Soccer Heads To Villanova For Sweet 16

Oh How Sweet It Is

For the third time in six years the BYU women's soccer team has advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA College Cup, where the Cougars will face the Wildcats of Villanova on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 12:00 p.m. (EST) at the Villanova Soccer Stadium, the home of the Wildcats, in Villanova, Pa.

The Cougars advanced to the round of 16 after knocking off the No. 11 team in the country, the Colorado Buffaloes, in the first round and then defeating the Idaho State Bengals in round two.

This is the first trip in school history to the Sweet 16 for Villanova who reached the round after a round-one win over Princeton and then upset No. 10 Virginia in penalty kicks on Sunday.

Saturday's meeting will be the first contest ever played between the two schools and it will mark the Cougars' first trip to the East Coast since October 2001, when BYU lost at Virginia and Wake Forest in identical 2-3 finishes.

On the year, the No. 15 Wildcats have compiled a 15-5-4 overall record which includes a 1-1-4 mark against teams ranked in the top 25, with three of the ties coming against top-10 teams.

BYU, with a 16-6-2 record, has faired well against teams ranked in the top 25 this season compiling a 4-3-1 record with wins over No. 7 Tennessee, No. 14 USC, No. 14 Kentucky and No. 11 Colorado.

In the NCAA postseason, the Cougars have compiled a 7-6 all-time record where BYU has managed to outscore its opponents 23-15.

NCAA Tournament

Since BYU became a Div. I program back in 1995, the team has become a constant figure in the NCAA Tournament. This is the seventh-consecutive appearance in the post season for the Cougars, a streak that extends from 1997-2003. In 1998 BYU made its first appearance in the Sweet 16 after defeating UCLA in Los Angeles 2-0. Two years later the team did it again as the Cougars blanked California 2-0 to once again advance to the Sweet 16 round. In 2000 and 2001 BYU earned first-round byes to the invitational. Last year the Cougars lost in the first-round of the tournament to MWC and in-state rival Utah in a 2-3 overtime loss. It was the first time since 1997 when Santa Clara defeated BYU 1-0, that the Cougars had made a first-round exit in the tournament. Over the six previous appearances in the post season the Cougars have amassed a 5-6 overall record while recording 19 goals and allowing 15.

Post Season

The Cougars have faired well in post-season and improved their all-time post season record to 26-10 with their upset victory over No. 11 Colorado on Thursday. In the nine-year history of the BYU program, the team has recorded seven-straight NCAA tournament appearances. Over those years, the Cougars have compiled a 7-6 tournament record, four of the six loses were at the hands of Santa Clara. In conference play BYU has dominated the competition going 19-4, including 11-1 in the MWC Tournament.

Sweet 16 Appearances

BYU making its third NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in the nine-year history of the program. The Cougars earned their first trip in 1998 after defeatingUCLA 2-0 in Los Angeles. Santa Clara downed the Cougars 3-0 in the round of 16 that year. Two years later BYU was back in the Sweet 16 after earning a first-round bye and then knocking off Stanford 5-0 in Provo to advance to the round of 16. Once again the Cougars faced Santa Clara, the team that had knocked the Cougars out of the tournament for the last three years straight. BYU couldn't get past the national power as the team fell in overtime 2-1.

East Coast Games

Saturday's game against Villanova will be only the fourth game the Cougars have ever played on the East Coast. Over the nine-year history of the BYU soccer program, the Cougars have played against east-coast schools seven times. Of those seven games, BYU has compiled a 4-3 overall record but is 0-3 when playing on the opponents' home field.

Scouting Report: Villanova

The Wildcats are enjoying their best season in school history as they caught their first trip to the Sweet 16 after defeating No. 7 seed Virginia 4-2 in penalty kicks and won their first ever Big East Championship. Currently the Wildcats are ranked 15th in the country with a 15-5-4 record that includes a 1-1-4 mark against teams in the top 25. At home Villanova has been unbeatable, recording a 9-0-1 at Villanova Soccer Stadium. Lindsey Finnegan leads the team with eight goals and five assists on the year, while four other players have scored at least three goals with Laura Johnson posting a team-high nine assists. Keeper Chrissy Dolan has played all 2250:27 minutes in the goal for the Wildcats 24 games this year. Dolan has made 100 saves one the year while allowing 12 goals for a FAA of 0.48 and has posted 15 shutouts this season. The Wildcats are 0-5-4 when their opponents have scored at least one goal in the game. Like the Cougars the Wildcats like to attack the goal with 315 shots on the season compared to 279 from opponents.

Last Game: NCAA 2nd Round v. Idaho State

Junior Krissa Campbell propelled BYU into the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Soccer Championships for the third time in six years, as the Cougars defeated Idaho State 2-0 on Saturday. Playing in round two of the NCAA tournament at Ute Field in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Cougars came out strong with intensity and managed to crack through the Bengal defense which two days previous had held Utah scoreless through two overtimes before winning on penalty kicks. Those seniors have had a hand in four of the team's seven-consecutive NCAA appearances, three of the team's Mountain West Conference Championships and now four NCAA postseason wins. On the day, BYU refused to give the Bengals much of a chance to get into the game as the Cougars out shot ISU 21-5 and dominated the possession of the ball throughout the game. The Cougars controlled the first period as BYU out shot ISU 14-2 including 6-1 on shots-on-goal and a 3-0 corner kick advantage. The Cougars tandem of sophomore Jaime Rendich and junior Krissa Campbell supplied the pressure as the two combined for four of the shots on goal in the period. Campbell came up with her first goal early in the game as she recorded her fifth goal of the year and second strike of the postseason. Campbell's first goal came only 12 minutes into the game and marked the second goal the Cougars have managed to score in the first 15 minutes of play in as many games. On the goal, sophomore Jaime Rendich found Campbell with a cross into the Bengals' box which Campbell took and then blasted the ball past ISU keeper Shannon Boyle. With 10 minutes remaining in the first period, Campbell struck as she took a pass from senior Jennifer Fielding and broke through the Bengal defense. Boyle came up to make the stop but was unable to hold on to the ball and Campbell was there to tap the ball into the open net. The score gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead going into the break and had the Cougars set up for the win. When play resumed the Bengals came out with fire and tried to really push the ball up the field, but the Cougars answered back with defense from freshmen Nicole Jensen and Claire Thomas as well as sophomore Charlene Lui and senior Britney Holman who refused to give in. The Cougar offense continued to attack the net but was unable to get another strike as BYU missed the goal by a matter of inches. BYU held on to win 2-0.

Rose Is Finalist For Hermann Trophy

Three-time All-American and 2003 MWC Defensive Player of the Year senior Aleisha Rose, was named a finalist for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy watch in this week. The M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy is college soccer's equivalent to the Heisman Trophy and represents the highest level of individual achievement in the sport.

Rose, a preseason All-American, is one of 15 athletes who make up the ballot that includes the top Division I athletes in the country. Past recipients include some of the biggest names in soccer, such as Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Shannon MacMillan, Cindy Parlow, Claudio Reyna, Tony Meola and Alexi Lalas.

The full list of semifinalists is:

Name Yr. Pos. School/Home

Chrissie Abbott Sr. F West Virginia/North Olmsted, Ohio

Nicole Barnhardt Jr. G Stanford/Gilbertsville, Pa.

Lori Chalupny So. M North Carolina/St. Louis, Mo.

Keeley Dowling Jr. D Tennessee/Carmel, Ind.

Joanna Lohman Sr. M Penn State/Silver Spring, Md.

Nandi Pryce Sr. D UCLA/Casselberry, Fla.

Catherine Reddick Sr. D North Carolina/Birmingham, Ala.

Aleisha Rose Sr. M Brigham Young/Lakewood, Colo.

Caroline Smith So. F Kansas/Edina, Minn.

Melissa Tancredi Sr. F/D Notre Dame/Ancaster, Ontario

Lindsay Tarpley So. F North Carolina/Kalamazoo, Mich.

Amy Warner Sr. F Notre Dame/Albuquerque, N.M.

Tiffany Weimer So. F Penn State/North Haven, Conn.

Kelly Wilson Jr. F Texas/Odessa, Texas

Veronica Zepeda Sr. F/M Santa Clara/Riverside, Calif.

Rose Named MWC Defensive Player of the Year

Senior All-American Aleisha Rose was named the 2003 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday after guiding the Cougars to a 12-5-2 regular season record. Rose, the most decorated soccer athlete in BYU history, won the award after her dominating play in the midfield throughout the conference season. This is the first year that the MWC has awarded separate Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honors instead of a single player of the year. This is not the first time Rose has been cited as the top soccer player in the MWC. As a freshman Rose won the MWC Freshman of the Year and then as a sophomore was named the 2001 MWC Player of the Year.

Academic Rose

Senior All-American Aleisha Rose was named second-team CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII on Thursday, adding yet another honor to her already impressive resume. This is the first CoSIDA Academic honor for Rose, who was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday. Over her college career, Rose has excelled in the classroom as well as on the field earning MWC All-Academic honors and being named a Cougar Club Scholar Athlete.

Six Pack of All-MWC

At the Mountain West Conference pre-championship banquet, six Cougars earned recognition from MWC coaches for their standout play during the 2003 conference season. Being recognized for their strong play on the field was senior Aleisha Rose, junior Krissa Campbell and senior Jennifer Fielding. This is the fourth time that Rose has received All-MWC first-team honors, while Campbell and Fielding each picked up their first citations. As one of the most dominant players in the country, Rose lead BYU to a 12-5-2 regular season finish with Campbell and Fielding providing much of the offensive punch for the team. Senior Terra Bigelow and freshmen Claire Thomas and Nicole Jensen garnered second-team All-MWC citations. Bigelow ranked first in the MWC in goals with four strikes on the year while Thomas and Jensen teamed up to help anchor the BYU defense which gave up only six goals in MWC play. BYU and Utah led all MWC teams garnering six all conference selections apiece while each placed three athletes on the first-team and three more on the second-team.

Campbell Heats Up

Junior Krissa Campbell has come on strong for the Cougars in the postseason as she has recorded three goals and two assists over the five games the team has played in the postseason. In round two of the NCAA tournament against Idaho State, Campbell drilled in two goals to lead the Cougars to the win and into the Sweet 16.

Ojuka Lifting Cougars

Senior Lydia Ojuka has come on strong for the Cougars as she recorded three goals and an assist during the MWC Championships last week. Ojuka now leads the Cougar with eight goals on the year. Her scoring frenzy came at the right time as she was responsible for three of the team's five goals in the MWC Tournament, earning her MWC All-Tournament Team recognition.

200 And Still Going

On Oct. 18, 2003, head coach Jennifer Rockwood coached her 200th career game as the Cougars traveled to Las Vegas to play UNLV, and came away with a 3-2 win. Over the span of those 200 games, Rockwood has managed to win an impressive 18.85 games per season and currently ranks eighth among active Division I coaches in winning percentage with 78 percent of all her games ending in Cougar victories. Rockwood recently reached the 150 win plateau with a home victory over No. 14 USC on Oct. 3, 2003.

150 And Counting

On Friday, Oct. 3, Coach Jennifer Rockwood earned her 150th career-win as the Cougars defeated No. 14 USC 2-1 at South Stadium. Rockwood became the first Mountain West Conference coach to reach the 150 win plateau and currently ranks eighth among active Division I coaches. She is also the first MWC to reach 100 wins.

ROCKWOOD AMONG COACHING ELITE

Rockwood currently ranks eighth in winning percentage among active NCAA Division I coaches with an impressive 142-39-3 (.780) overall record for her career. Anson Dorrance, John Walker, Chris Petrucelli, Becky Burleigh and the late Clive Charles are the only coaches ahead of her. Over the last seven seasons, Rockwood has averaged 18.85 wins per year, an average that has her ranked second behind only Anson Dorrance of North Carolina.

Facing Overtime

On the season the Cougars have entered into extra time in four seperate games this season. The Cougars have been unable to gain the advantage in those games recording a 0-3-2 record in overtime. Two of the loses came in 2-3 finishes, while the third was a 1-0 final.

BYU Statistic Break Down

BYU finished the regular season ranked in the top three in every statistical category in the MWC. The Cougars averaging 22.33 shots per game and 2.83 goals per contest, both categories are tops in the conference. On the year, the Cougars have scored 17 goals against MWC opponents while allowing six. The team has out shot MWC teams 364-150 over the six conference games. Senior Terra Bigelow has scored a goal in four out of six conference games and is tied for first-place in the MWC for total goals and second in goals per game with a 0.67 average. Bigelow is also the team's leading scorer with seven goals on the year. Senior Aleisha Rose isn't far behind with three goals against conference foes, ranking her third in total goals and fourth in goals per game. Rose is the conference leader in assists with 10 assists and her 20 points on the year has her tied for first in the conference. With the game on the line, nobody has come up bigger for the Cougars than freshman Annie Zwahlen who is second in the conference for game-winning goals. Her three game winners have included the winning goals against No. 7 Tennessee and No. 14 USC. Goalkeeper Ashley Smith has 5 shutouts on the year while the Cougar team has the second most in the MWC with seven on the year.

Four-Time MWC Champions

Since the inception of the MWC in 1999, the Cougars have dominated the conference championships winning both the regular season and tournament championship titles. The Cougars have been dominant in conference play with a regular season MWC record of 25-3 and an undefeated MWC Championship record of 9-0. Coming into the final regular-season game of 2003, the Cougars have an all-time MWC combined record of 34-3.

Ranking Or No Ranking

The Cougars are 4-3-1 against opponents ranked in the top 25 this season. BYU defeated No. 7 Tennessee 1-0, No. 14 Kentucky 2-1, No. 14 USC 2-1, No. 11 Colorado2-0 and tied No. 17 Michigan 0-0 in double overtime. The only ranked teams to beat BYU are No. 2 Florida, who defeated the Cougars 3-2 in overtime, and the No. 14 Utah in the final regular-season game of the year and again in the MWC Championship game. At home the Cougars are 2-2-1 and 2-1-0 on the road with the road victories coming against Kentucky and Colorado.

The Assist Queen

Senior All-American Aleisha Rose tallied four assists against Southern Utah on Sept. 8, setting a new BYU school record and South Stadium record for most assists in a single game. The previous record of three assists was shared by Natalyn Lewis, Athelia Graham and Shauna Rohbock. With her assist on Terra Bigelow's goal in the 52nd minute against SUU, Rose became the No. 1 all-time career assist leader at BYU, passing Michelle J. Peterson who set the mark in 2000 with 38 career assists.

Rose Named Preseason All-America

In August, Soccer America announced its 2003 preseason All-Americans, and heading up the list is three-time All-American senior Aleisha Rose of the BYU women's soccer team. Rose is one of 11 athletes that makes up the 2003 Soccer America preseason All-American list. Rose, a native of Lakewood, Colo., is one of the most decorated athletes to ever play for the Cougars and has been an integral part to the team's success the past three seasons.

Standing Room Only

A record crowd packed into South Stadium on Friday, Sept. 5 to watch the Cougars take on the No. 7 Tennessee Lady Vols. The game drew a standing-room-only crowd with 2,758 fans in attendance, breaking the old record of 2,191 set one week earlier in the season opener against No. 17 Michigan. That mark fell once again as 2,412 fans were on hand to watch No. 2 Florida and BYU battled to a 3-2 overtime Gator win on Sept. 26.

South Stadium

For the past eight years South Stadium, formerly South Field, has been the battlefield for the Cougars as they have taken on, and defeated, the top teams in their conference and in the NCAA. The Cougars have amassed a 80-13-2 (.861) record at home, a record that is among the best in the nation over the same time period.

Of those 80 home-game wins, an outstanding 44 have ended in a shutout. The Cougars consistently hold their opponents scoreless when playing at South Stadium with 55 percent of all their games ending in shutout victories, while BYU has been shutout only five times in the stadium's history.

The Stadium's crowds consistently rank in the top 15 in the NCAA for the largest crowds in the country. With an average attendance of 1,075 fans during the 2002 campaign, the Cougars had the 15th largest attendance average in the country making South Stadium one of the toughest places for opponents to play in college today.

Cougar Awards in 2003

National

Hermann Trophy Semifinalist - Aleisha Rose

Preseason All-American - Aleisha Rose

Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week:

- Midfielder, Aleisha Rose 9/16

Soccer America Team of the Week:

- Defender, Claire Thomas 9/8

- Midfielder, Aleisha Rose 9/16

- Forward, Annie Zwahlen 10/6

Conference

MWC Defensive Player of the Year - Aleisha Rose

All-MWC First-Team - Aleisha Rose

- Jennifer Fielding

- Krissa Campbell

All-MWC Second Team - Terra Bigelow

- Nicole Jensen

- Claire Thomas

All-Tournament Team - Aleisha Rose

- Lydia Ojuka

- Krissa Campbell

Offensive Player of the Week - Aleisha Rose 9/15

Defensive Player of the Week - Nicole Jensen 9/2

- Claire Thomas 9/8

- Britney Holman 10/6

Cougar Awards in 2002

National

NSCAA ALL-AMERICAN: Aleisha Cramer-Rose, 2nd Team

NSCAA All-West Region: Aleisha Cramer-Rose, 1st Team; Jeni Viernes, 1st Team; Brooke Bowman, 3rd Team

SOCCER BUZZ ALL-AMERICAN: Aleisha Cramer-Rose, 3rd Team; Brooke Bowman, Freshman 3rd Team

SOCCER BUZZ ALL-WEST REGION: Aleisha Cramer-Rose, 1st Team; Jeni Viernes, 1st Team; Brooke Bowman, All-Freshman Team

Conference

MWC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jeni Viernes

MWC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Brooke Bowman

MWC FIRST TEAM: Aleisha Cramer-Rose, Jeni Viernes, Brooke Bowman

MWC SECOND TEAM: Annie Hoecherl, Charlene Lui

MWC TOURNAMENT MVP: Jeni Viernes

MWC TOURNAMENT TEAM: Aleisha Cramer-Rose, Jeni Viernes, Jennifer Fielding-Henry, Brooke Bowman

MWC ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Brooke Bowman, Aleisha Cramer-Rose, Jennifer Fielding-Henry, Katherine Gabbart, Britney Holman, Charlene Lui, Terra Smith-Bigelow, Jeni Viernes

MWC Team Standings

Conference Overall

Team (Rk.) W L T Pct W L T Pct

Utah................. 6 0 0 1.000 16 2 2 .850

BYU.................. 4 2 0 .667 15 6 2 .696

Wyoming.............. 4 2 0 .667 10 9 0 .526

San Diego State...... 2 3 1 .417 7 10 2 .421

UNLV................. 2 4 0 .333 9 9 3 .500

New Mexico........... 1 4 1 .250 3 12 4 .263

Air Force............ 1 5 0 .167 7 11 1 .395

2003 Highs And Lows

Cat. High Last Time (times) Low Last Time (times)

Goals 5 Oct. 23 v. Wyo(3) 0 Nov. 8 v. Utah (5)

Assists 6 Sept. 8 v. SUU (1) 0 Nov. 8 v. Utah (5)

Shots 30 Oct. 18 at UNLV (1) 8 Nov. 8 v. Utah (5)

Points 16 Sept. 8 v. SUU (1) 0 Nov. 8 v. Utah (5)

Corners 14 Sept. 8 v. SUU (1) 0 Oct. 3 v. #14 USC (1)

Fouls 17 Aug. 29 v. #17 Mich(1) 8 Oct. 23 v. Wyo(1)

Saves 6 Oct. 18 at UNLV (3) 0 Oct. 16 at SDSU(1)

GA 3 Sept. 26 v. #2 Florida (2) 0 Oct. 11 v. Air Force(7)

Tops of the NCAA

Category No. Name Actual

Assists in one game 2 Aleisha Rose 4

Assists per game 23 Aleisha Rose 0.56/game

Tops of the Mountain West

Overall

Category No. Name Actual

Shots 1 BYU 426 total

Shots/game 1 BYU 18.52/game

Points 1 BYU 147 total

Points/game 1 BYU 6.39/game

Goals 1 BYU 50 total

Goals/game 1 BYU 2.17/game

Assists 1 BYU 47 total

Assists/game 2 BYU 2.04/game

GAA 1 BYU 0.93/game

GA 2 BYU 22 total

Shutout percentage 3 BYU 0.39 /game

Corners 1 BYU 144 total

Corners/game 1 BYU 6.26/game

Attendance 1 BYU 1,153/game

Home Attendance 1 BYU 1,595/game

Away Attendance 1 BYU 931/game

Individual No. Name Actual

Shots 1 Lydia Ojuka 64 total

2 Krissa Campbell 62 total

3 Aleisha Rose 59 total

Shots/game 2 Lydia Ojuka 2.78/game

4 Krissa Campbell 2.70/ game

Points 1 Aleisha Rose 24 total

3 Terra Bigelow 21 total

5 Lydia Ojuka 20 total

Points/game 3 Aleisha Rose 1.04/game

Goals T-2 Terra Bigelow 8 total

T-2 Lydia Ojuka 8 total

Goals/game T-5 Terra Bigelow 0.35/game

T-5 Lydia Ojuka 0.35/game

Game-winning goals T-3 Annie Zwahlen 3 total

T-5 Lydia Ojuka 2 total

T-5 Jaime Rendich 2 total

T-5 Jennifer Fielding 2 total

Assists 1 Aleisha Rose 12 total

T-2 Jaime Rendich 8 total

T-5 Terra Bigelow 5 total

T-5 Krissa Campbell 5 total

Assists/game 1 Aleisha Rose 0.52/game

3 Jaime Rendich 0.38/game

Assists in one game 1 Aleisha Rose 4 total

Shutouts 5 Ashley Smith 6 total

Shutout per game 5 Ashley Smith 0.32/game

GAA 2 Ashley Smith 0.92 in 1557:07

 

Conference (Regular Season)

Category No. Name Actual

Shots/game 1 BYU 22.33/game

Points/game 2 BYU 6.83/game

Goals 1 BYU 17 total

Goals/game 1 BYU 2.83/game

Assists 2 BYU 7 total

Assists/game 2 BYU 1.17/game

GAA 3 BYU 0.99/game

GA T-2 BYU 6 total

Shutout percentage 6 BYU 0.17/game

Corners/game 2 BYU 5.17/game

Attendance 1 BYU 1,077/game

Home Attendance 1 BYU 1,402/game

Away Attendance 6 BYU 426/game

Individual No. Name Actual

Shots 1 Krissa Campbell 22 total

2 Jennifer Fielding 21 total

Shots/game 1 Krissa Campbell 3.67/game

2 Jennifer Fielding 3.50/game

Points T-2 Terra Bigelow 9 total

T-4 Aleisha Rose 6 total

Points/game T-3 Terra Bigelow 1.50/game

T-5 Aleisha Rose 1.00/game

Goals T-1 Terra Bigelow 4 total

T-3 Aleisha Rose 3 total

Goals/game T-2 Terra Bigelow 0.67/game

T-4 Aleisha Rose 0.50/game

Assists T-2 Courtney Asay 2 total

Assists/game 2 Courtney Asay 0.40/game

Game-winning goals T-2 Annie Zwahlen 1 total

T-2 Jennifer Fielding 1 total

T-2 Aleisha Rose 1 total

T-2 Terra Bigelow 1 total

GAA 2 Ashley Smith 0.89 in 304:47

The Rockwood File

In only eight short years, head coach Jennifer Rockwood has taken the BYU women's soccer team to national prominence and established herself as one of the premier coaches in Division I soccer today.

Rockwood currently ranks eighth in winning percentage among active NCAA coaches with an impressive 142-39-3 (.780) overall record for her career, with the likes of Anson Dorrance, John Walker, Chris Petrucelli, Becky Burleigh and Clive Charles being the only coaches ahead of her. Over the last seven seasons, Rockwood has averaged 18.85 wins per year, an average that has her ranked second behind only Anson Dorrance of North Carolina.

In eight years as head coach, Rockwood has guided the Cougars to five conference championships. After going undefeated in conference play and winning their fourth straight Mountain West Conference title last season, the Cougars managed to remain the only team to win the conference title in the history of the MWC.

On the national scene, Rockwood and her teams have made six consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and reached the "Sweet Sixteen" in 1998 and 2000. Under the watch of Rockwood, the Cougars have also had seven consecutive top-25 finishes including last season's No. 23 finish.

Among the many achievements and awards she has received over her career, Rockwood has been honored with two Coach of the Year citations, one by the Western Athletic Conference in 1996, and then by the MWC in 2000. She also became the first MWC coach to eclipse the 100-win total mark when the Cougars shutout Milwaukee-Wisconsin 2-0 on Sept. 23, 2000.

Under Rockwood's tutelage, a long list of All-American soccer players has emerged from BYU's program. These athletes include Aleisha Rose, Jeni Viernes, and Michelle Jensen. Among the players who have been coached by Rockwood are four athletes that were drafted by the women's United Soccer Association: Shauna Rohbock, Maren Hendershot, Sara Reading, and Staci Reynolds.

Prior to becoming the head coach, Rockwood led BYU's highly successful club soccer team for seven years. In that time she amassed an overall record of 128-25-9, and in the final two years she took her teams to the Western National Collegiate Club soccer Association (NCCSA) title and placed second in the NCCSA National Championships.

The Lake Oswego, Ore. native was a three-sport athlete in college playing soccer, basketball, and track. After one year at Ricks College on a basketball scholarship, she transferred to BYU where she became a four-year starter at center midfield on the Cougars' club soccer team. Rockwood has also coached in the Utah ODP, youth club programs, and at the high school level.

ROCKWOOD, YEAR-BY-YEAR

Year W L T Conference

1995 11 8 1 WAC

1996 22 1 0 WAC

1997 19 4 0 WAC

1998 20 5 0 WAC

1999 21 4 0 MWC

2000 19 4 1 MWC

2001 14 7 1 MWC

2002 16 6 0 MWC

2003 16 6 2 MWC

Total 158 45 5 (.778)

BYU club team under Rockwood:

128-25-9 (.790), six years (1989-1994)

Fresh Faces

This season's incoming class of Cougar freshman can be expected to make strong contributions to the team, with five of the nine recruits hailing from Utah.

With the loss of some key defenders from last year's squad, expect freshmen Claire Thomas, and Nicole Jensen to make an immediate impact for BYU.

Jensen was a 2002 All-State selection out of Denver, CO, and Thomas was a 2002 and 2003 Barons All-Tournament Team selection as well as a 2002 second-team All-Palomar athlete, and joins the team at 16 years of age.

Among the Utah athletes headed to BYU is the 5A MVP in 2002 Elizabeth Affleck (redshirting the 2003 season) out of Alta High School and the two-time 4A MVP Courtney Asay from Mountain View High School.

The Cougars' incoming class ranks along side with the best classes the school has ever had. Affleck and Bobbi Tillotson were both members of the 5A State Championship Alta High School, and Asay, Haylee Cuthbert, and Ali Williams all played for the three-time 4A State Championship Mountian View Bruins.

Home Sweet Home

The 2003 regular schedule is set to be one of the best home game schedules in school history. The Cougars will be playing 13 of their 19 regular season games at South Stadium. Highlighting this season's home schedule will be three teams that finished in the 2002 NSCAA top-25: No. 11 Michigan, No. 10 Tennessee, and No. 22 USC. BYU will also host four teams that are ranked in the NSCAA preseason top-25: No. 14 Tennessee, No. 17 Michigan, No. 19 USC and No. 21 Florida.

In the past home field advantage has paid great dividends for the Cougars as the team has amassed an impressive 61-10-1 record at home. In the those games BYU has managed to shut out its opponent 38 times, while losing only four games in a shutout.

Also included in the home schedule is the 1998 NCAA Championship team, Florida, as well as in-state rivals Southern Utah, Weber State, and Utah. The Cougars and Utes will face-off in the final regular season home game for BYU on Nov. 1 at South Stadium.

With seven teams on the regular season schedule that qualified for the 2002 NCAA Tournament, this year's schedule promises to be one of the most competitive seasons for the Cougars who finished No. 23 in the NSCAA final rankings last year and are No. 24 in the NSCAA preseason poll.

Cougars Picked Second In MWC Preseason

The Mountain West Conference announced its 2003 preseason poll Monday with the league's coaches selecting BYU to finish second behind Utah.

One point and one vote separated the Cougars and the Utes in the voting, with BYU totaling 33 points and three first place votes, while Utah grabbed 34 points with four first place votes.

For the 2003 season BYU returns eight starters and 11 letterwinners while the Utes return six starters and 14 letterwinners.

MWC Preseason Coaches' Poll

Pl. Team (1st pl. votes) Points

1. Utah (4) 34

2. BYU (3) 33

3. New Mexico 26

4. UNLV 19

5. San Diego State 18

6. Air Force 9

7. Wyoming 8

Living Live

For the remainder of the 2003 season, all Cougar home games will have Live Stats available online at www.byucougars.com/soccer_w by simply clicking on the 2003 schedule and then selecting the appropriate "Live Stat" link with the corresponding game. Live Stats provides an opportunity for those who cannot be at South Stadium to still follow and enjoy BYU Women's Soccer.

FUTURE BYU SCHEDULES

2004 Opponent

Aug. 20, 2004 Boise State

Sept. 6, 2004 at USC

Sept. 13 Georgia Tech

Sept. 20 Stanford

Nov. 15 at Notre Dame

2005

Sept. 4 USC

Sept. 18 at Stanford

Sept. 25 at Boise State

Oct. 30 Notre Dame

Future Non-Conference Opponents

UCLA, Arizona, Washington and Florida State

Injury Update

Senior Aydre Soff tore her meniscus in practice on Sept. 4, and is done for her career. Freshman goalkeeper Meredith Simmons is out for the season due to a torn MCL she suffered in practice Sept. 3 . Sophomore midfielder Brooke Bowman has a sprained MCL and will be redshirting the remainder of the season.

Practice and Interviews

Practice is held weekdays from 2:15-4:30 on Haws Field. Interviews with Coach Rockwood and/or members of the Cougar soccer team are schedules through the BYU Athletic Media Relations office. To schedule an interview, Please contact Jason Wells at (801) 422-8999 or by

e-mail at soccer_sid@byu.edu.