The Cougars instead surrendered a free kick goal to No. 8 seed West Virginia to send the game to extras, and after no score through two overtime periods, BYU prevailed 4-2 in a shootout of the tense victory at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium.

BYU’s Bella Woods started the PK’s off by making her shot, then goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson stoned West Virginia’s first attempt to put give the Cougars an advantage. The two teams traded makes before Afton Perry’s conversion gave BYU a 4-2 lead. The Mountaineers’ Abbey Olexa’s shot cleared the crossbar and the Cougars survived.

Peterson is now 4-0 in penalty kick situations since coming to BYU, including two in the NCAA Tournament last season.

Mia Goettsche missed a prime opportunity in the 12th minute of regulation against West Virginia, finding herself unmarked in front of the goal but firing a shot over the crossbar.

Courtesy BYU Athletics

Moments later, Sophie Sivulich took a pass from Lucy Kessler, raced forward and fired a shot with her left foot that beat West Virginia goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth for a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.

West Virginia outshot BYU 10-7 in the first half and forced Peterson to make two tough saves.

Early in the second half Sivulich took a ball into the box and was fouled, which would have resulted in a penalty kick. But after an officials review the foul was reversed. Most of the second belonged to the Mountaineers, which consistently kept the offensive pressure up. The BYU defense stood tall and withstood every surge until the final nine seconds.

A foul was called on the Cougars about 30 yards from the goal, and Paiton Collins misplayed Maya Leoni’s free kick, which found the back of the net and tied the match at 1-1 to force overtime.

West Virginia outshot BYU 18-9 in regulation.

Courtesy BYU Athletics

The Mountaineers thought they had a game winner in the first overtime period on a shot by Sophia Nickel with 3:49 to play but Nickel was ruled offside.

Midway through the second overtime, BYU’s Afton Perry found herself all alone on the left side in the box but her hard shot was saved by Herfurth and that sent the teams to the shootout.

BYU, which won the 2025 Big 12 Tournament as the No. 8 seed, avenged a 2-0 loss to West Virginia in Morgantown earlier this season, the Cougars only defeat during league play.

BYU (13-3-3) moves on to Wednesday’s semifinals to face No. 4 seed Colorado (15-4-1), which scored a goal in the 89th minute to eliminate No. 4 Kansas 2-1 in their quarterfinal match.

BYU's Bella Woods kicks the ball against West Virginia in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament in Mansfield, Texas, on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026.

BYU's Avery Frischknecht (middle) rallies her teammates against West Virginia in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament in Mansfield, Texas, on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026.

BYU's Sarah Mathis (32) rallies her teammates against West Virginia in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament in Mansfield, Texas, on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026.