K-State soccer held a halftime lead Friday night but couldn’t hold off Brigham Young in the second half, falling 2-1 at South Field in Provo, Utah.
Junior forward Adelle Francis scored K-State’s only goal in the 43rd minute, but BYU scored twice just over eight minutes apart early in the second half to complete the comeback.
The loss dropped K-State to 5-3-4 overall and 0-3-1 in Big 12 play while ending the Wildcats’ program-best road unbeaten streak at four matches.
The Wildcats scored their first goal on a corner kick. Freshman defender Lauren Moylan delivered the service to senior midfielder McKinnan Braswell, but BYU goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson stopped Braswell’s shot. Moylan collected the rebound and crossed the ball back into the box, where Francis headed it into the net for her first goal in purple.
“A phenomenal goal off the corner kick tonight,” head coach Colleen Corbin said. “The service from Lauren [Moylan] was perfect, and the header from Adelle [Francis] was really gritty.”
BYU controlled much of the first half despite trailing, outshooting K-State 15-5 and holding a 7-3 edge in shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Maddie Sibbing stopped all 7 shots on target, preserving the lead at halftime.
The Cougars quickly erased that advantage after the break. In the 53rd minute, Lucy Kesler delivered a free kick into the box, and Afton Perry headed the ball into the net from seven yards out to tie the match.
Eight minutes later, BYU took the lead after the second of two Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviews involving potential K-State handballs. The first review did not result in a call against the Wildcats, but the second did, leading to a penalty kick. Bella Wood converted in the 61st minute to put the Cougars ahead 2-1.
K-State could not find an equalizer, despite another strong performance from Sibbing. She finished with a career-high 9 saves — her fourth match this season with at least 5 saves.
BYU finished with a 21-9 advantage in total shots and an 11-3 edge in shots on goal.
Corbin said the Wildcats needed to do a better job managing the moments they could control during BYU’s second-half comeback.
“Unfortunately, there continue to be things outside our control that are impacting the game, especially with VAR,” Corbin said. “We collectively just have to be better about managing set piece moments and continuing to own the moments that we can control.”
Francis’ goal also gave K-State its 20th of the season, marking the third time in program history the Wildcats have scored at least 20 goals and the second consecutive season they have done so. K-State reached 20 goals in 12 matches, the fastest the program has reached the mark.
K-State’s last win came Sept. 13 at Colorado College, where the Wildcats earned a 3-2 victory. However, K-State has gone 0-2-2 in its four matches since then.
The Wildcats return home Thursday, Oct. 8, for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas. The match is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Buser Family Park, will be a White Out and will stream on ESPN+.
“I am proud of how the group responded after Sunday and felt like our identity as a team was able to shine through,” Corbin said. “We will continue to grow and grind and get back to work to get ready for Kansas next week.”
