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BYU Women’s Soccer: Cougars host their biggest match of the season on Saturday

By Shaun Gordon

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 20: A soccer ball sits at the back of the net during a Melbourne Heart A-League training session at La Trobe University Sports Fields on March 20, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 20: A soccer ball sits at the back of the net during a Melbourne Heart A-League training session at La Trobe University Sports Fields on March 20, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) /
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BYU Women’s Soccer hosts No. 6 Santa Clara on Saturday evening, and if either team walks away with a win it will nearly guarantee them a WCC Championship.

The women’s soccer championship race in the West Coast Conference is shaping up to be a wild and tight finish.

Five WCC teams enter Friday night’s matches with two losses or less:

  • No. 6 Santa Clara – 6-1
  • Brigham Young – 6-1
  • Pepperdine – 4-1-1
  • San Francisco – 3-2-2
  • Gonzaga – 3-2-1

San Francisco is mathematically eliminated from conference title contention, but the other four teams all have a legitimate shot at earning at least a share of the WCC championship.

But the likely title team will emerge from a head-to-head clash at BYU’s South Field on Saturday night. The Cougars host Santa Clara, and if one of the teams walks away with a win they’ll be in prime position to clinch the title and earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.

If BYU and Santa Clara tie, then there’s a reasonably good chance that both teams (and possibly Pepperdine as well) will end up as co-champions.

The Broncos would earn the at-large berth in that scenario by virtue of a better overall record. They’re sitting at 15-2-1 on the season, with their only to losses coming to No. 15 Texas A&M (who also beat BYU) and Pepperdine.

The Matchup

BYU and Santa Clara are almost perfectly even statistically. The Cougars have scored 44 goals this season. The Broncos scored 40. BYU has given up 18 goals while Santa Clara has ceded 19.

The Broncos have the slight edge in shot percentage (.132 to .121) and in corner kicks (101-91), while the Cougars get off more shots per match (22.8 to 16.8).

Santa Clara is balanced offensively, featuring five players who have scored five goals or more, but none have more than seven. BYU, on the other hand, has four players with at least five goals, but they’re led by junior Elise Flake’s 12 goals.

Bronco senior Melissa Louder gives up exactly one goal for game as the keeper, while Cougar junior Sabrina Davis gives up just slightly more (1.10 goals/game).

There’s a reason that Santa Clara is one of the top teams in the nation, but BYU has already played a handful of games like that, so they’ll know what to expect.

Add in the home-pitch advantage, and there’s a great opportunity for the Cougars to knock off a Top 10 team and position themselves for a conference title.

After last year’s disappointing season, a return to the top would be the perfect bounceback.

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