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BYU senior keeper Cassidy Smith makes a save as part of the shootout during the NCAA finals match against Florida State at Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021.

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BYU players wave to the fans after the NCAA finals match against Florida State at Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021.

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BYU players react after losing in a shootout in the NCAA finals match against Florida State at Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021.

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BYU goalkeeper Cassidy Smith talks team her teammates during a break in the NCAA championship game against Florida State at Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

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BYU's Mikayla Colohan looks to pass to a teammate during the NCAA championship match against Florida State in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

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The BYU women's soccer team during introduction before the NCAA championship match against Florida State in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

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BYU fans getting ready for the NCAA women's soccer championship match against Florida State at Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

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BYU's Cassidy Smith (in front) and Brecken Mozingo walk through a tunnel of Cougar fans on their way to the NCAA championship match at Santa Clara on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

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BYU's Olivia Wade kicks the ball during the NCAA Championship Match against Florida State in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

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For 110 minutes of Monday’s College Cup final, the BYU women’s soccer team stood toe-to-toe with the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Florida State.

Regulation and two 10-minute overtimes couldn’t produce a goal by either squad.

In penalty kicks, Seminoles goalkeeper Cristina Roque made two saves to give her team the edge and Yujoe Zhao stuttered stepped and knocked the ball high into the net for the winner, giving Florida State a 0-0 (4-3) victory.

The irony, of course, is that the Seminoles lost the national title this spring in penalty kicks.

“We felt like we had some unfinished business to take care of,” Florida State coach Mark Krikorian said.

BYU was in its first-ever College Cup final and ended up just short of a national title.

“It was a battle,” Cougar senior Mikayla Colohan said. “It was a grind. Playing against Florida State is always going to be tough. They have great players and they play really good soccer. We defended hard and kept them from scoring a few times and we had our fair share of chances to score. PK’s are tough because they can go either way.”

The Cougars converted penalty kicks by Colohan, Brecken Mozingo and Olivia Wade, but Roque saved shots attempted by Jamie Shepherd and Bella Folino to push the Seminoles to the title.

“It was a great game and a great Final Four,” BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to play on Monday, for sure. I thought we battled hard. We were close a few times, but it’s been a phenomenal year. You hate to be on the losing side, especially in penalty kicks. You win some and you lose some when it comes down to PK’s. We’ve been on both sides of that. I’m proud of the way we represented ourselves and our school.”

There were several key unlucky moments that went against the Cougars.

BYU created an opportunity in the ninth minute when Colohan slotted a perfect pass to Cameron Tucker inside the 18-yard line and Tucker blasted the ball into the net. But the sideline official raised her flag on Tucker for offside and the match stayed scoreless. Television replays showed the call could have gone either way.

Later in the first half, Florida State’s Jaelin Howell went at Colohan with a physical challenge for a loose ball that left BYU’s Hermann Trophy candidate writhing in pain on the ground.

“I know it was a 50-50 ball and I beat her to it,” Colohan said. “The next thing I know she had cleats up to my shin and I had no feeling in my leg. I definitely didn’t want to go out that way.”

Howell was assessed a yellow card. Colohan was unable to put weight on her right leg and was carried from the field. She did play in the second half and the overtimes but was largely ineffective.

Howell probably should have earned her second yellow card and a disqualification in the second half when she took out a BYU player, but the head official, perhaps hesitant to put Florida State a man down in a 0-0 game, opted to whistle a common foul.

Howell later scored on her penalty kick opportunity and held her finger to her lips to shush a vocal BYU crowd.

The Cougars were the highest scoring team in the country but didn’t tally a goal in the run of play in the semifinals or the finals. The Cougars managed to sneak past Santa Clara in penalties in the semifinals, but couldn’t repeat that effort in a physical, hard-fought final.

“Everyone here was treated to a heck of a soccer game with two really good teams,” Krikorian said. “BYU gave us everything we could handle and matched us all along the way. It was a heck of a national championship, a heck of a final.”

It was the first time in her 27 years as head coach that Rockwood took her team beyond the Elite Eight.

“We were one of the last four teams standing,” Rockwood said. “Santa Clara and Florida State had not given up many goals this year. We’re proud we had a high powered offense. We created some good chances in both games but things didn’t fall our way. When you get to this level it’s more challenging than ever to score. Once we got into the NCAA Tournament our best defensive performance was against Virginia. To not give up a goal against Santa Clara and Florida State says a lot about our defense. You have to play well on both sides.”

BYU finished the season with an 18-5-1 record and will say goodbye to Colohan, a four-time All-American, as well as Tucker and goalkeeper Cassidy Smith.

“Playing for a national championship was exactly what I wanted to do,” Colohan said. “We set that goal at the beginning of the year. This was everything I wanted to play for. I’m grateful for the opportunity and proud of my team for getting here.”

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