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PROVO — The Big 12 preseason favorites passed the first test of the season Thursday night at South Field.
Bella Folino, Olivia Wade Katoa and Erin Bailey all scored in the first half to help the No. 13 BYU women's soccer team hold off 21st-ranked Saint Louis 3-2 to win its sixth-straight season opener.
Jamie Shepherd, Ellie Boren and Kendell Petersen each registered an assist for the Cougars (1-0), who got seven saves from goalkeeper Savanna Mason.
Caroline Kelly and Emily Gaebe each scored for the Billikins (0-1), the five-time defending Atlantic 10 champions who put together a 20-2 record last year with just one loss in the regular season.
"That's a huge win for us against the leading scoring team in the country," said Jennifer Rockwood, who improved to 22-3-4 in season openers all-time as head coach at BYU. "And we weren't at our best. If you're not playing really good teams, you don't know what you need to work on — and we found a lot of things that we need to work on tonight. Saint Louis is going to win a ton of games this year, and they are probably going to be more dangerous than they were last year."
Allie Fryer headed the ball off the post, and Folino followed the rebound through into the upper 90 to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the match. Boren set up Fryer with the cross, and Folino followed through from inside the six-yard box to open the scoreline.
Katoa doubled the advantage in the 10th minute, finishing off Jamie Shepherd's set up in the 10th minute that started with Boren's cross into the box.
"It came out in the right place, right time," Katoa said. "But you've got to give all the credit to Jamie; we practiced all preseason getting the ball into what we call 'the assist zone,' and we practiced that for hours on end. She just got the ball in the right place at the right time, and I was lucky to be on the end of it."
first BYU W in the Big12 era pic.twitter.com/oyr4b7qGUJ
— BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) August 18, 2023
Caroline Kelly pulled one back just four minutes later, cutting the Billikens' deficit to 2-1 by converting a giveaway in the back and scoring from distance.
But Kendell Petersen wouldn't let that score stand.
The senior took a wide pass from Laveni Vaka in the 43rd minute and after quickly moving the ball up field, pushed a cross inside to Bailey to help the Cougars to a 3-1 halftime lead.
"It was huge, because we did lose momentum after they scored their goal," Rockwood said. "But Erin just got the ball and struck it as hard as she could on frame; if we had done that some other times, I think we could've scored more goals. But their keeper was very good, and she made some great saves. Erin's goal was huge; it made all the difference, and I'm super happy for her. She's been working really hard. Brilliant goal."
BAILEY WITH THE GOAL🤩
— BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) August 18, 2023
📺 https://t.co/8pCW1Y645Dpic.twitter.com/izzO4rskq1
It could've been worse, were it not for Emily Puricelli. The SLU goalkeeper saved a close-range shot to open the second half from Ellie Walbruch that prevented a goal. The same with a rifle shot from distance by Brecken Mozingo, and a rip from Walbruch in the 65th minute was dutifully saved.
Folino had another chance in the 70th minute, but Puricelli made a diving save to keep the ball out of the net.
The Cougars out-shot Saint Louis 26-17, including 14 attempts on frame. But Puricelli made 11 saves to turn most of them aside — even to put a scare into BYU near the end of the match.
Gaebe pulled one back for the Billikens in the 86th minute, sparking the A-10 power to a one-goal deficit in the final minutes. She nearly equalized with 14 seconds left, but the ball inched over the crossbar as BYU held on.
"I think it just gives us more confidence throughout the season. It could be a confidence booster, playing a team that we know we could beat 10-0 or whatever," said Katoa, whose team was picked to win the Big 12. "But that's not what we want to do; we want to continue to challenge ourselves, because we know with every good team we play, that's just a little bit better that we're going to get. The earlier we can do that, the better we'll be later on."
Saint Louis travels to Logan to face Utah State on Sunday after the Aggies' 5-1 win over in-state rival Weber State. BYU will return to South Field to host Cal State Fullerton at 7 p.m. MDT Saturday.
