From 8 to great: Walbruch leads BYU soccer to 1st Big 12 Tournament title

PROVO — Call her Thanos, because Ellie Walbruch is inevitable in the postseason.

The BYU junior proved it Saturday night.

Walbruch scored her fifth goal in three postseason matches, the last the biggest as BYU women's soccer held off Kansas 1-0 in the Big 12 women's soccer tournament championship match at Betty Lou Mays Field in Waco, Texas.

From the last team in the eight-team bracket, the Cougars were the last team standing — going from NCAA Tournament bubble to automatic qualifier (and likely first-round home match) with one wild week in Texas.

And Walbruch was at the center of it.

"So, so proud of this group," a breathless Walbruch told ESPN+ before accepting the tournament's most outstanding offensive player. "We worked super hard this season; we haven't had the start we wanted. But it's a perfect time to be peaking for the NCAA Tournament."

One year ago, Walbruch was sidelined for the entirety of the 2024 season, devastated when a spring season knee knock led to offseason ACL surgery. But the Highland native returned stronger than ever, winning a championship with Utah United in the club's first season in the USL W League in July.

By Saturday night (if it wasn't before), her confidence was back.

"I've learned a lot, and tearing my ACL was very hard," Walbruch said. "But it was God's plan; I trusted in him, and here I am."

And better than ever.

Walbruch opened the scoring with a rocket, her fifth goal in three matches and a right-footed laser from distance that gave the Cougars a 1-0 advantage in the 21st minute.

It was her 16th goal of the season, and 12th in the last 10 matches as she continues to tear through the back half of her junior season.

"I've coached a lot of good players," BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood said of Walbruch. "But Ellie is special."

Seeking their first Big 12 Tournament title in three years since joining the league, the Cougars outshot Kansas 7-2 early. But the Jayhawks flipped around the momentum in the second half.

An unsightly apparent knee injury to outside back Pressley Freeman also put Kansas on the front foot in the 51st minute.

The Jayhawks outshot BYU 17-10, but Chelsea Peterson — the former Utah goalkeeper who continues to be the best story in college soccer history, returning to the pitch after nearly two years away from the game — made eight saves, including one against Kate Langfelder in the lower left corner in the 89th minute.

"Chelsea came up huge in the game for us, and Ellie got the winning goal," Rockwood said of Peterson, the tournament's most outstanding defensive player. "It's been a tough year, but we gutted it out. These girls have been resilient; they got up after they were hit down over and over again.

"We got some lucky breaks in the second half, but you know? That's soccer. We'll take it."

The Cougars will gather Monday to learn their NCAA Tournament draw, which will be announced at 2 p.m. MST on NCAA.com.

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