(Provo, Utah - Aug. 9, 2025) – Utah Tech women's soccer rallied to earn a 1-1 draw in an exhibition match at BYU on Saturday night at South Field. The Trailblazers held strong with a 2024 NCAA Tournament team in their final preparation before the 2025 season begins.
Redshirt sophomore
Lataya Brost fired the first shot for the Trailblazers, a long-range boot that Brigham Young sophomore goalkeeper Paiton Collins stopped in the third minute of play.
BYU took advantage of a foul on the edge of the penalty box in the seventh minute as junior forward Ellie Walbruch converted a penalty kick, giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
Brigham Young smashed a barrage of shots in the 22nd and 23rd minutes, but Trailblazer defenders thwarted three promising shots, including a goal-line save by freshman defender
Ava Talaeai to stop a would-be goal.
In the 24th minute, junior forward
Ella Rusick tried a shot to the bottom-left of the goal, but Collins stood in the way.
Senior goalkeeper
Brianna Frey dove to her left and stopped a shot by BYU sophomore midfielder Mika Krommenhoek to earn her first save in the 31st minute.
Utah Tech upped its intensity out of the locker room, developing chances into two shots on goal in the 48th and 50th minutes.
After missing last season due to injury, senior forward
Tessa Thornton made her return to action with style. Down 1-0 in the 57th minute, Brost sent a ball to the left side of the box for Thornton, who found a window just left of the goal box and launched a shot past her defender and off the hand of Collins into the bottom corner of the net.
Senior forward
Lacy Fox got off a promising shot in the 66th minute that was ultimately saved by Collins. The BYU keeper totaled five saves on the night.
The Trailblazer defense remained stalwart down the stretch, blocking three shots and forcing two BYU shots off target in the final eight minutes of play to secure the 1-1 draw.
Despite being outshot 18-13, Utah Tech held a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. BYU committed more fouls, 11-7, and was caught offside more, 2-1.
Utah Tech officially starts the season on Thursday, Aug. 14, at Mountain West foe Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colorado. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. at CSU Soccer Field.
