WVU Women's Soccer Defeats BYU 2-0 with Strong Defensive Performance

Nickel's goals marked her sixth and seventh of the season, with her first goal also being her sixth game-winner this year. The Golden, Colorado native leads the team and the Big 12 Conference in game-winning goals and ranks second in the NCAA. Her two-goal performance was a career first and the first brace for a Mountaineer since November 14, 2025.

This victory accounted for West Virginia's second win over a top-25 team this season, matching the total number of such wins from 2022.

The Mountaineer defense notched its sixth clean sheet of the season, supported by a career-high tying nine saves from redshirt senior goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth. Herfurth's performance included stopping several long-range attempts from BYU. The WVU back line now stands second in the Big 12 with six shutouts this year.

After a scoreless first half, Nickel found the net just minutes into the second half, assisted by senior midfielder Maya Leoni and senior forward Saige Wimes. With eight minutes left in the match, Nickel scored again on a rebound following a shot by senior forward Abbey Olexa, solidifying WVU's lead at 2-0.

Despite the defeat, BYU outperformed in several statistical categories, controlling the game with 19 shots to WVU's 9, 9 shots on goal to 5, and 6 corner kicks to 5. Wimes led the Mountaineers with three shots, while Nickel was perfect in her shooting with two goals from two attempts.

The win also marked WVU's 2-1 advantage in the all-time series against BYU, who made their inaugural visit to Morgantown for this match.

West Virginia will return to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Sunday, October 11, to host Utah at 12 p.m. ET, celebrating Senior Day by honoring ten senior players for their contributions to the program before the match.