Big 12 soccer: Krommenhoek, Vance save BYU's 2-2 draw with Oklahoma State

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

PROVO — Mika Krommenhoek's inaugural goal in a BYU uniform helped the women's soccer team accomplish its three main objectives Thursday night: score first, score early, and score again.

But what between the objectives will cost them a home win.

Krommenhoek scored in the fourth minute, and Mackenzee Vance added another in the second half as the Cougars rallied to tie Oklahoma State 2-2 in front of an announced crowd of 3,170 fans at South Field.

Presley Freeman added an assist for the Cougars (4-4-3, 2-1-1 Big 12) to stay unbeaten on South Field in league play, but not perfect.

"We came out flying and got a nice goal, right into the assist zone that we talk about all the time — and then we didn't do it for the rest of the half. We just make it harder than we need to," BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood said. "We're really excited for Mika, though; she's played a lot of minutes for us, and I think she's getting better with each game."

Alpine native Nicole Ray had a goal and an assist for Oklahoma State (8-2-2, 1-2-1 Big 12) to help the Cowgirls snap a two-match losing skid with her fifth goal of the year in front of dozens of family and friends from her time at Lone Peak and Utah Valley University.

"My first thought, the second it went into the back of the net was to go to my family. I wanted to give them some love and show something for them," Ray said. "It just means more when you have your people here, people who support you. Obviously, it was huge to have all the people that I love, and who got me to this point, to see an opportunity to play my senior year."

Krommenhoek opened the scoring just four minutes into the match with a one-touch redirection from Freeman, the true freshman from Georgia who shrugged off two defenders while driving down the right side of the penalty area before cutting a cross back to Krommenhoek for the 1-0 edge.

"We've been working a lot on that in practice, getting into the right places, and into the assist zone," said Krommenhoek, a Maple Mountain alum. "I just knew I needed to be where I was, and my teammate got me the ball right where I needed to be to put it in the back of the net.

"It was a perfect cross. Obviously, it caught the other team off guard."

Ray helped the Cowgirls pull even, delivering a corner kick to Xcaret Pineda on a corner kick in the 31st minute as Oklahoma State took a 1-1 stalemate into halftime.

BYU out-shot the Cowgirls 9-3 before the break, but put just three shots on target to Oklahoma State's two.

Emma Hamberlin nearly pulled the Cougars ahead in the 69th minute, but her shot from distance kissed the top side of the crossbar before rattling the net behind the goal.

Instead, Ray gave the Cowgirls the advantage in the 73rd minute, getting a touch on a long ball into the box from Pineda that she rainbow-shot well over BYU goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez's head and underneath the crossbar for a 2-1 edge.

The lead didn't last long, though.

Vance finished a right-footed shot in front of Oklahoma State goalkeeper Grace Gordon to equalize in the 76th minute, taking advantage of chaos in the box caused by a corner kick before smashing the equalizer in a match where BYU out-shot the visitors 22-10, but put just six shots on target.

"I feel like things are clicking a lot right now," Krommenhoek said. "Obviously, we have a very new team and it's taken time to learn to work together and learn each others' tendencies. And I feel like the more we play together, the more comfortable we get out there. We're all just working better and better with each game."

BYU hosts Iowa State at 7 p.m. MDT (ESPN+), while Ray and the Cowgirls will travel north to face Utah on Sunday (1 p.m. MDT, ESPN+).

Cyclones hold Utes scoreless in SLC

Utah's Kasey Wardle and Iowa State's Avery Gillahan each collected a shutout as the Utes and Cyclones played to a 0-0 draw Thursday night at Ute Soccer Field.

Utah (4-4-3, 1-2-1 Big 12) out-shot the visitors 6-4, but Gillahan made four saves to keep the Utes at bay.

Wardle had two saves for Utah.

Photos

Related topics

BYU SportsSportsBYU CougarsCollege

Sean Walker

• 
• 

KSL.com BYU and college sports reporter