allie Fryer make the Second Team. Lynette Hernaez and Camryn Jorgensen make the All-Freshman Team.

11/10/2023 – Gets revenge with a 2-0 win over Utah State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

11/24/2023 – 4-3 comeback sends the program to the second College Cup, with the first coming in the 2021 season that saw the team finish as runners-up.

Ten Key Statistics: