PROVO, Utah --- UC Irvine women's soccer gave a valiant effort against the fifth-ranked BYU Cougars falling 4-2 Saturday night on the road at South Field.
Out of the Gate
The Anteaters (1-9-0) got ahold of the first lead 98 seconds into the match.
Destinee Manzo stepped up for a corner kick and found
Kyndal McKinney who got a head on it and gave UCI the 1-0 lead in the second minute.
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Squared at the Half
BYU (10-0-0) turned on the jets the rest of the half looking for the tying strike and found it in the 38th minute. Rachel Lyman's cross fell to Jamie Shepherd who gathered the ball in the box and fed Mikayla Colohan who finished and made it a 1-1 game in the half.
The Cougars had a slim 6-3 shot advantage going into the break with the sides scoring on their only shots on frame, and each side had only earned one corner kick
Fifth-Ranked Flurry
The Cougars began to separate themselves in the match, but couldn't find the goal needed to break the tie. The 68th minute came and brought that opportunity as BYU earned a penalty kick after the ball found an Anteater hand in the box. Elise Flake scored the finish to make it 2-1.
The Cougars grew their lead to 3-1 in the 75th minute as Colohan put away her second heading home a cross from Alyssa Jefferson
Never Say Die
The Anteaters were up for the fight clawing back into it with a goal in the 81st minute.
Jessica Miclat found the ball on the left side of the box hoisting up a shot from a tough angle over keeper Sabrina Davis and into the side netting to make it a 3-2 BYU lead.
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The Cougars quickly answered gaining their two-goal lead back 30 seconds later as Rachel McCarthy buried a shot to make it 4-2.
The 'Eaters were knocking on the door again getting their own penalty kick attempt 40 seconds after the BYU answer. Miclat stepped up, but her shot went off the post and out, and the 'Eaters would not get another opportunity to cut into the lead.
Final Score: #5 BYU 4, UC Irvine 2
Miclat's goal was her second of the season matching
Scarlett Camberos for the team high. Camberos returned to the pitch after missing the last match along with
Gianna Creighton. Manzo's assist ties her for the team assist lead with two along with
Alex Jaquez
Kyndal McKinney headed home her first career goal in the opening minutes. The 'Eaters' scoring twice in the match was a rare event against No. 5 BYU who had allowed a grand total of one goal in their first nine matches coming into Saturday night's contest.
Maddie Newsom had two saves on the evening as BYU outshot UCI, 18-7, overall including a 12-4 edge in the second half. Her counterpart, Davis, did not record a save.
UCI was cautioned five times in the match, nearly matching their total for the year coming into the match, and were whistled for 17 fouls to the Cougars' seven
Non-Conference Notoriety
The Anteaters entered the weekend having played the 7th-toughest schedule in the nation before adding the No. 5 program to it. UCI is now 1-4-0 all-time against BYU.
The 'Eaters complete non-conference play with a 1-9-0 mark, but that tough schedule featured three schools ranked in the top 10 (No. 9 Virginia, No. 9 Vanderbilt), and three other schools that have either entered the top 25 (Texas Tech) or are receiving votes (Cal, UCF).
The next step is Big West play which kicks off Thursday, October 3, with a big match in Anteater Stadium against UC Riverside that will be broadcasted on ESPN3
