PROVO, Utah --- No. 8 BYU denied a Portland penalty shot in the second half and the Cougars received goals from three different players to claim a 3-0 win over the Pilots in a West Coast Conference women's soccer game played at South Field on Saturday night. BYU scored once before the half and twice after en route to the win.
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The Pilots (7-4-3, 1-2-1 WCC) did well to create chances all night long, including in the 70th minute when freshman Rachel Khaw used her speed to attack the box to draw a foul. The head referee then pointed to the spot, and senior Allison Wetherington stepped up to take the Portland PK. But BYU's goalkeeper Hannah Clark would register a crucial save to maintain the home side's 2-0 lead, and the Cougars would hold on from there, and add another goal, to collect the shutout.
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The Cougars (12-2-1, 3-1-1) took the lead early in the sixth minute off of a breakaway from Michelle Vasconcelos, who hit a well-driven ball into the upper left corner of Portland's goal. The Pilots tried to settle into the game in the next minutes of the first half, with Natalie Muth creating a goal scoring opportunity with a header off of a corner that missed just wide of the net.
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Freshman Rylee Seekins made her first career appearance in the 36th minute, producing a hard low shot on goal in her first few touches of the game, which was again saved by Clark. The Pilots would hold BYU on shots in the remainder of the first half.
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To start off the second half, the Pilots came out fast, applying hard pressure and producing another corner for a chance on goal. To respond to the Pilots' pressure, BYU's Nadia Gomes attempted to capitalize on another breakaway, which just she missed wide right. Hanna De Haan would then make two solid saves in the following minutes.
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In the 54th minute, Kimberly Hazlett used her energy to apply a solo attack on the Cougar defense, creating a scramble in the box just before the keeper Clark could get a hand on it. BYU would then have another chance on goal with Vasconcelos taking on Lucy Davidson 1-on-1, who would block the shot to force the BYU shot high.
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Then just after the attack from Vasconcelos, Gomes hit a curling shot just past De Haan from about 25 yards out in the 58th minute to put the Cougars up two. To respond to the goal, Wetherington attempted to create some momentum by sending a ball forward to Portland's leader goal scorer Hannah Griffiths-Boston to get into the final third, which was then cleared out by the BYU defense for a corner. Griffiths-Boston would then hit a shot from distance in the 63rd minute to force Clark to make another save.
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77 minutes in, BYU created their last goal from Bizzy Phillips Bowen, who hit a shot from distance to score.
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The Pilots next return home for their final two regular season home games next weekend. First they host Pacific on Friday night, before welcoming Saint Mary's to The Bluff on Sunday for senior day at Merlo Field.
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