How 2 cousins from Highland powered BYU soccer to 26th NCAA Tournament in 31 years

PROVO — Behind every good attacking player on the BYU women's soccer team is a defensive player that doesn't always get much credit, and in Ellie Walbruch's case, that's often family.

The Cougars' leading scorer has drawn plenty of headlines and accolades for her 16 goals on the season, the eighth-most in NCAA Division I women's soccer.

But the defensive midfielder behind Walbruch may be just as important to the team's eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 26th bid in the past 31 seasons, which opens Friday against in-state rival Utah State (6 p.m. MST, ESPN+).

That would be Lucy Kesler, the left-footed sophomore who earned All-Big 12 honors alongside Walbruch and several BYU teammates.

Walbruch's contributions are easy to quantify, even numerically with a team-high 16 goals in 21 matches and 28 goals with five assists in three seasons of college soccer.

Kesler's contributions are a little more nuanced. But watch the sophomore who prepped at American Fork before reclassifying a year ago to enroll early at BYU for even 15 minutes, and you'll notice her presence.

The cool touch on the ball. The collected calm in tight corners. The occasional spin move where she'll dispossess an attacking play and leave them in her bun-topped wake in one motion.

Kesler's impact goes beyond her two goals and three assists in 19 matches this season. In fact, it may be most felt when she's away.

When the 5-foot-7 holding midfielder was one of 10 college soccer player called into camp by the U.S. U-20 women's national team Oct. 27-29 in Kansas City, the Cougars lost back-to-back matches 3-1 to Kansas and 2-1 at UCF.

Two weeks later, the Cougars beat the Jayhawks 1-0 as Kesler linked up with freshman Mia Goettsche to set up Walbruch's match-winner from 30 yards out.

"I call her a firefighter, because she's always extinguishing in the midfield," Walbruch said of her cousin. "If they get an attack, she's always there stopping it. She's so important for this team, and her leadership, too; even though she's a sophomore, she acts like a junior or a senior. She's such a great example to the younger classmen, and also to me. I learn so much from her every day."

The dynamic duo powers BYU's attack and acts as the lynchpin with a back line that features veteran center back Avery Frischknecht, All-Big 12 second-team selections Izzi Stratton and Presley Freeman, and former Utah starter Chelsea Peterson in goal. Both cousins have BYU blue coursing through their veins, too.

Ironic for Walbruch, whose parents Matt and Emily played soccer and basketball, respectively, at the University of Denver before raising a family of Cougars in Highland. The connection goes back to the family patriarch Bill Freeze, the father of Emily (Freeze) Walbruch and Cami (Freeze) Kesler.

"It's special not only to represent BYU, but also the Freeze family," Walbruch said. "To be able to play with Lucy and have our whole families at each game means so much. We've grown so much together, training every week with my dad. It's amazing to be able to represent our family and to represent BYU. It's so much fun to play with each other."

Bill Freeze played freshman football at BYU In 1970-71, met his wife Linda, and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before settling in Lindon to sell real estate in Utah County.

Two generations later, Freeze's grandchildren are repping the Y. like he once did — albeit in different sports, and with a pair of different surnames.

"He's probably me and Lucy's biggest fan," Walbruch said. "He calls us after games, probably has the same conversation with both of us but calls us individually. He's a true fan, and we love him so much."

Both cousins gave plenty of credit to their respective families, who live in the same Highland neighborhood. That provides ample training sessions with Matt Walbruch and brother Kyle, a former Utah Tech forward who currently plays for the BYU men's club team, and younger sister Avery, a U.S. youth international who had eight goals and six assists in nine matches as a freshman at American Fork.

Kesler has been amazed at her cousin's success in 2025, but not surprised. After all, she sees that work every weekend — sometimes joining her in shooting drills, including before the team left for a five-day, three-match stint in Texas where Walbruch scored five goals in three postseason matches en route to the Cougars' first Big 12 tournament title in three years in the conference.

"It's been awesome to watch Ellie progressively get back into her game throughout the season," Kesler said of her cousin, who missed all of last year with a torn ACL. "You see Ellie on the big screen, but I don't feel like a lot of people see the work she puts in behind the scenes. She's constantly working with her dad, shooting nonstop.

"I think in the Big 12 tournament," she added, "all of that practice came into play for her."

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