The match between two in-state rivals, the University of Utah (4-1-1) and BYU (0-3-3) ended in a 1-1 draw after double overtime on Friday, Sept. 8. The Utes struck first in the first half, and the Cougars tied it up in the second.
“I thought we played really well,” said midfielder Eden Jacobsen. “I think we played with a lot of energy, and we were able to do what we wanted to do. It’s disappointing for me, but overall, I think we played well.”
The first half of the game started off slow as neither team was able to put the ball in the back of the net until 30 minutes into the match. The Utes had their first chance to jump ahead of the Cougars on a corner kick from defender Natalee Wells, but they were unable to capitalize. The second shot of the game wasn’t made until minute 12 when BYU had a chance, but Utah goalkeeper Carly Nelson saved it.
The Utes got on the board first with 15 minutes left in the first half when an assist by midfielder Paola Van der Veen helped Jacobsen score. With the score 1-0, the Cougars then tried to tie it up in the first half as they took three shots, and the Utes tried to extend their lead on a shot, but the two teams were unable to change the score going into the half.
“[Eden’s goal] was a great goal,” said Utah soccer head coach Rich Manning. “Paolo made a great play in the midfield and gave her a great pass, and she took her chance with a lot of composure. In this environment, it’s not always easy to take that moment to slow down and make the right play, and she did.”
The Utes started the second half of the match with forward Hailey Skolmoski taking two shots, but each ball went wide. The Cougars then had a yellow card pulled on them, but that didn’t hold them back. They got their first goal of the match less than 10 seconds later off of a deflection to the open net, tying the score 11 minutes into the second half. Utah followed the Cougars goal with a yellow card pulled on midfielder Haylee Cacciacarne. For the remainder of the last half, the Utes and the Cougars kept each other from scoring, forcing the match into overtime.
During the first overtime, Utah took three shots and BYU took one, but the score remained 1-1 to take the match into double overtime. But, the extra 10 minutes wasn’t enough time for the Utes or BYU to pull ahead.
“I was really proud of the team,” Manning said. “They battled well. It’s a really tough environment to play in, and I thought we did a lot of good things. The fact that we are still early in the season, I think it’s important to get these experiences behind us, learn from them and grow, and I think we will.”
Up next for the Utes, they wrap up their four-game road trip in Durham, North Carolina as they face No. 11 Duke on Monday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. MT.
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