#1 BYU Blanks #5 UNLV, 4-0

No. 22 BYU advances to MWC Championship to face second-seeded Utah on Saturday

Nov. 6, 2008

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -

Top-seed and No. 22 BYU (16-5-0) got goals from two unlikely players to go along with a strong defensive effort in beating fifth-seeded UNLV (11-7-3), 4-0, in Thursday's semifinal of the Mountain West Conference Women's Soccer Championship held at Peter Johann Memorial Field. BYU will now face second-seeded Utah, which advanced to the championship game by beating third-seeded TCU in overtime, 2-1. The title tilt is set for Saturday, Nov. 8 at noon PT, and the game will be aired via tape delay on The Mtn. at 10:30 p.m. PT.

BYU improved to 7-0-1 all-time in MWC semifinal games and has won five league tournament titles overall, including last year's championship, a 2-1 victory over UNLV.

BYU's Alyssa Vander Veur scored just her second goal of the season in the 36th minute of the contest. That would be more than enough for the Cougars, who limited UNLV to just five shots with none on goal. BYU goalkeepers McKinzie Olson and Aleena Shelton did not have to make a save in recording the shutout.

"I am really proud of our girls," said BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood. "They are a fantastic group that has worked so hard this year. We came in believing in ourselves and in one another. The theme this year has been to fight for our seniors and play as long as we can."

Vander Veur took a free kick out in front of the UNLV net and while fighting off a defender, turned and tucked in a shot low past UNLV keeper Alicia Lugo for the first goal of the game at the 34:26 mark of the half. It was Vander Veur's goal that capped an offensive first half of action for the tournament's top seed. BYU out-shot UNLV by a 15-3 mark, including three on goal.

BYU kept the offensive pressure up in the second half and it paid off when Ashleigh Jameson corralled a rebound off a shot by Lauren Anderson to push the lead to 2-0 in the 60th minute of the game. The Cougars then put the game out of reach 10 minutes later when Rachel Nelson fed Katie Larkin in the middle of the field and she found the back of the net for her team-leading ninth goal of the season.

Anderson added an unassisted goal in the 76th minute, her fifth of the season. The four goals scored by the Cougars were the most in a league tournament game since BYU scored five in the 2002 title game. Overall the Cougars finished with 21 shots, eight of which were on goal.