Every BYU women's soccer team since 1988 has had the same head coach. This one is the last. Jennifer Rockwood announced in June that 2026 is her final season, and with five regular-season matches left the Cougars are 8-3-2, 4-1-1 in the Big 12, unbeaten at home, and the defending conference tournament champions. Here is the season so far, the coach who built the program, the players to watch, and how to get to South Field for the last home matches of her career.
The season so far
| Record | 8-3-2 overall, 4-1-1 Big 12 (through October 12) |
| At South Field | 6-0-1 |
| Ranking | No. 20 going into the October road trip |
| Shutouts | 4 |
| Next | No. 12 Texas Tech at South Field, Friday, October 16, 7 p.m. |
Every result
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 12 | at UCLA | W 2-1 |
| Aug. 19 | at Wisconsin | L 0-1 |
| Aug. 22 | USC | W 2-0 |
| Aug. 27 | Minnesota | W 1-0 |
| Sept. 3 | Colorado State | W 2-1 |
| Sept. 5 | Oklahoma | T 1-1 |
| Sept. 10 | at Utah State | L 0-4 |
| Sept. 18 | at Arizona | T 1-1 |
| Sept. 24 | UCF | W 3-1 |
| Sept. 28 | TCU | W 2-0 |
| Oct. 2 | Kansas State | W 2-1 |
| Oct. 8 | at West Virginia | L 0-2 |
| Oct. 12 | at Cincinnati | W 1-0 |
How it has gone
A fast start against big names. BYU opened by winning at UCLA, the team it knocked out of last year's NCAA Tournament. Senior Mattyn Summers-Oviatt tied it before halftime on a breakaway, and freshman Brynnli Tolbert scored the winner in the 59th minute, which helped earn her the Big 12's first Freshman of the Week award of the season. BYU then beat USC and Minnesota at home.
One rough night in Logan. The 4-0 loss at Utah State on September 10 was the season's low point, and it came against the same Aggies BYU beat in a shootout in last year's NCAA Tournament.
A strong Big 12 start. After a late equalizer cost BYU a win at Arizona, the Cougars won three straight conference matches at South Field, their first three-match Big 12 winning streak since 2023. Junior Mika Krommenhoek had a goal and an assist against UCF. Freshman Anna Neff played the second half and assisted both goals against TCU and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week. Against Kansas State, BYU trailed at halftime, sophomore Afton Perry tied it, and senior Bella Woods won it on a penalty kick.
The October road trip. BYU outshot West Virginia 19-8 and lost 2-0, its first Big 12 loss. Four days later it won 1-0 at Cincinnati, handing the Bearcats their first home loss. Woods scored again, this time on a direct free kick in the 51st minute, and junior goalkeeper Paiton Collins made four saves in her first start of the year.
That leaves BYU in a good spot with five league matches left, three of them at home.
The coach: Jennifer Rockwood
Rockwood came to BYU from Lake Oswego, Oregon, and joined the women's club soccer team as a player in 1985. When she graduated in 1988, she became the head coach. She coached seven club seasons, won a Western national club championship, and was still in charge when BYU made women's soccer a Division I sport in 1995. She has been the only Division I coach the program has ever had.
The numbers from 31 NCAA seasons:
- More than 470 wins, among the 10 winningest coaches in Division I women's soccer and the most of any active female coach
- 26 NCAA Tournament appearances and 19 final top-25 rankings
- 17 regular-season conference titles and 9 conference tournament titles in four leagues: the WAC, the Mountain West, the WCC and the Big 12
- The 2021 national championship game and the 2023 College Cup
- Seven conference Coach of the Year awards, and the United Soccer Coaches national staff of the year award after the 2021 run
What her players and colleagues talk about, though, is how she leads. Her teams play a high-pressing style that has made BYU one of the highest-scoring programs in the country, and she has coached 24 All-Americans, 13 Academic All-Americans and 18 players who went on to play professionally. BYU athletic director Brian Santiago called her driven and deeply committed to her players' personal growth, and summed it up simply: "Jennifer Rockwood is BYU women's soccer." Her current players say the same thing. Senior forward Ellie Walbruch called her a mentor "since I was a little girl," and senior center back Avery Frischknecht said, "When you think of BYU soccer, you think of Jen Rockwood."
Rockwood called her career "the honor of a lifetime." Her staff this season includes associate head coach Brent Anderson and assistants Steve Magleby and Tasha Bell, and BYU has planned tributes to her at home matches all season.
The players to watch
Ellie Walbruch, forward, senior. Last season's leading scorer with 16 goals, the most by a BYU player since 2021. She was a second-team All-American and led the 2025 Big 12 Tournament with five goals.
Avery Frischknecht, center back, senior. She has started every match she has been available for over the last two seasons, 41 in all.
Chelsea Peterson, goalkeeper, senior. An Orem native and the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of last year's Big 12 Tournament.
Bella Woods, midfielder, senior. The game-winner against Kansas State and the only goal at Cincinnati.
Presley Freeman, defender, junior. Second-team All-Big 12 in 2025.
The young players. Freshmen Brynnli Tolbert and Anna Neff have both won Big 12 Freshman of the Week, sophomore Afton Perry has scored in the Big 12, and sophomore Mia Goettsche was on last year's All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
The roster is heavy with local players. Highland, Mapleton, Draper, Saratoga Springs, American Fork and Orem are all on it.
What 2025 set up
Last season looked ordinary for a long time, then turned into one of the best postseason runs in program history. BYU went in as the No. 8 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and won it, beating TCU, Baylor and Kansas. That earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where BYU beat Utah State in an 11-round penalty shootout at South Field and then beat UCLA on penalties to reach the program's 10th Sweet 16. No. 1 Stanford ended the run. BYU finished 11-7-6 and made its eighth straight NCAA Tournament.
That is the bar for Rockwood's final team: win enough in the last five matches to qualify for the eight-team Big 12 Tournament, defend the title in Mansfield, Texas, and reach a ninth straight NCAA Tournament.
What is left
| Date | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 16 | No. 12 Texas Tech | South Field, 7 p.m., ESPN+ |
| Thu., Oct. 22 | at Kansas | Rock Chalk Park, 5 p.m. MT |
| Mon., Oct. 26 | at Iowa State | Cyclone Sports Complex, 5 p.m. MT |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Utah | South Field, 7:30 p.m. |
| Thu., Nov. 5 | Arizona State | South Field, 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 9, 11, 14 | Big 12 Tournament | Texas Health Mansfield Stadium, Mansfield, Texas |
The Utah match on October 30 is the rivalry game, and the Arizona State match on November 5 is the last regular-season home match on Rockwood's schedule. If you go to one match this fall, make it one of those two.
Going to a match at South Field
South Field is not a hidden gem. BYU led the nation in total women's soccer attendance in 2025 with 37,954 fans and ranked second in average attendance at 3,450 a match, nearly 4,000 more fans than the year before. Big matches fill up, so arrive early.
Tickets. Buy online through BYU's ticket site or at the Marriott Center ticket office. There are reserved and general admission sections, and general admission is first-come, first-served. Tickets are required for everyone 6 and older in general admission and 2 and older in reserved seats.
Students. The ROC Pass and the cheaper Olympic Sports ROC Pass both cover women's soccer, and students scan in at the gate. Attendance at soccer counts toward a student's priority for football and men's basketball tickets, which is one reason South Field is so full. Our ROC Pass guide explains how it works.
What to bring. Matches are outdoors at night, and Provo evenings in late October and November get cold. Bring a blanket and a warm layer, and check the forecast.
Parking. Campus parking rules apply; our BYU campus visitor guide covers where visitors can park.
Before and after. See where to eat before a BYU game for food near campus.
The bottom line
BYU women's soccer has had one coach for 38 years, a stadium that leads the country in fans, and a habit of playing its best in November. This is the last chance to see Rockwood coach at South Field, and her team is good enough to give her a long goodbye.
In Orem, UVU women's soccer is unbeaten in its first Big West season. When soccer ends, BYU women's basketball begins at the Marriott Center. For the rest of BYU's fall sports, see our guide to BYU women's volleyball in 2026, and for football, the BYU football 2026 season guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Women's Soccer 2026 Schedule, BYU Athletics. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Women's Soccer 2026 Roster, BYU Athletics. Checked October 13, 2026.
- No. 20 BYU beats Cincinnati 1-0 to close road trip, BYU Athletics. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Cougars Fall in Hard Fought Top-20 Matchup, BYU Athletics. Checked October 13, 2026.
- No. 20 BYU set for two-game road swing at West Virginia, Cincinnati, BYU Athletics. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Neff's two-assist performance earns Big 12 honor, BYU Athletics. Checked October 13, 2026.
- 2026 Big 12 Soccer Tournament Location Announced, BYU Athletics. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Resilience on Display: Breaking Down the 2025 Cougar Campaign, BYU Athletics. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Cougs earn No. 5 seed for NCAA Tournament, host Utah State Friday evening, BYU Athletics. Checked October 13, 2026.
- BYU Women's Soccer tickets, BYU Tickets. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Rockwood, BYU women's soccer's only DI coach, to retire after 2026 season, Standard-Examiner. Checked October 13, 2026.
- BYU's longest tenured head coach will retire after the 2026 season, KSL. Checked October 13, 2026.
- BYU women's soccer motivated to send retiring coach, legend out on high note, KSL. Checked October 13, 2026.
- UCLA falls 2-1 to BYU in season opener, Daily Bruin. Checked October 13, 2026.
