Junior goalkeeper, Cory Cosgrave is one of several Cougars who have played with the now defunct reserve team or trained with the 2009 MLS Cup Champs.  Here are some of Cory’s thought from that experience, about a month ago.

“I’m really not quite sure, but I think RSL first knew about me from Bryan. He has trained with them for some time and he approached me asking if I would be interested in doing it if he couldn’t make it or something.  Then one morning in May (maybe?) I got a call from Coach Watkins who said the RSL goalkeeper coach contacted him.  He asked me if I wanted to go train with them that morning, which I obviously agreed to.

So I went to Rio Tinto Stadium and signed a bunch of papers and what not. They gave me my training gear.  Met a few of the guys, but mostly just kept to myself in the locker room.  Then 30 minutes before training starts we head down to Xango field, their practice field.  I had a Chemistry test to take so I drove myself down so I could back to school.  Since the first time, the keeper coach has called me a few other times to come.

I was pretty nervous at the start, and still get that way a little, but its getting better.  It takes a few reps in warm-ups and they usually go away.   It’s that little kid feeling. You always dream of being a “professional soccer player” and for me this is probably the closest to it that I will ever get.

Each training, the keepers train for about 40 minutes then we move to playing small-sided games.  It’s been great for me because of the coaching I’m able to get to fix bad habits I’ve fallen into.  It’s great to be around the higher level of soccer.  I still make some “rookie” mistakes because of nerves or inexperience, but when I’m able to settle down, stop thinking so much and just play, then I honestly feel pretty comfortable and confident in playing against them.  It just takes one save to give you that boost.

Training with them gives me confidence because I’m improving and that usually carries over to our training.  At the same time, it keeps me plenty humble because at least once a practice I’ll take a wrist-breaking shot, or a shot to the face or stomach.  They do a good job of picking on the new guy. But it’s all good just to be there.”Tweet

OGDEN, Utah (July 17, 2010) — The BYU Cougars only won four games during the 2010 season but they will end the year on a winning streak.  Saturday night at Bonneville High School in Ogden the Cougars defeated the Ogden Outlaws, 3-1 to finish the year with a 4-10-2 record.

“I’m impressed with the players resilience,” said BYU head coach, Chris Watkins.  “It would have been easy to fold the tent when Ogden scored the first goal.  It was heart breaking.  It took a while to bounce back, after halftime. I don’t know where it comes from.  It was impressive.”

It was the Cougars second, 3-1 win against Ogden as both games produced an unanswered, three goal, come from behind win.

True to form this season, BYU gave up the first goal for the twelfth time in sixteen contests.  Midfielder, Collin Harrison found the back of the net in the 28th minute after a corner kick popped up to him where he promptly ripped a volley past Cougar keeper, Cory Cosgrave to lead 1-0.

Despite trailing at the intermission, the Cougars were hopeful of a comeback in the final game of the year.

“We went into halftime saying ‘what the heck?’  We were the better team,” said freshman forward, Toni Niccoli.  “We’ve had the trend to drop a goal in the first half.  It felt great to come back and get a win, especially against Ogden.  They are our rivals and the subs that came in really made a difference.  Our starters did a good job of wearing them down.  Things blew right open.  For probably 15 minutes we were unstoppable.”

In the 70th minute, Trevor Henderson set up Janzten Romney for the equalizer.  It was Henderson’s first assist of the year and second goal for Romney.  Just five minutes later, Romney returned the favor, this time to Toni Niccoli in the six yard box who slotted his team-leading fourth goal of the year that was the eventual game-winner and gave him the team “Golden Boot” this season.

“I’m excited we got a win and finished the season like we did,” said Niccoli.  “It was exciting to win.  To win the golden boot with four goals, I kind of had to chuckle at myself.  I was happy to contribute to the team this year.”

“Toni is our most comfortable player in front of the net,” said Watkins.  “It’s great that he took the golden boot.  I hope he wins it again next year, but has 14 goals.”

Just two minutes later, in the 77th minute, Kip Critchlow made one of his patented runs to the end line where he connected on his team-leading sixth assist of the year and first goal for Brazilian freshman midfielder, Pedro Vasconcelos to take a commanding, 3-1 lead.

“Pedro’s goal was fantastic,” said Watkins.  “He settled us down with his passing.  We only wanted 25 minutes out of him but he was great for 25 minutes.”

BYU will now break until September when the team will have a fall tryout and exhibition schedule in preparation for next season.

“2010 was probably our most difficult season ever.  We thought we were a good team.  We didn’t score goals.  We did a good job of keeping our heads up and not giving up.  We learned a lot and there are things we can take with us in the future.”

Post Game Notes:
-Both of Janzten Romney’s goals came against Ogden this season
-BYU won for the second time in 12 tries this year when the opponent scored first
-The Cougars won for the second time in 10 games, after trailing at the half
-Three of BYU’s four wins came on a Saturday
-All four of BYU’s win required 2+ goalsTweet

Neal Minson
For byusoccer.com

PROVO, Utah (July 16, 2010) — The BYU men’s soccer team had a hard night, Friday as they said farewell to five seniors and lost to the Fresno Fuego, 2-1.

“Well, that’s just kinda the way soccer goes, but our guys played well tonight,” said head coach, Chris Watkins.

Both teams started strong, each finding opportunities in the others defensive weaknesses, but the Fuego got the best of the BYU defense first, scoring in the 18th minute as a Milton Blanco’s cross slipped past BYU keeper Bryan Black, finding an open Fabricio Codeceira for the first goal.

The Fuego had another opportunity 10 minutes later on a 1-v-1 situation with Black, but the BYU keeper’s hard effort and long reach knocked the ball just wide, denying the Fresno’s, Eddie Gutierrez of another goal.

BYU finally had an offensive close call of their own, as BJ Pugmire dribbled with some quick moves through the Fuego defense.  Unfortunately, his would-be tying shot soared just wide of the post.

The Cougars came out with a stronger offensive attack in the second half, finding opportunities on goal.  However, Fuego’s keeper, Gilbert Vega continued to stay on top of his game, consistently in front of the Cougar’s shots.

“We defiantly had a stronger second half,” said BYU keeper, Bryan Black.  “We had a lot of good chances on goal, but their goalkeeper had some great saves.  I give a lot of credit to him for the outcome of this game.”

Fresno’s keeper couldn’t keep it up all night however, as a quick counter attack down the side line by the Cougar’s had Kip Critchlow finding BJ Pugmire open for the tying goal in the 74th minute.  It was the first goal for Pugmire since returning this season from being injured the last two.

“I’m thrilled that BJ finally got a goal,” Watkins said.  “He’s been deserving of one for a long time.”

“It felt real good,” Pugmire said.  “It came at a good time, on a good night, in front of a good crowd.  It’s a good feeling.”

The Cougar’s then turned on the offensive pressure with multiple shots on goal but luck would not shine on BYU as a penalty kick was awarded to Fresno with less than a minute left in the game.  Fresno did score, but it appeared that Fabricio Codeceira did not have continuous forward movement during his shot.  The referee let the goal stand amid an eruption of emotion from the Cougar bench leading to assistant coach Clay Christenson receiving a red card for walking onto the field and a win for the Fresno Fuego.

“It’s been a tough season, but this team is like Rocky Balboa,” Watkins said.  “They get knocked around, but they just keep coming back.  I’ll remember this team for a long time because of that.”

The Cougars saw their departing seniors play hard in the final home game of the season.

The BYU men’s team is unique in the PDL, as it is the only university to be in the league.  Because the Cougar’s represent a school, they must release a player when he graduates.  Seniors, Brit Osborne, KC Whitworth, Bryan Black, Drew Van Wagenen, and Brent Jensen took the field for their final appearance as BYU Cougars.

“Yeah, I got a degree here at BYU, but I am going to remember the guys on the team, and the nights under the lights on the field,” said departing senior Brent Jensen.  “Being a player on this team has helped make me the person I am today.”

Brit Osborne played midfield as one of the team captains this year, and has scored more goals from outside the 18-yard box than any other current BYU player.  Graduating with a degree in Geology, Osborne is going to pursue his Master’s in Geology.

KC Whitworth played as a defender and is also a team captain this year.  Whitworth has started every game this season and is looking forward to pursuing a career in health care administration.

Bryan Black has been the starting goalie for the Cougars for the past three years, and has been rated among the top goalies in the Southwest division in the PDL including the top five goalies with shut-outs.

Drew Van Wagenen, who also played as a defender, is the last of four brothers who have played on the BYU men’s team for the past 16 years.  Van Wagenen has played in more BYU soccer games than any other player on the team, and is the final player to be part of the team when it was still a club.  Van Wagenen looks to have a career as a photojournalist.

Brent Jensen played midfield for BYU, and was always recognized by teammates and opponents alike for his constant effort and energy of the field, usually setting the tone of the game for the team.  Brent recently earned his degree in Economics.

Scoring Summary:
FRE: Fabricio Codeceira (Milton Blanco) 18
BYU: BJ Pugmire (Kip Critchlow) 74
FRE: Fabricio Codeceira (PK) 91

Post Game Video:

Tweet

Junior midfielder, Josh Patino gives his weekly thoughts about the team on the blog known as “On the Pitch”.

Jul 16^th, 2010 – Over the past two weeks the majority of my time has been spent on the soccer field. With cub camps, the overnight academy camps, and coaching two youth teams I literally live on the field. I love coaching and having soccer being such a huge part of my life. As I watch players develop over the 4 day camp it’s remarkable how much they improve and become friends with someone they didn’t even know existed four days earlier. On Tuesday night my training team left me driving home in awe…

My training team consisted of 10 players from the U14 Ranger Boys, a player from Utah FC, and a young man who had never played competitively, we’ll call him Bryce. On the first day of camps I could tell that this team would be one of the most skilled teams that I would ever coach at camps. You could tell they all knew each other and they adapted well to each other’s style of play. The level of respect on and off the field impressed me, aside from teammates, they were friends, and as such, they pushed each other to be better all week long. Clearly, Bryce never playing at a competitive level and not playing with the boys he was by far the weakest player of the team. Tuesday night we were having our daily scrimmage and as the game progressed Bryce scored his first goal…what happened after is what left me in awe. Bryce was ecstatic. I looked up to see his reaction and celebration and I saw all 11 players surround him and congratulate him. They all celebrated as if he scored the winning goal in the World Cup Finals. The 11 others were almost more excited for him than he was himself. Here are 11 young men that for the most part play and understand each other and when the unknown 12^th guy scores they embraced him as one of their own. If I were an onlooker I wouldn’t have guessed that Bryce wasn’t part of their team.

This led me to think of the team I play for and represent. I believe it was two games ago that Pedro suffered a knee injury towards the end of the game. His injury didn’t look that bad from the sideline and most of us thought he was just trying to get a call from the ref. When he wasn’t getting up Deniece, our trainer, ran to his aid. She’s great. The next thing I saw was three of his teammates lift him up in their arms and start to carry him off the field. Cam was sitting out due to his ankle injury, and he ran onto the field to relieve the field players and take over carrying Pedro, his teammate. I, then, rushed on the field to help Cam. Pedro covered his face with his hands and you could hear the sobs he was trying to hold back. Here are two examples of teammates lifting each other. Literally.

This is what makes our team unique and special. Watch what happens when the team comes together for a cheer, EVERYONE is involved and in the inner circle. When the starting line-up is called the guys on the bench almost cheer more loudly for the their teammates than the fans in the stands. During the game the guys not playing are always offering encouraging words to their teammates on the field. When a substitution is made almost every single player gives the player coming off a high five, a short man embrace, but most of all he is welcomed to sit with a “Well done.” I’m often asked by younger players or fellow students about how I like playing for BYU, and my response has been the same since the first day I put on the blue and white jersey. It’s a dream come true. I wouldn’t exchange this experience for anything, this experience is one that I could only have here.Tweet

Tune in tonight at 8 p.m. MT on BYUtv or www.byutv.org/live to watch BYU versus Fresno from Provo.

Click here for the preview of the matchup and other news from the team.

During the broadcast if you have questions or comments, email us at tvsports@byu.edu.

See ya tonight!

Jarom Jordan

Tweet

Tweet

Jarom Jordan

Click here for complete game notes (PDF)

PROVO, Utah (July 13, 2010) — BYU will plays its final two games of the season this week, with senior night on Friday.  The Cougars play the Fresno Fuego in Provo on Friday, July 15 at 8 p.m. and the Ogden Outlaws on Saturday, July 16 at Bonneville High School at 6 p.m.  Friday’s game will be live on BYUtv and www.byutv.org/live with Jarom Jordan, Hugh Van Wagenen, and Aaron Nilsson on the mic.

BYU is 3-9-2 with 11 points in eighth place out of nine teams in the Premier Development League’s Southwest Division and out of playoff contention.  The Cougars lost a pair of games last weekend to Hollywood, 3-1 and Ventura County, 2-1 at home.  Britton Osborne, Brady Marshall, and Toni Niccoli have each scored three goals and combined for nine of the teams 13 goals this year.

Five seniors will play their final home games for BYU on Friday night.  They are KC Whitworth, Drew Van Wagenen, Bryan Black, Britton Osborne, and Brent Jensen.

The Fugeo is in fourth place at 6-4-3 and 21 points.  Fresno won 1-0 in the first meeting this season with a penalty kick in the 67th minute by Fabricio Codeceiro on June 24 at home.  Codeceira leads the team with seven goals and four assists, followed by Milton Blanco’s six goals and three assists.  The Fuego lead the series, 4-3 with a +6 goal differential (16-10).  Fresno has won two of the last three meetings and won the first two meetings back in 2003.  The Fuego won the most important meeting between the two squads in the 2007 Western Conference Final, 3-0.  BYU is 1-1 in Provo and 2-3 in Fresno.

“Fresno was a great team when we played them,” said BYU assistant coach, Clay Christenson.  “They had a lot of control of the ball in the middle.  They’ve got some talented players.  I think the advantage we have is that they’ll play the night before in Ogden.  Hopefully they’ll be a little worn down.  We’re at our home field with home fans.  Senior night is a special night.  I think guys give a little bit extra.”

“They (Fresno) are a very skillful team,” said senior midfielder, Britton Osborne.  “They are very good at keeping the ball but we can get our chances.  They’re good offensively but defensively they are not a very good team. They’ve had a lot of goals scored on them.  We need to score first and then I think it will be an easier game for us.”

Ogden is 2-8-2 with eight points and in last place in the division.  BYU won the first meeting this year, 3-1 on July 3.  Andrew Cornia and Kenan Powell lead the Outlaws with three goals a piece.  Triston Sommerville leads the team with four assists to go along with two goals.  BYU leads the series 14-2-1 with a +16 goal differential.  The Cougars used to meet their in-state rivals 3-4 times a year but 2010 marks the first equal scheduling among the eight Southwest Division teams playing each other twice, home and away.  BYU has won four in a row against the Outlaws and are 7-2-0 in Provo and 7-0-1 in Ogden.

“We’re excited for Ogden,” said Christenson.  “It’s the last game of the season.  If I remember correctly, I don’t think we’ve ever lost on their home field (7-0-1). I think the guys will be ready to play, especially those guys who will be ending their career’s.”

“We had an awful game (the first time against Ogden) and still came out with a win,” said Osborne.  “I’m expecting a win.  I think we’re a better team.”

QUICK FACTS
Who: Fresno Fuego vs. BYU Cougars
When: Friday, July 16 at 8 p.m. MT
Where: The Stadium at South Field in Provo, Utah
TV: Live on BYUtv or www.byutv.org/live (Jarom Jordan, Hugh Van Wagenen, Aaron Nilsson)

Who: BYU Cougars vs. Ogden Outlaws
When: Saturday, July 17 at 6 p.m. MT
Where: Bonneville High School in Ogden, Utah

PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE
After winning seven club national championships, Brigham Young University joined the Premier Development League in 2003. The Cougars reached the elite eight in 2006 and 2007. The PDL is the top U23 men’s league in North America and features 68 teams within four conferences across the United States and Canada. The PDL season consists of 16 regular season matches for each team, eight home and eight away. The PDL provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. BYU is the first and only university to own a franchise in the PDL. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions. The United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League has proven to be an important stepping stone for top professionals now playing around the world.

PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE
Check out the Cougars on twitter at www.twitter.com/byusoccer or on the official website at www.byusoccer.com.Tweet

Assistant Coach, Clay Christenson gives his weekly thoughts about the team on the blog known as “From the Box”.

As a team, we expect to win every game. It’s difficult to play well, fight
for every ball, and not come out on top. Unfortunately, we’ve had results this year that aren’t reflective of how good we are or how hard we work. What the guys do show day in and day out at practice and in games is character and heart. It takes a lot of character to come out each day and work your guts out, despite having your back against the wall all year. I’m deeply impressed with how hard the players fight, even though the season hasn’t gone according to plan.

The last week of practice for the year is always surreal for the players who are graduating. It’s tough to close this chapter in their lives, but I know they’ll work just as hard as ever as they prepare to play their last games as a BYU Cougar.

Tweet

Tweet

PROVO, Utah (July 10, 2010) – BYU nearly upset the reigning Premier Development League Champions Saturday night but lost 2-1. The Cougars are now 3-9-2 while the defending champs are 8-4-1.

“It’s hard because we did come back and fight,” said assistant coach, Chad Sackett. “That’s how it’s been the whole year. We get scored on and we seem to find a way to fight back, but not fight back enough. Our record doesn’t necessarily show our effort and what kind of a team
we are.”

In the 9th minute Ventura County’s, Sam Myerson scored a left-footed strike from the top of the box in to the left corner of the goal to put his team up 1-0. Just three minutes later a Cameron Lamb pass was stolen by Utahn, Jacob Hustedt who scored a breakaway in the lower right corner to give the Fusion a 2-0 lead after just two minutes.

In the 53rd minute Fusion midfielder, Manny Guzman recorded his second yellow card off the game, giving the Cougars a man advantage for the final 37 minutes of regulation.

The Cougars pounded away at goal with eight shots and seven corner kicks in the second half and scored a goal in the 67th minute by freshman midfielder, Matt Rider. It was his first career goal. The score came off a corner kick from Doug Clark and Rider cleaned up a loose ball in the penalty area scrum.

“It wasn’t much on my part,” said Rider. “Dougie put in a good cross, KC or Blake got a good head on it and I was just waiting on the goal line. I just went in and kicked it as hard as a I could.”

The Cougars had multiple looks at goal but came up empty, losing 2-1.

“That’s been the story of this season,” said Sackett. “Other teams seem to pick apart our mistakes and put goals away and we can’t do the same in certain situations. The effort is there. It’s close.”

“It’s frustrating and it’s hard to look at our record like that but like coach is saying, He’s glad we didn’t quit,” said Rider. “We’re not quitters. Hopefully our luck will start to turn.”Tweet