Cardiac Cougars: BYU tops UCLA 4-2 in PKs, advances to NCAA Round of 16
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- BYU’s Halle Dixon (2) leaps into the arms of a teammate after scoring the winning penalty kick in a shootout with UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Palo Alto, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
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- BYU goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson reacts to making a stop during a penalty kick shootout with UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Palo Alta, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
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- BYU’s Ellie Walbruch celebrates making a penalty kick during a shootout against UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Palo Alto, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
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- BYU goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson makes a diving stop in a penalty kick shootout against UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Palo Alta, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
PALO ALTO, Calif. – Penalty kick shootouts are becoming BYU’s thing in 2025.
After ending double overtime in a 1-1 draw with UCLA in Friday’s NCAA second round match at Stanford, the Cougar women’s soccer team advanced on penalty kicks to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16.
It was BYU’s third penalty kick shootout win in the past five matches, including both NCAA Tournament meetings.
BYU goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson continued her hot post-season by stopping UCLA’s first two kicks in the shootout. Meanwhile, McKenzee Vance and Ellie Walbruch made their PK’s and BYU took a 2-0 lead. The two teams traded made attempts from there and Halle Dixon’s successful penalty kick gave the Cougars the 4-2 win.
The Cougars now advance to the Sweet 16 to be played on Monday at 2 p.m. MT. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, and BYU will face the winner of the Stanford vs. Alabama game.
The BYU goal came from Mattyn Summers-Oviatt, her fourth of the season. Dixon added her fourth assist this season, while Mika Krommenhoek tallied her eighth assist, on the BYU goal.
The Cougars moved the ball up the field in the 72nd minute as Dixon found Krommenhoek down the left side of the pitch. Krommenhoek sent a left-footed, one-touch cross into the box that found the head of Summers-Oviatt, giving BYU a 1-0 lead.
The Bruins tied the match at 1-1 in the 81st minute with a goal from Emma Egizii and the the two teams battled to the end of regulation and through two overtime periods to force the shootout.
The Bruins outshot the Cougars 27-17, but BYU had more shots on frame, 9-8. In an aggressive battle, 22 total fouls were called and two yellow cards were assessed, one of which went to the Cougars’ Ella Labrum.
