Boise State women’s soccer draws Top 10 team in first round of NCAA Tournament
The Boise State women’s soccer team won’t have to stray too far from home to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 seasons.
The Broncos (18-4-0) are headed to Provo, Utah, to face BYU (18-0-1) in the first round at 6 p.m. Friday at South Field. It is the first meeting between the two programs.
“They’re obviously one of the best teams in the country, and we feel like we are, too,” Boise State coach Jim Thomas said. “We’re excited for the opportunity.”
It will mark the second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history for the Broncos, who qualified with a 2-0 victory over San Diego State in the Mountain West Tournament championship Saturday. Boise State also advanced in 2009 as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, losing at No. 3 UCLA 7-1.
BYU (18-0-1) won the West Coast Conference title for the second year in a row and is ranked No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25. The Cougars, who received a No. 2 seed in the tournament, have won 18 games this season and their only blemish is a 2-2 tie in double overtime with No. 20 Santa Clara. They are the only unbeaten team left in the country.
“I’m excited with the two seed and the potential to play some home games, but we’ve got to take care of business in the first game,” BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood said in a press release. “You never know what you’re going to get, and I think it is a great draw for us. We play well on South Field in front of our home crowd, and I think playing at home is a huge advantage for us. Boise State has had a fantastic year, and we’ll have our hands full.”
The Cougars possess one of the most prolific offenses in the country, ranking No. 2 in scoring with an average of 3.58 goals per game and 68 total this season. They average 21.26 shots per game — also No. 2 in the nation — with 10.16 of those shots on goal, which ranks No. 3.
Senior forward Elise Flake leads the Cougars’ attack with 18 goals (tied for No. 4), and junior midfielder Mikayla Colohan is right behind her with 14 goals.
“There’s two teams that are really, really attacking minded,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be a wonderful game — really open and free flowing. I know our players are going to be really excited about that.”
The Broncos have a high-powered offense of their own, averaging 2.05 goals per game (tied for 44th) and 17.77 shots per game, which is the 12th-best clip in the country. Senior forward Raimee Sherle’s 16 goals are tied for 10th among Division I players, and junior forward Aubree Chatterton (seven goals) and senior midfielder McKenna Kynett (five goals) give the Broncos a variety of scoring threats. The Broncos have had 12 different players find the back of the net in 2019.
“I think it’s really important to note that we’re such a close-knit group,” Kynett said. “I think our team is so successful because we play for each other.”
Boise State and BYU are neck and neck defensively. The Cougars rank 10th with a goals-against average of .490, and the Broncos are 15th at .539. Boise State has the edge with a save percentage of .868 (No. 9) compared to BYU’s .859 (No. 13).
Sophomore goalkeeper Sydney Smith could prove to be the Broncos’ X factor. Smith’s 13 shutouts are tied for the second-most in the nation this season, and her save percentage of .867 puts her in a tie for 14th among keepers. BYU senior goalkeeper Sabrina Davis does not rank among the top 50 in save percentage, but she is 22nd with a goals-against average of .585. But Smith has the edge there as well, ranking No. 17 with a goals-against average of .543.
“We’ve got to keep trying to win the same way we have been before,” Thomas said. “We’re going to give this team everything they can handle, for sure. It’ll be fun for them and it’ll be fun for us.”
This story was originally published November 11, 2019 at 2:42 PM.
