Cougar soccer team defeats Blizzards

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The BYU soccer team continues to build its list of firsts as it picked up its first road win and defeated an opponent twice in one season, edging the Colorado Springs Blizzards 3-2 on Friday.

BYU improved to 4-5 on the year, a fact head coach Chris Watkins was ecstatic about.

"At the halfway point of the season to have already double our season wins from our first season is just great," he said.

Colorado Springs is the same team BYU defeated last weekend 6-2 at home in a Premier Development League contest.

While the score was different, forward Matt Affleck continued to rack up the points for the Cougars. Affleck headed the ball into the net for BYU's first goal in the 19th minute off an assist from Gilbert Gaertner. Affleck also assisted Chris Lamb's 34th minute goal and Chad Deshler's 65th minute goal.

"Affleck is just playing great for us right now," Watkins said. "He keeps on racking up the stats."

Affleck now has 15 points on six goals and three assists. Another key for the back-to-back victories over the Blizzard was once again the play of goalkeeper Brandon Gilliam.

"The story of night was play of Brandon Gilliam our goal keeper, who had 11 saves," Watkins said.

The Cougars didn't come out flat Friday night after a disappointing 3-0 loss at the Colorado Rapids Reserve on Thursday night. "Last night we just didn't compete, or fight for the ball," Watkins said. "We didn't win the 50-50s and we were flat on the road. It was a disappointing effort.

"But it sure feels great tonight to get one now. We'll have a nice celebration before we come home."

Chad Oyler was named a PDL defender of the week. BYU will attempt another first this Saturday, a victory over the Utah Blitzz. The Cougars have lost twice and tied once to the Blitzz.