Thrilling season opener is a 3-2 win for BYU

by Whitney Jordan
August 23, 2012
<p>IRVINE, Calif. - The BYU women's soccer team began its 2012 season in dramatic fashion, Friday, with a 3-2 overtime victory on the road against UC Irvine.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="http://byucougars.com/athlete/w-soccer/jaiden-thornock">Jaiden Thornock</a>&nbsp;got the golden goal in the 98th minute for the BYU victory. Thornock tallied one goal, one assist and one shot in the game.</p> <p class="p1">Since 2007 the Cougars have started the season away from Provo going 5-0-1 in those years, including three overtimes where the team went 2-0-1. The three goals scored against the Anteaters are the most scored in a season opener since 2005.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Cougars started the game off with back-to-back shots from seniors&nbsp;<a href="http://byucougars.com/athlete/w-soccer/carlee-payne-holmoe">Carlee Payne Holmoe</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://byucougars.com/athlete/w-soccer/lindsi-lisonbee-cutshall">Lindsi Lisonbee Cutshall</a>&nbsp;but it was junior&nbsp;<a href="http://byucougars.com/athlete/w-soccer/niki-fernandes">Niki Fernandes</a>&nbsp;who got BYU on the board first. A pass into the box from teammate&nbsp;<a href="http://byucougars.com/athlete/w-soccer/jaiden-thornock">Jaiden Thornock</a>&nbsp;set Fernandes up perfectly to sneak the ball past the UC Irvine goalie and put BYU up 1-0 in the 29th minute.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Anteaters got their first shot of the game, on goal, in the 31st minute, but BYU goalkeeper&nbsp;<a href="http://byucougars.com/athlete/w-soccer/erica-owens">Erica Owens</a>&nbsp;came up with a big save to keep the Cougars in the lead. Owens finished the game with four saves.</p> <p>Freshman&nbsp;<a href="http://byucougars.com/athlete/w-soccer/michelle-murphy">Michelle Murphy</a>&nbsp;put the Cougars up 2-0 with her first career goal in the 53rd minute off an assist from defender Dana Oldroyd. Murphy finished the game with two shots.&nbsp;</p> <p>UC Irvine's Rachel Wood squandered BYU's shutout hopes with a penalty-kick goal in the 72nd minute after a handball foul was called and her Anteater teammate Jordan Utvich tied up the game 2-2 with a goal in the last minute of regulation time.&nbsp;</p> <p>BYU continues soccer action on the road next week with two matches against Pac-12 foes. The team is at Arizona on Aug. 23 and at instate rival Utah on Aug.25.</p>
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