PROVO, Utah – Goals from Jessica Ringwood and Marissa Nimmer led the BYU women's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Utah State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament Saturday afternoon on South Field. 

"This was a huge win for us in our first NCAA tournament game this year," said head coach Jennifer Rockwood. "We drew a really tough opening round against Utah State and knew that it was going to be a battle once we found out we were going to play them. We were able to bounce back from their early goal in the second half and do what we needed to do to hold on and get the win." 

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BYU got on the board first with a goal from senior Jessica Ringwood off an assist by sophomore Jaiden Thornock with 15 minutes left in the first half. Thornock pushed the ball down the right sideline before crossing the ball to the middle where Ringwood knocked it home. The goal was Ringwood's team-leading ninth of the year and Thornock's sixth assist on the season.

The Cougars got on the board again 10 minutes later when Marissa Nimmer scored off an assist from Kayla Varner. Ringwood pushed the ball upfield, passed it into Varner who one-touched it towards Nimmer who then was able to kick the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. The goal was her fourth of the season and the assist was Varner's second.

The BYU offense created numerous scoring chances early in the game, placing many shots just wide of the frame while tallying 10 shots in the half. The defense also did their part and held strong in the first period. The Aggies were limited to five shots with Ashley Bazzarone and Lindsi Lisonbee Cutshall pushing back all the Utah State scoring chances. 

A minute into the second half, Utah State was awarded a free kick close to midfield. The Aggies sent it in and put a shot on goal. Goalkeeper Erica Owens deflected the ball but didn't clear the box. From a group of players around the ball, Utah State's Jackie Tillotson found the back of the net to bring the score to 2-1.

With 15 minutes left in the second half, the Cougars began to push the momentum by keeping the ball on their offensive end and earning a couple of free kicks close to the box. The Aggies responded by making a run of their own, turning the tempo their way. Utah State sent a shot on goal from just outside the box and Owens made a spectacular save, pushing the ball over the crossbar to thwart the attack. 

After allowing the early goal in the second half, the Cougar defense held strong and limited Utah State to only four more shots in the last 45 minutes. BYU tallied nine more shots in the second half.

With the win, BYU will now host the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars will host Auburn on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. MST live on BYUtv and online for free at byutvsports.com

The earlier game, also on Thursday, will start at 3 p.m. with Marquette playing against the winner of West Virginia and Princeton. Winners of Thursday’s games will play Saturday, Nov. 17 with the time still to be determined.

If BYU wins Thursday, the game on Saturday will be broadcast live on BYUtv at 5 p.m. MST. Tickets go on sale to season ticket holders and Cougar Club Members Monday morning and to the general public Tuesday at noon., 

PROVO, Utah - The No. 2 BYU women's soccer team was awarded a No. 1 seed for the 2012 NCAA tournament and will begin its run in the postseason this weekend when they host Utah State on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. MST at South Field. 

The Cougars finished the regular season 18-1-1, on a 17-game unbeaten streak, and an unbeaten 7-0-1 record through conference play to earn themselves the West Coast Conference Championship title and automatic bid to the 2012 postseason.

WCC Freshman of the Year Michele Murphy and senior Jessica Ringwood lead the Cougar squad with eight goals each. Senior Carlee Payne Holmoe leads in the assist category with nine. 

WCC Goalkeeper of the Year Eric Owens has spent 1,785 minutes in front of the net and made 57 saves while allowing just 10 goals. Owens' goals-against average, save percentage and total shutouts are first in the WCC and her goals-against average is also ranked 10th nationally. 

Friday's first round game will be BYU's 12th home game of the season and the first time hosting a NCAA tournament game since 2008. BYU is 9-10-4 all-time in NCAA tournament games and this year's appearance will be the team's sixth appearance in the last seven years. 

BYU is one of four WCC teams playing in the Women's College Soccer Cup, for the second-straight year. Pepperdine, Portland and Santa Clara will also participate.

The Cougars are a perfect 10-0 all-time against the Aggies. 

Opponent
The Aggies finished the season 9-2-6 and repeated as the WAC tournament champions with a 1-0 win over then-No. 19 Denver. Utah State has allowed just 11 goals all season and never more than one goal in a single game. 

Jennifer Flynn leads the Utah State team with seven goals on the year and 66 shots. Teammate Mari Miyashiro leads with six assists. The Aggies are averaging 16.33 shots per game. 

Last Meeting
On Sept. 20 of this season, the Cougars traveled to Logan, Utah, to play against the Aggies. BYU defeated Utah State 1-0 on a goal from senior Dana Oldroyd Cusick in the ninth minute of the game. The goal came as the sixth fastest by a BYU player this season. 

How to Follow
Live stats are available for the game through the BYU women's soccer schedule page. Fans can also follow the action through the BYU women's soccer Twitter page. 

Ticket prices for the tournament:

Reserved - $10
Non Student General Admission (GA) - $7
Student GA - $5 (any student from grade school through college; college students must show a student ID)
All Sport Pass Holders - $2 (plus FREE hot chocolate)
Children in GA - 3–5 years old - $1
Children 2 and under free

Purchase tickets online at BYUtickets.com or by calling 801-422-BYU1.

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