Brace by Fryer leads BYU to 4-3 win in Malibu

MALIBU, Calif. — No. 19 BYU women's soccer brought home the 4-3 win against the Pepperdine Waves with a brace by freshman Allie Fryer in Wednesday's WCC matinee match. The win marks the Cougars' first four-game winning streak against the Waves.

“Huge win for us,” said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood. “Our first 45 was fantastic, and I guess we still have a lot of things we need to learn before we move forward, but it’s good to have to learn those on the backend of a win.”

The Cougars recorded 23 shots, 12 of which were on frame, and eight corner kicks in their offensive battle on the Tari Frahm Rokus Field. BYU defender Olivia Smith notched her first goal of the season, while Fryer grabbed her first brace. Junior captain Jamie Shepherd also found the back of the net. 

Leading 3-0 at half, the Pepperdine Waves closed the gap and snatched three goals of their own in the last 45 minutes on the pitch, including one in the final 10 seconds of the game. Pepperdine's second-half offensive stretch was to no avail as the Cougars left the field with the 4-3 victory.

BYU’s offense came out strong, earning three corner kicks in the first two minutes of the match. The first shot of the game came from Brecken Mozingo with a left-footed volley outside the 18 taken in the seventh minute, hitting the side netting of the goal.

As the Cougars continued their hard-press, Smith drove up the right side of the pitch and fired a shot from outside the box notching her first goal of the season in the 18th minute for a 1-0 lead. The next few minutes saw shots from Bella Folino and Mozingo as BYU continued to hold possession on the pitch.

In the 27th minute, Shepherd beat her defender outside the penalty arc in BYU’s attacking third and found the net for the second goal of the game and her sixth on the season. Olivia Wade was awarded with the assist, her fourth on the season.

The Waves saw a chance on goal in the 36th minute with a ball sent up the spine of the field, but a strong defensive play by BYU defender Laveni Vaka helped the Cougars repossess. 

BYU had two looks on goal in the 39th minute as Fryer took a shot that ricocheted off Pepperdine goalkeeper Ellie Sommers for another shot by Ruby Hladek, forcing a diving save. In the following minute, defender Kendell Petersen collected in BYU’s defensive third and sent a through-ball to Fryer who slid a shot past Waves keeper for goal number three.

The Cougars finished the first half with their eighth corner kick and a shot by freshman Sierra Pennock caught by Waves keeper, giving BYU the 3-0 lead through the first 45 minutes. BYU went into halftime with 17 shots to Pepperdine’s one. 

Two minutes after the whistle was blown in the second half, BYU goalkeeper Savanna Mason was called for a foul, giving Pepperdine a penalty kick. With a successful penalty by Carlee Giammona, the Waves were up on the scoreboard.

In the 61st minute of the game, Pepperdine freshman Tatum Wynalda beat a double team at the top of the 18 and slid a shot past Mason, making it 3-2. Just four minutes later, Pepperdine looked for the equalizer with a shot hitting off the post and being cleared out by Smith.

Looking to extend their lead, the Cougars collected the ball in their defensive half and Wade sent a ball up to Fryer on the left-side of the pitch. Fryer found the back of the net for her first brace of her BYU career, bringing the score to 4-2 against the WCC foe.

With 10 seconds to play, Wynalda made a quick turn outside the box and found the back of the net for a brace of her own on the night. Despite the final push by the Pepperdine, the Cougars secured the 4-3 win, bringing them to 3-0-2 in the WCC and 7-2-5 overall. 

The Cougars next take the field Saturday, Oct. 22 as they host WCC foe Gonzaga on South Field at 7 p.m. MDT. The game will be carried live on the BYU Sports Network — BYURadio.org/BYU Radio app/BYU Radio 107.9 FM. The game will also be streamed on BYUtv and the BYUtv app.