PROVO, Utah – The No. 5 BYU women’s soccer team secured its highest scoring game of the season against West Coast Conference opponent Saint Mary’s, 8-0, Friday night at South Field.

BYU vs. Saint Mary's Box Score

“The last two games we’ve done so well offensively and defensively so I challenged the team at the beginning of this game to go out and make a statement,” BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “My players coming off the bench play with the same intensity and speed of play as the starters. We’re just trying to maintain that consistency of speed of play and attack.” 

BYU (13-0-1, 3-0-1 WCC) made its appearance on the scoreboard after a shot by senior Danika Serassio ricocheted off the crossbar to an open junior Cameron Tucker, who connected with the ball for the 1-0 lead in the 27th minute of the game.

At the 31-minute mark, Hermann Trophy nominee Mikayla Colohan increased the Cougars' advantage to 2-0 as she drilled the ball from just outside the six-yard box and found the back of the net. Just a minute later, Hermann Trophy nominee Elise Flake collected the ball near the midfield and took on the rest of the defense before firing a shot to the right corner for BYU's third goal of the game.  

Minutes before the end of the first half, Colohan slid the ball across the face of the goal where freshman Ellie Maughan connected with the back of the net for the 4-0 advantage in the 43rd minute.

After 45 minutes of play, the Cougars outshot the Gaels (6-7-1, 0-3-1 WCC) 15 to two.

Flake opened the second half with a shot rocketing to the top right corner of the goal to extend BYU's lead to 5-0 in the 52nd minute.

At the 59-minute mark, Tucker found Colohan in front of the goal as the midfielder found the back of the net for the second time to make the score 6-0.

In the 89th minute, senior Ella Ballstaedt scored from inside the 18-yard box for a 7-0 advantage after receiving the ball from freshman Rachel McCarthy.

A minute later, freshman Kendell Petersen and junior Brynlee Buhler tag-teamed on the assist to freshman Lytiana Akinaka as she one-touched the ball to the far side of the net, giving BYU the 8-0 victory.

The Cougars will continue WCC play on the road against Portland on Friday, Oct. 23, at Merlo Field. The match will begin at 7 p.m. PDT and audio broadcasts will be available on BYU Sports Network and ESPN 960 AM. The game will be live streamed on the WCC Network.

Game Notes

• Elise Flake has recorded 33 goals in her career and is tied for 8th place in the BYU record book.
• BYU has outscored its opponents 50-6.
• Mikayla Colohan is 19th in the BYU record book for career goals after tallying her 17th and 18th goals.
• Lytiana Akinaka scored her first goal in a BYU jersey.

PROVO, Utah – The No. 5 BYU women's soccer team closes its three-game homestand against West Coast Conference opponent Saint Mary's on Friday night at South Field.

BYU vs. St. Mary's Game Notes

IN THE RANKINGS. Both Top Drawer Soccer and United Soccer Coaches have BYU ranked No. 5 in this week's polls while the NCAA RPI rankings place the Cougars at No. 16. Top Drawer Soccer recently released its Top 100 Players and Top 100 Freshmen, placing Mikayla Colohan at No. 17 and Elise Flake at No. 61 in the Top 100 Players. Jamie Shepherd and SaraJayne Affleck claimed the No. 10 and 48 spots in the Top 100 Freshmen poll.

LAST TIME ON THE FIELD. BYU's offense dominated both games in last week's competition, scoring a combined 11 goals. Against Pacific, the Cougars earned a 6-0 victory as six different players found the back of the net (Colohan, Cameron Tucker, Lizzy Braby, SaraJayne Affleck, Ashton Brockbank, Makaylie Moore). On the game, BYU outshot the Tigers 28 to three.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK. Hermann Trophy nominee Colohan was named the WCC Player of the Week for the second time this season. She recorded a goal and a pair of assists in both games last week to help the Cougars stay undefeated.

SOUTH FIELD. BYU is currently 6-0 on its home turf and is looking to increase that record while continuing to lead the NCAA in attendance records. The Cougars are first in the nation for average attendance (3,467) and accumulative attendance (20,801).

ALUMNI/CLUB SOCCER NIGHT. Friday's game will be in honor of the alumni and local club soccer teams. At halftime, the alumni will be recognized for their accomplishments over the program's 25 years. Club soccer players can get in for $1 with a printed voucher.

No. 5 BYU (12-0-1, 2-0-1 WCC) vs. Saint Mary's (6-6-1, 0-2-1 WCC)

• Friday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. MDT, at South Field
• Video: WCC Network
• Radio: BYU Sports Network/BYU Cougars App/107.9 FM and ESPN 960 AM/ESPN 960 AM App
• TV/Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell (play-by-play) and Elena Medeiros (analyst)

THE GAELS. Saint Mary's had a strong preseason, earning a 6-4 record and recording wins over Green Bay, California Baptist, Wagner, Portland State, Montana and UC Davis. In conference action, the Gaels have been unable to earn a win as they have fallen 4-0 to San Francisco, 5-0 to San Diego and tied Portland 1-1. Eight different players have scored and are led by Jaylen Crim's five.

COUGARS VS. GAELS. BYU leads the series 8-0-1 with the Cougars winning the last four-consecutive matches. In 2018, BYU topped the Gaels 3-1 in Moraga, California.