No. 8 BYU falls 3-1 in opener at Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Penn. – No. 8 BYU dropped its first game of the 2017 season 3-1 Friday night at Jeffrey Field, despite freshman Cameron Tucker's first collegiate goal.

"I think the pressure got to us a little bit," BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. "I love some of the stuff we did tonight. There's a lot we can build on."

BYU at Penn State Box Score

It didn't take the Nittany Lions long to get on the board, as Marissa Sheva took a pass from Charlotte Williams and capitalized on a one-on-one opportunity against BYU keeper Hannah Clark in the 10th minute.

Clark made a nice save in the 29th minute, bolting forward to snuff out another one-on-one effort. She had a tough stop in the 38th minute, batting away a drive in heavy traffic from close range. 

Penn State led 1-0 heading into the half. The Cougars had just three shots before the break compared to the Nittany Lions' eight.

Tucker's goal was the result of a freshman combination as Mikayla Colohan sent a cross from the right side through the box for Elise Flake or Tucker, who were both streaking toward the goal. The ball got past Flake, and Tucker got enough of a touch on it to put it just inside the left post to tie the game at 1-1 in the 58th minute.

In the 62nd minute, Penn State retook the lead. Alina Ortega-Jurado drove a shot from outside the 18-yard box that deflected off a Cougar and got past a diving Clark in the bottom-right corner of the net.

Sheva made it a 3-1 Nittany Lion lead after a couple deflections in the 65th minute. The BYU defense blocked shots but couldn't possess the ball as Sheva took advantage.

On the game, the Cougars wound up with 11 shots compared to Penn State's 14.

The home opener for BYU will be Monday at 5:30 MDT on South Field against Ohio State. BYUtv will broadcast the game on live television and an online stream, and radio broadcasts can be heard on BYU Radio (Sirius XM 143), ESPN 960 AM and at BYUCougars.com.