The goal provided the Cougars with a 1-0 win that quite frankly should have been that close.

“It was such a huge relief after we had so many chances where we weren’t able to score a goal,” said BYU senior forward Mattyn Summers-Oviatt, who forced a lot of the action leading to what was scored officially as an own goal by the Gophers. “I saw the cross come in, got ready to kick it in, and fortunately we got a touch from them to clean it up, so it worked out.”

As mentioned, the game shouldn’t have come down clear to the 77th minute due to the constant pressure the Cougars put on the Gopher defense throughout.

From the game’s very first touch the Cougars proved adept in maintaining possession and then managing good looks at the goal whether it be by crosses or by effectively penetrating Minnesota’s backend defense. But kicks toward the goal came up just wide or were saved by Minnesota’s keeper throughout what was an otherwise stellar BYU first half performance.

“Sometimes the ball doesn’t go and I thought we played really well in the first half,” said BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood. “I think maybe we got a little flustered and tried to force things a little bit too much in the second half, but we found a way to put the ball in back of the net, and ultimately that’s that’s what matters.”

The second half of play saw Minnesota with more counter opportunities due to exactly what Rockwood mentioned, who implored her team to just keep at what worked so well throughout the first half. Eventually Rockwood’s team closed down Minnesota’s counter opportunities and regained their first half form.

“At halftime, we were like, ‘We’ve we’ve played a good first half. We just have to be patient,” Rockwood said. “And I think we weren’t very patient in the second half. We just tried to force a little bit, but that happens. It’s it’s a good experience for us to learn from, and still getting the result against a very good team. So I’m just proud of the way that we gutted it out and just found a way.”

“We just have to keep trusting our process and then know that if we do that then the goals will come,” Summers-Oviatt added. “We had so many opportunities tonight, and by trusting our process we finally got that goal, and it felt so great to finally get that.”

With the win BYU pushes its early season mark to 3-1 and will now be afforded some good rest before taking on Colorado State on September 3. Overall Rockwood is encouraged by her team’s early season play in several different regards.

“I think the last two games we’ve played at home, we’ve gotten off to a really strong start and kind of set the tempo and moved the ball around and created some good opportunities,” Rockwood said. “They didn’t fall for us, but I think I think the goals will come. You know. Ellie (Walbruch is) doing a lot for us, but I know she’s anxious to score and and I think most of our goals have come off the bench now. So, I think our starters are a little anxious, and they just need to stay patient and believe that it’ll come.”

As for what her team needs to work on other than remaining patient, Rockwood said, “We just keeping the ball moving and and not making it as hard as we did tonight by turning the ball over too much. We just got to value the ball. We’re a really good possession team, and we can create and make things happen if we just keep the ball and not force things.”

As mentioned, the Cougars will next take on Colorado State before taking on Oklahoma and Utah State before entering Big 12 Conference play.