Women's soccer kicks off 2019 season

PROVO, Utah – The BYU women's soccer team officially began the 2019 season on Tuesday morning at South Field.

Head coach Jennifer Rockwood returns for her 25th season, following an impressive 2018 season where she was named West Coast Conference Coach of the Year for the third time after leading the team to a sixth championship since joining the conference in 2011 and a 13-5-1 overall record.

After losing three players from the 2018 squad, the Cougars will rely on their nine returning starters: Lizzy Braby, Sabrina Davis, Elise Flake, Alyssa Jefferson, Rachel Bingham Lyman, Danika Serassio, Mikayla Colohan, Josie Guinn and Bella Folino.

Flake and Colohan were recently named to the 2019 MAC Hermann Trophy watch list. This is the third time in BYU program history that two athletes have been candidates for the same season.

The 2019 roster features nine new faces. The incoming freshmen are SaraJayne Affleck, Zoe Jacobs, Ellie Maughan, Rachel McCarthy, Jamie Shepherd, Olivia Smith, Laveni Vaka and Daviana Vaka. Ellie Smith also returns after serving in the Alpine German-Speaking mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the United Soccer Coaches Pre-Season Poll, BYU received a total of 45 votes and the No. 30 national ranking. Of the Cougars' 2019 opponents, Texas A&M came in at No. 12 and Santa Clara followed at No. 13.

Exhibition play begins with the annual Blue and White match on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 7 p.m. MDT before hosting Colorado College on Saturday, Aug. 17, at 7 p.m. MDT. Both scrimmages will be played at South Field.

Regular season play will kick off with a pair of away games at Alabama and Mississippi State on Thursday, Aug. 22 and Saturday, Aug. 24. The home opener will be played on Friday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. MDT against Southern Utah. WCC competition will begin in October with the first game at nationally ranked Santa Clara.

Tickets can be found at BYUTickets.com.

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