Courtesy BYU Photo
BYU’s Jamie Shepard, 12, splits the two Colorado defenders during a game at Southfield on Monday, Aug. 29, 2022.
Scoring in soccer is not just about chances.
It’s about taking advantage of those opportunities.
No. 9 BYU had plenty of chances to score against No. 25 Colorado Monday afternoon, but made only 2 of 31 shots. Meanwhile, two defensive failures saw the Buffaloes recover from his 1-0 and he 2-1 deficits, and at Southfield he was in a 2-2 draw.
After a scoreless first half in which the Cougars dominated the flow of play and had at least five good shots clearing the opponent’s crossbar, the home side began to put more pressure on Colorado’s goal.
BYU junior forward Jamie Shepherd, who scored goals and assists, said: “We made 31 shots, but now we have to work on getting them into the net. .”
In the 64th minute, the Cougars finally broke through. On Sheppard’s pass Olivia her Wade went just outside her line 18 yards and her shot bounced past a diving Bella her glast, giving her BYU her lead of 1-0. robbed.
It didn’t take long for Colorado to level things out. Jenny Beyer bent a corner kick into a high and dangerous spot near the crossbar. BYU keeper Savannah Empay tried to kick the ball with a punch but missed, ending the game in a 1-1 draw in the 70th minute.
Sheppard gave the Cougars the lead again in the 72nd minute, spinning around a defender and hitting a strong left-footed shot just inside the post to give them a 2–1 BYU advantage.
That lead continued until the 81st minute, when the Cougar defense fell asleep and Cilla James was able to free run down the left side of the field. Her 1-1 chance resulted in the equalizing goal at 2-2.
BYU held most possessions for the final ten minutes of the game, but could not find a way to regain the lead. The game ended in a draw due to rule changes in college football this season that eliminated overtime in the regular season.
The Cougars had a 31-to-6 advantage in shots, but BYU only framed eight of those shots. Colorado stayed level with 2 of 3 shots on goal. The Buffaloes scored his 13 goals in his first three games against Weber State (5-1), San Diego (5-0) and Valparaiso.
BYU outscored their opponents 100–17 in their first three contests, scoring five goals and allowing two.
“There’s definitely pressure to score,” Shepard said. “We lost two top goalscorers (Mikayla Kolohan and Cameron Tucker). They were great, but I believe forwards and wingers can step up and score. If we lose we will draw, we have some big games this weekend so hopefully we can sort things out and be ready for those games.”
BYU (2-0-1) will host SEC foes Alabama on Thursday and California State Northridge on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide (3-1-0) are coming off a 3-0 upset of No. 18 Clemson. The Titans (1-3-0) have won 16-2 in his first four games.
Colorado (3-0-1) hosts Texas A&M Commerce on Thursday and Omaha on Sunday.
