NCAA Run Ends For Cougars

STORRS, Conn. (Nov. 29, 203) -- The BYU women's soccer team's NCAA tournament run came to an end Saturday at the paws of the No. 18 Connecticut Huskies who defeated the Cougars 3-1 in the Elite Eight.

For BYU, the 2003 season will go down as one of the most successful in the program's short nine-year history as the Cougars finish the as one of the top eight teams in the country.

"We had a tremendous season," said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood. "These girls have represented themselves and the school very well."

The Cougars end the 2003 season with a 16-7-3 mark, they earned the program's seventh-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, the school's best showing in the NCAA tournament as one of the team's in the Elite Eight and the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in senior All-American Aleisha Rose.

"We came together and made a good run in the tournament," said Rockwood, "The team played hard today and I am very proud of them."

Despite the lose the Cougars realize that this season is one to always remember as much for the team's success as for the friendships that have been made.

"I am so happy that we made it to the Elite Eight," said junior Krissa Campbell, "I am also happy that I got to play with these girls."

Rose echoed Campbell's comments saying, "I am proud I could play with all my teammates, they have been such great examples to me."

For the Huskies (14-5-3) it will mark their first appearance in the College Cup since 1997 when the team appeared in the championship game.

The game was played in 40-degree weather with winds around 40 mph, on a field that was soggy and muddy from rainstorms the day before.

In the first period the Huskies jumped out to a 3-0 lead, the Cougars ended the UConn bid for a shutout in the second period but it wasn't enough as the Huskies held on to win 3-1

The Huskies first strike came in the 22nd minute in the first period and gave UConn the early 1-0 lead.

Connecticut's goal came when Nikki Cross took an inbound pass and one touched it to Jessica Gjertsen in the box who turned and fired a shot pass Cougar keeper Ashley Smith.

The Husky offense kept on coming as Cross and Gjertsen hooked up again in the 29th minute as this time Gjertsen fed Cross in the box and Cross' sent a shot into the upper right had corner of the Cougar goal, increasing the UConn lead to 2-0.

It took the Huskies one minutes before they scored their third goal of the period and again it was Cross setting up the goal as she fed Megan Schnur who then put the ball in the net.

Coming out of half time the Cougars battle to get back into the game and in the 63rd minute they got on the scoreboard as Rose's free kick from 20 yards out connected with the head of sophomore Jaime Rendich to bring the Cougars within two at 3-1.

"We had our chances in the game to put the ball in the net but we just missed and weren't able to finish," said Rockwood.

When time expired the final stat line for the 2003 Cougars read 15 shots, 1 goal, 1 assist and 3 corners.

UConn will face No. 12 Florida State next week in the College Cup with the winner advancing to the championships game against the winner of the No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 UCLA game.

The Automated ScoreBook For Soccer
           Brigham Young vs Connecticut (Nov 29, 2003 at Storrs, CT) 
Brigham Young (16-7-3) vs.
No. 18 Connecticut (14-5-3)
Date: Nov 29, 2003  Attendance: 1335
Weather: 40 degrees swirling 45 mph wind
Goals by period 1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   0       1       1
Connecticut     3       0       3
Brigham Young
Pos     ##      Player                  Sh      SOG     G       A
G       0       SMITH, Ashley           0       0       0       0
M       8       BIGELOW, Terra          1       1       0       0
M       9       CAMPBELL,Krissa         2       0       0       0
B       10      JENSEN, Nicole          0       0       0       0
F       11      RENDICH, Jaime          2       1       1       0
M       13      THULIN, Brooke          1       1       0       0
M       16      LUI, Charlene           0       0       0       0
M       17      ROSE, Aleisha           3       0       0       1
B       19      HOLMAN, Britney         0       0       0       0
F       20      OJUKA, Lydia            4       1       0       0
B       25      THOMAS, Claire          0       0       0       0
Substitutes
        6       ZWAHLEN, Annie          0       0       0       0
        12      TILLOTSON, Bobbi        0       0       0       0
        14      FIELDING, Jennifer      1       1       0       0
        18      ASAY, Courtney          1       0       0       0
                Totals.........         15      5       1       1
Connecticut
Pos     ##      Player                  Sh      SOG     G       A
G       00      RICE, Erin              0       0       0       0
M       2       JALALIAN, Zahra         1       0       0       0
M       4       LEFEBVRE, Kristi        1       1       0       0
B       7       MISELIS, Karlyn         0       0       0       0
F       9       BARAKAT, Brittany       2       1       0       0
M       11      SCHNUR, Meghan          1       1       1       0
F       13      GRACZYK, Kristen        2       0       0       0
F       14      GJERTSEN, Jessica       7       3       1       1
M       19      CROSS, Nikki            2       1       1       2
B       22      SANDS, Courtney         0       0       0       0
B       25      KOSLOSKI, Alisse        0       0       0       0
Substitutes
        3       ZIEKY, Jen              0       0       0       0
        6       FISHER, Kristin         0       0       0       0
        10      SULLIVAN, Jennifer      0       0       0       0
        16      FRANK, Kathleen         0       0       0       0
        24      MERCHANT, Gina          1       1       0       0
                Totals.........         17      8       3       3
Brigham Young
##      Player          MIN     GA      Saves
0       SMITH, Ashley   90:00   3       5
Connecticut
##      Player          MIN     GA      Saves
00      RICE, Erin      90:00   1       4
Shots by period 1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   8       7       15
Connecticut     10      7       17
Corner kicks    1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   0       3       3
Connecticut     1       1       2
Saves by period 1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   3       2       5
Connecticut     4       0       4
Fouls   1       2       Tot
Brigham Young   3       5       8
Connecticut     5       9       14
SCORING SUMMARY:
GOAL    Time    Team    ## Goal Scorer  Assists
1       21:14   UC      14 GJERTSEN, Jessica    19 CROSS, Nikki
                        19 led 14 down middle of box
2       28:08   UC      19 CROSS, Nikki 14 GJERTSEN, Jessica
                        led 19 down middle of box
3       29:09   UC      11 SCHNUR, Meghan       19 CROSS, Nikki
                        cross to schnur, chipped over goalie
4       62:50   BY      11 RENDICH, Jaime       17 ROSE, Aleisha
                        off direct kick, header to right of rice
CAUTIONS AND EJECTIONS:
YC-UC #9 (29:16); YC-BY #9 (32:21)
Officials: Referee: Ken Anders; Asst. Referee: John Collins; Greg Dugas;
Alt. Official: Mike Violette;
Offsides: Brigham Young 0, Connecticut 2.