No. 23 BYU women’s soccer is set to open Big 12 play against Arizona in Tucson on Friday, according to a September 17 report. The match follows a 4-0 loss to Utah State that concluded the Cougars' nonconference schedule.
The Cougars finished nonconference play with a 4-2-1 record, which included victories over No. 9 UCLA, USC, Minnesota, and Colorado State. This most recent loss to Utah State occurred after BYU had achieved an unbeaten streak of four consecutive matches. During the match against Utah State, the Cougars were outshot 22-9 and struggled to penetrate the Aggies' defensive line.
BYU enters the conference opener without senior forward Ellie Walbruch, who suffered a torn ACL during the first half of a game against Colorado State. Since that injury, the Cougars have gone 0-1-1. The team will rely on veteran players such as midfielder Lucy Kesler and defender Presley Freeman. Freeman has started all 52 games of her career and has received praise from coach Jennifer Rockwood for her confidence and physical style of play.
Arizona enters the matchup with a 3-4-1 season record and a 2-2 record at home. The Wildcats most recently lost 2-0 to Pepperdine on Sunday. BYU holds a 12-3 all-time record against Arizona and has a 5-2 record in Tucson. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. MDT at Murphey Field at Mulcahy Stadium and will be streamed on ESPN+.
In their most recent meeting in 2025, Walbruch scored a hat trick to lead BYU to a 3-0 victory.
