Sooners Fall to No. 7 BYU in Big 12 Quarterfinal

Monday, October 30

Round Rock, Texas

5:30 PM

University of Oklahoma

8-10-2, 3-5-2

BYU

15-1-3, 7-0-3

Oklahoma

BYU

Sooners Fall to No. 7 BYU in Big 12 Quarterfinal

October 30, 2023 | Soccer

Box Score Game Book

By: OU Athletics Communications

AUSTIN, Texas – The inaugural season of the Matt Mott era came to a close on Monday evening when the Sooners were downed 6-0 by No. 7 BYU in the quarterfinal of the Big 12 Championship in Austin, Texas.

The Sooners (8-10-2) played the top-10 Cougars tough in the first half, allowing just one goal to one of the nation's top offenses. But No. 2-seeded BYU (15-1-3) opened it up in the second half, scoring five additional goals on 13 shots to advance to the conference semifinals.

"When I got here we talked about creating a new OU," first-year head coach Matt Mott said after the loss. "I think this team did that. They bought in to what we were trying to do from the very first second and I can't appreciate that enough. The seniors left the program better than they found it. The way that the team welcomed myself and our staff into the program was awesome. The future is so bright for us and I'm really proud of the season that we had. We're looking forward to moving on to what's next."

The Sooners threatened to score early in the contest, as redshirt senior Emma Hawkins, who played a full 90 minutes in her final collegiate game Monday, had a chance in the box in the seventh minute that was blocked by the BYU backline. The Cougars scored in the ninth minute to make it 1-0, but OU held BYU to an additional zero shots on goal for the remainder of the half. The Sooners' best chance of the evening came in the 41st minute when Cassie Clifton's attempt hit the crossbar and bounced out for a goal kick.

With Oklahoma pressing for an equalizer in the second half, the midfield and attacking third opened up for BYU, whose 64 goals lead the country. The Cougars found goals in the 50th, 61st, 68th, 83rd and 89th minutes to down the Sooners 6-0.

The Sooners closed their season with 34 goals, tied with the 2022 team for the fifth-most in program history. Oklahoma's 98 total points on the season are tied for third all-time in Norman, as were the team's 30 assists. The season saw Emma Hawkins make history as her two hat tricks over a three-week period made her the first Sooner ever to secure multiple 3-goal games in their career. In addition to the team's on-field success, Oklahoma fans set a new total attendance record as John Crain Field welcomed a record 9,915 fans in 2023.

Oklahoma will say goodbye to Hawkins, along with fellow forward Dani Wolfe, who transferred to OU from Michigan this season, as well as Esalenna Galekhutle, who scored the game-winning goal to knock off Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 Championship.

Oklahoma soccer closes its time in the Big 12 Conference having produced 39 All-Big 12 honorees, including a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year via Renae Cuellar's stellar 2012 campaign. The Sooners will compete in the Southeastern Conference beginning with the 2024 season.

"I'm incredibly excited to move into the future with this group," Mott added. "We've laid a really strong foundation and I know that we're moving in the right direction. The future will bring new challenges, but that means it'll bring new opportunities for our program. We'll be excited when we can get back to work and attack what's next."

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