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PROVO — Arizona native Ashley Hatch and former Bountiful High star Elena Medeiros arrived at BYU from different places, but the two roommates had the same goals.
Win a West Coast Conference title. Advance in the NCAA Tournament. Compete with the nation’s best.
Armed with the No. 3 national ranking in the latest NSCAA coaches’ poll, they’ve done just that.
Now for that first goal.
“That’s always one of the main goals we have. This year would be five-in-a-row (WCC titles), which would be huge,” Medeiros said. “A lot of teams can’t say that. I think that’s one of the big goals for us. Our competition this year is better than ever.”
BYU (9-1) opens the defense of its four-straight WCC titles Thursday against Santa Clara (3-4-3) at 7 p.m. MT Thursday at South Field.
But don’t let the record be deceiving; Medeiros expects the Broncos to bring their A-game. The Cougars are just 1-6-3 all-time against Santa Clara, while also riding a two-match unbeaten streak after a win in 2014 and last season’s 0-0 draw in California.
Santa Clara is led by Jordan Jesolva, who has four goals and two assists on the season. BYU, meanwhile, is led by senior forward Ashley Hatch. The Gilbert, Arizona, native has 12 goals and 1.2 goals per game, ranking first and second in the NCAA, respectively.
The Broncos, meanwhile, have faced a brutal non-conference scheduled rated the most difficult in the nation.
“This year, they have struggled to score goals and haven’t gotten as many wins as they are expecting,” BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood said. “But with only three wins, they are still sitting at a No. 29 RPI, which tells you they’ve had the toughest schedule in the country.”
Hatch and the Cougars’ dynamic forward group of Michele Vasconcelos (seven goals, five assists) and Nadia Gomes (four goals, eight assists) has led the way in the final third. Hatch’s return from a shortened season via knee injury a year ago has brought an added sense of urgency to the senior class.
“Having her out last season left a big hole in our group,” Medeiros said of her roommate. “I think some people stepped up, but our front line is so deadly. We can score from anywhere, and she’s doing a huge part. It’s awesome to have a player like that on your team.”
The offense has really found its footing with the emergence of Medeiros at attacking midfield. The senior has three goals and two assists on the season, and since her first of the season Sept. 2 against Tennessee, the Cougars have outscored their opponents 25-3.
🐐#BYUwSOCpic.twitter.com/AHq1EJfcPw
— BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) September 28, 2016
“Our forwards have been very dominant, but we can put our forwards in even better position if Elena touches the ball a little bit more,” Rockwood said. “The problem is, in that attacking spot, you always have someone on you. The forwards sometimes have more space and are not marked. But Elena always has someone on her. It’s a little harder to find her.”
Medeiros and Hatch hope to end their BYU careers with an NCAA tournament run. But first, a little personal business starts Thursday: a fifth-straight WCC championship.
“It’s really important, because it’s something that we know if we do our best and win the whole thing, we can get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament,” Hatch said. “It’s a tough conference, and we have to play hard every game. We look forward to it, but we know if we play our game, the results will be good.”
