Bounced back: Walbruch's penalty lifts No. 19 BYU women's soccer to upset win

PROVO — Five days after missing a penalty kick during a disappointing draw in California, Ellie Walbruch only needed an opportunity to bounce back.

So did her BYU women's soccer team.

Walbruch converted the lone goal of the match from the penalty spot, and goalkeeper Paiton Collins made it stand up as the 19th-ranked Cougars upset No. 4 UCLA, 1-0 in front of a sold-out crowd at South Field.

"It's a huge win for us, our home opener against one of the premier teams in the country, year in and year out," said BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood, who has made a habit of scheduling the West Coast power Bruins early and will do so again next year in Los Angeles. "It was a gritty performance by our team; we bent, but didn't break.

"Paiton came up with a couple of big saves, and the girls fought hard and protected the box."

Walbruch had a brace in the wild 2-2 draw Monday night at Cal Poly. But the junior from Highland could only remember the 23rd-minute penalty attempt that she fired left of the goal.

This time, she didn't think twice as she stepped up to the spot to redeem herself.

"I think in the Cal Poly game, we had a lot of chances — some 18 corners, and we just needed to put one away," said Walbruch, who credited the sold-out 4,200-seat capacity stadium for the win. "But it was great to play on South again; that was huge. I think the whole atmosphere was with us, and getting the three points tonight was special for the group."

Then there was the sophomore goalkeeper who made the most of her 90 minutes.

Collins made three second-half saves for the Cougars (2-0-1), who collected their second win over a top-25 opponent in three matches.

"Paiton's been huge for us," Walbruch said of the former Maple Mountain goalkeeper who attended Utah Valley for a year before transferring to BYU following a year away from soccer. "I think she's kind of showing her experience a bit, and getting these games and big moments behind her is huge.

"I know she's going to take off and run from this point."

Added the BYU head coach of the past 31 years of Collins: "She's just a great player, and a good, composed presence back there. That's what you need from your keepers: someone to keep you in games when you bend a bit. That's her job, and she stepped up and did a fantastic job for us tonight."

The first-year starting goalkeeper didn't have much to do in the first 45 minutes. But when the Cougars needed her most, she came up to preserve her first collegiate clean sheet.

"I think it was a whole team effort, rather than just one player," said Collins, who credited starting center backs Avery Frischknecht and Izzi Stratton along with the rest of the defense in front of her. "One of our big core values is 'grit,' and tonight wasn't the prettiest soccer we've ever played. But I think it really showed our grit and determination, as well as our fight to keep a shutout."

After video review 13 minutes into the match, UCLA (1-2) was called for a foul in the penalty box against BYU's Mika Krommenhoek and Walbruch stepped up to the spot to convert her team-high third goal of the season.

Walbruch missed the entire 2024 season with an ACL injury, but returned to score a pair of goals from the penalty spot in BYU's first three matches.

But the upper classman had four of the Cougars' seven shots in the first 45 minutes, including the only shot on goal.

But BYU's defense fended off five corner kicks, and held UCLA to a single shot on target en route to a 1-0 halftime lead.

Collins made a diving save in the 84th minute, punching wide Lexi Wright's attempt as the Bruins pushed forward searching for a second-half equalizer.

UCLA out-shot the Cougars 19-11 — but only put three attempts on frame, the same as BYU.

Those three were handled well by Collins, including the 84th-minute punch by the sophomore who didn't know she'd be starting in goal for BYU until the final days of the preseason.

"I think that was kind of my 'big moment,'" Collins said. "I think everybody thought it was going in, and hopefully that puts my name on the board, so to speak."

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