Chelsea Peterson put on her superhero cape (again) in a critical moment for the BYU women’s soccer team.
Peterson made seven saves, and Emma Neff converted the decisive penalty kick to help No. 14 BYU to the Big 12 soccer championship match on penalties, 4-2 after a 1-1 draw with No. 18 Colorado in Wednesday’s semifinals at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield, Texas.
For a second consecutive season, BYU will play for a Big 12 tournament championship, where they’ll face the winner of second-seeded Texas Tech and No. 3 Baylor on Saturday.
Peterson was a monster in goal last year, earning a reputation as a heartstopping goalkeeper — and occasional self-proclaimed “crazy person” between the sticks — she jokes.
But on Wednesday evening at the home of North Texas SC, that type of crazy was exactly what the Cougars needed.
“My team was gassed,” she admitted after the match, the Cougars’ second shootout in three days after surviving eighth-seeded West Virginia. “They were so tired, and I just had to get them going as hard as we could.
“We relied on emotion.”
Colorado (15-4-1) opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Hope Leyba finished a corner kick from Jordan Whiteaker at a tight angle to put the Buffaloes ahead, 1-0.
The first-team All-Big 12 and All-American forward from Phoenix scored her 12th goal of the year for Colorado as the fourth-seeded Buffs looking for the upset.
But Mia Goettsche equalized in the 20th minute, heading home a ball from Sophie Sivulich after a strong connecting pass from the wing by Emma Neff to pull one back for BYU.
The Cougars out-shot Colorado 13-11 in the first half, but the Buffs put five shots on target to BYU’s three en route to the 1-1 halftime stalemate.
Chelsea Peterson made five saves, and BYU put up 24 shots to Colorado’s 12 until the second extra-time period. But the Cougars had just one shot on target after halftime until Mika Krommenhoek put one on frame in the 102nd minute.
Peterson dove to her right as Faith Leyba pushed Colorado’s second penalty attempt wide left, and Bella Woods, Mika Krommenhoek and Mattyn Summers-Oviatt gave BYU an early 3-2 advantage.
Brooke Goerish saved Afton Perry’s attempt in the left corner. But Peterson responded with a diving save against Hope Leyba to set up Neff’s clinching penalty to advance to the Big 12 tournament championship match for the second straight year.
“My team is ice at the dot,” Peterson said. “They are too good at what they do, and I get to clean up the easy stuff. They make me look good.”
