Jarom Jordan
jarom.jordan@byu.edu

PROVO, Utah (August 28, 2010) — All five-foot-five of freshman midfielder, Trevor Henderson has been called to serve a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Henderson will serve in the Toronto East, Canada mission.  He leaves September 15.

He says it’s tough to give up soccer but he knows he’s doing the right thing.  “It’s definitely not easy and is foreign to me,” he said.  “I never not played for two years.  I know I’m doing what’s right.  I’ll come back and be blessed for it.  It will be hard but I will work harder for it.  I believe strong enough in this to leave.  I know that it will take care of itself.  BYU is a great place to leave and come back from a mission.”

Henderson proved to be a valuable sub straight out of Timpanogos high school in Orem, Utah in 2009.  He recorded 102 minutes in six games, weeks removed from his high school graduation.  Following his first academic year at Brigham Young University, Henderson was hampered by a back injury that limited his play to 90 minutes over the course of seven games.  He registered an assist in BYU’s final game of the 2010 season against Ogden for his first point as a Cougar.

In addition to his soccer prowess, Henderson leaves two bands in need.  He plays keys for Vibrant Sound and the drums for Desert Noises.  “Vibrant Sound sometimes plays without keys,” he said.  “They’ll be OK.  They might find a replacement.  Desert Noises is in the process of finding a new drummer.”

Henderson enjoyed his year at BYU and looks forward to the future.

“It was great, phenomenal,” he said.  “After high school, club, and ODP you are looking for the next step above that.  BYU and the PDL is definitely the next step above it.  It was a pretty good game.  It was rough to be injury stricken this past season.  It was a humbling experience.  My freshman year, getting time was awesome.  It was an amazing experience.  I’m looking forward to coming back.”

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+ goals

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:

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

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.

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.”

PROVO, Utah (July 8, 2010) — Hollywood overpowered BYU, Thursday night en route to a 3-1 victory against the Cougars.  Hollywood (8-2-2) extends its winning streak to seven games while BYU (3-8-2) ensures itself of a sub-.500 season.

“I am a little disappointed we gave up three goals,” said BYU head coach, Chris Watkins.  “We had a decent chance in the second half.  I thought our game plan was pretty good. Giving up that first goal in the first half was pretty tough.  Our only goal in the first half was to keep zero on the board.  We were hoping to win this game, 1-0.  We had to open up the game a little more.  We got one but the game plan didn’t work out perfectly.”

The Hitmen’s leading scorer, Jaime Chavez scored his eighth goal of the season in the 39th minute on a short cross inside the six-yard box from Oscar Sims to open the scoring.  The Hitmen added a second goal in the 72nd minute via substitute Esaul Mendoza on a pass from Jaime Chavez.  It appeared that Chavez hit the ball with his hand but no call was made.

Down 2-0, the Cougars did make it interesting in the 79th minute off a corner kick from Britton Osborne.  The ball hit Hollywood goalkeeper, Jose Miranda in the hands, bounced free to Kip Critchlow who tapped it at goal, deflected off a Hollywood defender, and Tyler Christiansen put it away for his first career goal as a Cougar to make it 2-1.

Three minutes later in the 82nd, BYU defender, Drew Van Wagenen was called for a foul on Jaime Chavez in the penalty area that Rene Corona scored down the middle on the penalty kick to put it away, 3-1.

“Our guys know we’re playing good teams,” said Watkins.  “They know we’re playing fairly well.  So to their credit they keep their heads up and keep working hard which is really an impressive quality and I hope really provides us with a good finish to our season.”

BYU plays 2009 Premier Development League Champion, Ventura County Fusion on Saturday at 8 p.m. MT in Provo.  The game will be broadcast, tape delayed on BYUtv and www.byutv.org/live at 10 p.m. MT.

Scoring Summary
39′   Hollywood: Jaime Chavez (Oscar Sims)
72′   Hollywood: Esaul Mendoza (Jaime Chavez)
79′   BYU: Tyler Christiansen (Kip Critchlow)
82′   Hollywood: Rene Corona (PK)

Postgame Notes
-Freshman defender, Junior Lartey played his first game as a Cougar
-Tyler Christiansen scored his first career goal
-Kip Critchlow leads the Cougars with four assists
-Brady Marshall was slated to start but hurt his ankle yesterday and Zach De Francis got his first start of the year
-Pedro Vasconcelos suffered a mild MCL sprain and is doubtful for Saturday
-BYU is now 1-7-1 when the opponent scores first and 1-6-1 when trailing at the half
-The Cougars are now mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and guaranteed a losing record

Jarom Jordan

Click Here for Complete Game Notes (PDF)

PROVO, Utah (July 6, 2010) — BYU plays its toughest pair of home games this season when it hosts the Hollywood United Hitmen Thursday, July 8 and Ventura County Fusion on Saturday, July 10 in Provo.  Both matches kickoff at 8 p.m. MT.  The Hitmen won the Premier Development League’s Southwest Division in 2009 and the Fusion won the PDL Championship last season.  BYUtv will broadcast both matches with Thursday’s live at 8 p.m. MT and Saturday’s tape delayed at 10 p.m. MT.  Catch both online at www.byutv.org/live.

“It’s going to take a humongous effort from us,” said BYU head coach, Chris Watkins.  “Both teams have tons of great players … We can play with great teams.  We have to play our very best.  We can do it but it takes a massive effort.”

The Cougars snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Ogden Outlaws on July 3.  BYU scored a single-game season-high three goals, including two from junior forward, Brady Marshall.  The Cougars had scored eight goals in 11 games prior to the outburst versus the Outlaws.  BYU has four games remaining and is 3-7-2 with 11 points and in eighth place in the Southwest Division.  If BYU wins its remaining four games it will finish with a .500 record.  Toni Niccoli, Britton Osborne, and Marshall lead the team with three goals each.

“I think our scoring slump, while it may not be over, we’re getting better and better with our attacking players,” said Watkins.  “I’d be surprised if we get shutout this weekend.”

With some help and two wins, BYU could ascend to fifth place in the division by Saturday night.  The Cougars are not mathematically eliminated from the PDL playoffs (top two teams in the division qualify) but hope hangs by a string with the Cougars need to win its final four and get some major help.  The Cougars earned a win and tie out of this home stand in 2009.

Hollywood is 7-2-2, on a 6-game win streak, and in second place.  The Hitmen can climb to first with a pair of wins this weekend against BYU and Ogden.  The Hitmen are led by forward, Jaime Chavez who has seven goals and five assists this year.  BYU is 1-2 versus the Hitmen all-time with a 1-0 win in Provo in 2009 and a 3-0 loss on June 3 on the road.

The defending national champion, Ventura County Fusion is a point behind the Hitmen with 22 at 7-3-1 in the division.  The Fusion is led by former MLS player, Brent Whitfield who has seven goals in six games but he will not travel to Utah this weekend.  Five other players have scored two this year.  BYU is 0-1-2 with two ties in the last two meetings, including a 0-0 draw on June 5.

“I think we’ve found that confidence again,” said junior defender, Tyler Christiansen.  “That win against Ogden was good for us.  It’s really easy to get into that mode, the ball doesn’t bounce your way, to get real pessimistic real quick.  I think we’ve bounced that back.  We have a great chance to finish with a .500 record and in the middle of the table.  We still have a lot to play for.”

QUICK FACTS
Who: Hollywood United Hitmen vs. BYU Cougars
When: Thursday, July 8 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: Ventura County Fusion vs. BYU Cougars
When: Saturday, July 10 at 8 p.m. MT
Where: The Stadium at South Field in Provo, Utah
TV: Tape delayed on BYUtv or www.byutv.org/live (Jarom Jordan, Hugh Van Wagenen, Aaron Nilsson)

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.

FOLLOW THE COUGARS ONLINE
Check out the Cougars on twitter at www.twitter.com/byusoccer or on the official website at www.byusoccer.com.