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Provo • After years of success, BYU women's soccer coach Jennifer Rockwood wanted to see her team take the next step in 2016 and become more dangerous offensively, score more goals.
That happened, as the No. 4-ranked Cougars (16-2-1) averaged 2.84 goals per game in knocking off teams such as NCAA Tournament qualifiers Penn State, Ohio State and Utah and won their fifth-straight West Coast Conference championship.
Another key to the season that enabled the Cougars to get a No. 4 seed for this year's tournament, which begins Friday for BYU against UNLV at South Field, was that BYU remained stout on defense.
The Cougars allowed just two goals and posted seven shutouts in nine WCC games.
"It is one of the best teams I have ever coached here at BYU, and hopefully the girls can go out and make a statement in the tournament," Rockwood said.
BYU's defensive players were rewarded for their efforts when Alta product Taylor Campbell Isom was named WCC Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday and junior goalkeeper Hannah Clark received All-WCC honorable mention honors. Defenders Danika Bowman and Alyssa Jefferson made the All-WCC Freshman Team.
"Defensively, Taylor has been a rock back there for us," Rockwood said. "This is her third season kind of being in charge, and it is great to see her confidence grow, and her leadership emerge … She had a brand new back line, two freshmen, and it has been fun to watch their development."
Isom said Monday that not only do the defenders abhor getting scored on, they don't even like to give up shots on frame.
"I think the defense has done really well, especially with Hannah coming into the net," said Isom. "It is different, but I think we have adjusted really well."
Clark, a junior from Danville, Calif., took over as goalkeeper when two-year starter Rachel Boaz, a senior, fractured her hand in the 3-2 win over defending national champion Penn State. Boaz is healthy again, but Rockwood will stay with Clark.
"Hannah just played well as Boaz was getting better and getting back into things," Rockwood said. "It is such a key position that we just chose to not make any major changes. What we were doing was working, and we just chose to move forward with Hannah. We have a lot of confidence in [both] girls."
If the Cougars win Friday, they will advance to a second-round match in South Carolina next week against the winner of Friday's Oklahoma-SMU.
Twitter: @drewjay —
NCAA women's soccer tourney
UNLV at No. 4 BYU
P Friday, 7 p.m.
At South Field, Provo