Allie Fryer's brace helps BYU defeat rival Utah in Big 12 play

PROVO – Perhaps no team needed a win to bounce back Monday night more than the University of Utah women's soccer team did after last week's 2-0 loss to Texas Tech.

Except maybe for the Utes’ arch-rival, BYU.

Allie Fryer scored a brace to help the Cougars beat the Utes 2-1 in a rivalry game at South Field. It was her third straight goal for BYU and one assist in seven games, keeping the Cougars undefeated at home in the league.

“It's a personal thing. We had to win this game, especially at home on South Field,” Fryer said after the first doubleheader of her junior season. “We need those points in the Big 12. But that's all on my team. We've worked so hard.”

But in this game, at this time – the first intra-conference rivalry game in twelve years – it meant something more.

“Every game is so important, and this game had more at stake now that they're in the conference than it has in the last 12 years,” BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “Now that they're in our conference, the game has a lot more meaning, and I think the rivalry will come back stronger than ever.”

“I think this is exciting for the sport, for the state and for the incredible fans tonight in such an amazing environment. I know they're doing a lot to push our team forward and find energy to fight and play even harder.”

Lucy Kesler and Emma Hamberlin each had an assist for BYU (4-4-2, 2-1 Big 12), which rebounded from a 4-1 loss to TCU on Thursday to hand Utah its second consecutive loss in Big 12 play.

BYU controlled the momentum in the first half, when it had 4-3 more shots on goal than its rivals and had four corner kicks while the Utes had just one. But BYU's Lynette Hernaez and Utah's Kasey Wardle each saved their only shots on goal, keeping the game scoreless until halftime.

Otherwise, the first half was largely uneventful — aside from an altercation just after the half-hour mark when BYU's Mattyn Summers objected to a hard foul by Taliana Kaufusi. Kaufusi was the Utes' leading scorer with nine of the team's 16 goals and was not allowed to fire a shot until halftime.

But Kaufusi went pointless for just the fifth time in 10 games, and last week's Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week had just two total shots on the night, her fewest since she was limited to a single shot in a 1-0 win over Arizona earlier in Big 12 play.

The Cougars' midfield held off Highland High's scoring forward, who is only the second Utah player in 28 years to score multiple hat tricks in a single season. But credit also goes to the atmosphere BYU created on rivalry night in front of the ESPNU crowd, Utah coach Hideki Nakada added.

“We struggled in that environment. BYU obviously does a very good job of making the field a difficult place to play,” said Nakada, whose team had just 14 players on the roster. “We were never able to play and be ourselves. That was the most disappointing thing — that performance was far from our best.”

Fryer gave the Cougars their first lead in the 57th minute, heading in a Kesler corner kick at the far post to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

But O'Kane equalized for Utah in the 63rd minute, taking advantage of a miscommunication between first-time center Mattyn Summers and BYU goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez and scoring the equalizer with a nearly open shot on goal.

But BYU wasn’t finished yet.

After twelve unsuccessful corners, Hamberlin picked up a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and crossed with his left foot into the middle of the penalty area, where Fryer scored again with his head in the 83rd minute and was able to easily redirect the ball.

“Addie (Gardner) told me, 'You were a magnet today with those headers,'” Fryer recalled. “It literally felt like that; I think I almost had a third one. It just came so fast from Emma and I just had to smash it in.”

“Her serve was incredible. When she makes the crosses, you know it's going to be good.”

Rockwood added: “We've been yelling at Allie all season to stay in front of the goal. She gets a little too far out and you never know exactly where Allie is going to go. But there's a reason we want her here between the posts – for a reason. She was exactly where she was supposed to be and she was rewarded with the winning goal.”

BYU outscored the Utes 17-10 and limited their rivals to just two shots on goal. Kasey Wardle blocked eight shots for Utah (4-4-2, 1-2 Big 12).

The Cougars remain at home on Thursday and host No. 12 Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. MDT at South Field.

The Utes return home from a two-game road trip to host Iowa State on Thursday at 7 p.m. MDT.