BYU’s Fryer comes up big with a brace against rival Utah in 2-1 victory
-
- BYU’s Allie Fryer (left in blue) heads a shot into the goal during a women’s college soccer match against Utah at South Field on Monday, Sept. 24, 2024.
-
- BYU’s Allie Fryer (left) celebrates after scoring a goal against Utah in a women’s college soccer match at South Field on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.
-
- BYU’s Lucy Kessler (33) drives the ball down the field in a women’s college soccer game against Utah at South Field on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.
-
- BYU’s Mika Krommenhoek (18) battles for the ball with Utah’s Katie Callaway during a women’s college soccer match at South Field on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.
-
- The BYU student section prepares for the start of a women’s college soccer match with Utah at South Field on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.
-
- BYU’s Avery Frischknecht (4) heads the ball away from a Utah defender during a women’s college soccer match at South Field on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.
The BYU women’s soccer team has had a struggle with scoring multiple goals this season.
Junior Allie Fryer took care of that against rival Utah on Monday.
Fryer scored two goals, a terrific header and the go-ahead goal both in the second half of a 2-1 Big 12 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 4,345 at South Field.
In nine previous matches, BYU had scored more than one goal just twice: A 2-0 win against Boise State and a 4-2 loss at No. 6 Arkansas.
Fryer must love playing against the Utes: She also had a brace last year against the Utes in a 6-1 victory in Salt Lake City.
“There’s something about them (Utah) that makes my blood boil and I need to score,” said Fryer, who leads BYU this season with five goals. “Apparently I’ll always score against Utah because I’ve always scored against Utah. They’re a good competitor. They played an awesome game but we just did a little better. It’s personal, for sure. We had to win this one, especially at home on South Field to protect our field.”
The first half produced very little offense by either side. BYU finished with four shots, Utah three and both teams credited with one shot on goal. The Cougars had more possession but like the Utes struggled to find creatively dangerous places to stress the defense.
BYU created a nice opportunity in the 53rd minute. A combination of passes resulted in a touch by Fryer and a loose ball near the Utah goal. The ball was deflected with Utes goalkeeper Kasey Wardle off her line but another Ute defender knocked it away. The ball caromed off Wardle across the front of the goal but stayed in play to keep the game scoreless.
Moments later, a second consecutive Lucy Kessler corner kick found the head of Fryer, who pounded the ball into the corner of the net for a 1-0 lead in the 57th minute.
“Actually, I was supposed to be on the front post,” Fryer said. “I said, ‘Do you really want me on the front post?’ I was asking her (head coach Jennifer Rockwood) and asking her. And then she’s like, ‘You’re going to far post’ so that’s where I was. I’m like, ‘This next ball is going in’ and that’s exactly what happened. Sometimes, I have a good vertical. I just wanted that ball and it went in.”
The lead didn’t last long.
Utah evened things up on a huge BYU error in the 63nd minute. A Cougar defender decided to let a ball headed toward the goal go but goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez was too far away to collect it, and Utah’s Katie O’Kane blasted a shot into the goal for the 1-1 tie.
“At TCU when that happened, we kind of settled a little bit so I was really proud of the way we responded to that and kept fighting,” Rockwood said.
In the 83rd minute, Fryer worked her magic again. Pressley Freeman sent a long pass into the box and Emma Hamberlin’s laser-sharp cross was headed in by Fryer for what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
“Allie has a special, special gift of scoring goals,” Rockwood said. “We made a change of putting Mac (MacKenzie Vance) and Mika (Krommenhoek) up there to maybe find her a little bit more. We were able to do that and to draw some corner kicks.
“We’ve been yelling at Allie all season to stay in front of the goal. She comes wide a little bit and never quite know where Allie’s going. There’s a reason why we want her between the posts and that was the reason she was right where she was supposed to be and was rewarded with the winning goal.”
BYU outshot Utah 17-8 and put ten shots on goal to the Utes two. The Cougars also took advantage of 13 corner kicks to keep putting pressure on the Utah defense.
“Every game is so big with Utah, and this one had even more riding on it now that it has in the past 12 years now that they’re in the same conference,” Rockwood said. “We played them when we were in the WCC and they were in the Pac-12 and it was always a big game. Now that they’re in our conference there’s even more meaning. I think the rivalry will come back stronger than ever.”
The Cougars were coming off a 4-1 loss on the road at TCU, giving up two penalty kicks to the Horned Frogs, and needed a win to get momentum back in Big 12 play.
BYU leads the overall series 26-7-3 and hasn’t lost to Utah since 2014, a 1-0 victory by the Utes in Salt Lake City.
Kessler, a freshman from American Fork, made the first start of her career against the Utes and played all 90 minutes.
BYU (4-4-2 overall, 2-1-0 Big 12) continues with Big 12 play on Thursday with a home match against No. 12 Oklahoma State. The Utes (4-4-2, 1-2-0) will host Iowa State, also on Thursday.
