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BYU's Izzi Stratton (24) prepares to hug teammate Bella Folino after Folino scored a goal in a women's college soccer match against Long Beach State at South Field on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Allie Fryer (23) dribbles the ball past Long Beach State's Alia Sinoff during a women's college soccer match at South Field on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU players celebrate after Olivia Wade-Katoa (center) scored a goal in a women's college soccer match at South Field on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Olivia Wade-Katoa looks for a teammate during a women's college soccer match against Long Beach State at South Field on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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The Long Beach State at BYU women’s soccer match on Thursday promised to be a high-scoring affair.

Both teams had tallied seven goals in their first two matches of the season but it was the 11th-ranked Cougars that owned the scoreboard and came away with their first clean sheet of the season in a 2-0 victory at South Field.

Long Beach State was the more dangerous side early in the first half and frustrated the usually prolific BYU offense. The Cougars didn’t get off a shot until the 25th minute, when Long Beach State goalkeeper Zora Standifer couldn’t gather in Kendall Peterson’s attack and Ellie Walbruch booted the deflection into the net. But the offside flag was up and the match remained scoreless.

“We’ve gotten off to such great starts but you’ve got to give credit to Long Beach State,” Cougar coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “They were trying to trap us and trying to take us out of our rhythm. We couldn’t get the ball forward and couldn’t find our forwards. We just challenged them to be better and smarter and go forward, especially our midfield. It started with Brecken (Mozingo) and Liv (Olivia Wade-Katoa) kind of breaking things down and we got a lot of momentum.”

Shot No. 2 for BYU had a better result. In the 29th minute, Walbruch fought off four defenders inside the 18-yard line for possession and laid the ball back for Wade-Katoa, who fired a laser shot into the upper corner of the net for the goal and a 1-0 Cougar lead.

The Beach outshot BYU 7-4 in the first half, which doesn’t happen very often, especially at South Field.

The tempo picked up for both teams in the second half and the Cougars put together another strong move forward. Olivia Smith-Griffits raced to the end line and sent a beautiful cross into the scoring area, setting up Bella Folino for her 30th career goal and a 2-0 lead in the 48th minute.

“I got a great cross from Olivia and my first shot of the game was a goal so I’ll take it,” Folino said. “That’s my favorite kind of goal to score. We’ve played together four or five years now so I know she’s going to hit that ball and I’m going to be in the right spot. It worked out tonight.”

There was a lengthy delay in the 64th minute due to an possible neck injury to Long Beach State’s Cherrie Cox. The two teams gathered in a prayer circle while Cox was being attend to and eventually she was taken from the field on a stretcher to an ambulance.

The closest Long Beach State came to a goal was in the 78th minute off a free kick from Maddie St. Perez that caromed off the crossbar.

“This shutout is huge,” Folino said. “This is how we get a high bid for the NCAA Tournament. Every game we’re aiming for that shutout and it was great that we got it tonight.”

BYU managed to outshoot the 49ers 14-13 with seven shots on goal to the visitors five. Standifer and the Cougars’ Savanna Mason had five saves each.

“We helped them out a few times in our counter attack, but they’re a very good team,” Rockwood said. “We knew they would be a challenge but we were able to settle down and knock the ball around a little bit more. It’s hard for them to do a lot of chasing and by the end of the game hopefully we wear some opponents out, especially their attacking players. In the second half we came out with a lot more energy, connected a lot more and looked a lot more dangerous.”

The Cougars (3-0-0) go on the road to Idaho on Saturday for a 7 p.m. MT meeting against Boise State. The Broncos (1-0-1) tied North Dakota State in Fargo, 1-1, and won at North Dakota, 3-2. The game is being billed as a sellout at the Boas Soccer Complex and can be streamed on the Mountain West Network (themw.com).