PROVO - BYU’s 5-1 exhibition win over Idaho State won’t show up in the standings, but it still carried real weight for a Cougars team entering Jennifer Rockwood’s final season.
For Afton Perry, it carried even more.
Perry delivered a brace as BYU scored three times in less than 12 minutes, and Mika Krommenhoek set up three goals in the victory. The goals from Perry may not have drawn the same attention as the usual headline scorers like Ellie Walbruch or Mia Goettsche, or as true freshman Kate Fuller scoring her first college goal, but for Perry the night matched the kind of breakthrough she spent the offseason chasing.
“That’s what I’ve been working for all summer: just being more attacking minded,” Perry said. “It’s a new position for me, more attacking, and that was one of my big goals over the summer. So this one felt great.”
The rising sophomore from Westlake High already has a strong resume from the Utah soccer scene, with a U.S. Youth Soccer national championship in 2022 and ECNL national honors in 2024 before arriving at BYU. Last season, the 5-foot-6 midfielder appeared in 24 matches, starting 10, and finished with one goal and three assists while moving around Rockwood’s diamond midfield.
She was used in a lot of different spots as a freshman, including time pushing forward, time on the wing and time in defensive midfield, where she felt more comfortable. But with Mia Lopez transferring to Utah State in the spring, BYU needed more production out wide, especially with Walbruch coming off a 16-goal season and Goettsche adding five goals and five assists.
Rockwood made it clear that the wings had to do more.
“We really challenged our wing players; we just needed more out of them,” Rockwood said. “We didn’t get enough out of our wings last year, and I put the challenge in them a couple of days ago - and, man, they came through, big-time.”
That challenge was front and center against Idaho State. Perry’s push higher up the field was part of the plan, and the Cougars also got a boost from Krommenhoek and outside back Presley Freeman, who finished with two assists. Even in a friendly that won’t count in the record book, BYU showed it has more ways to score than simply leaning on Walbruch.
“Defensively, I feel like I get it; I’ve always had the mentality to be a dog, to work and to get the ball back for my teammates. Getting into the attack is that next step for me,” Perry said. “It’s about how I can play on both sides of the ball, and be effective.”
Rockwood said the fit makes sense.
“Afton’s a fantastic kid, a great leader, very disciplined, competitive - but also very compassionate and a good friend to everybody,” the veteran coach said. “I feel blessed because my whole team is made up of those kind of quality people.
“It’s why I never wanted to coach anywhere else. I can recruit unbelievable young women to come and play here at BYU.”
BYU’s freshman class also made a strong first impression Saturday. Fuller was joined by former Olympus High star Anna Neff, Florida forward Brynnli Tolbert and Ellie Karl, a top prospect in the class of 2027 out of Wasatch High who reclassified and enrolled early.
Perry said the group has already helped change the feel of the team.
“This whole new team just has a new vibe and new energy. It’s because we have so much experience,” Perry said, “and then I think the freshmen are unreal.
Seeing them play and shine with confidence already is great. I think it just adds to our depth and our potential.”
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Sports Illustrateds Pat Forde even put Sitake, Scalley and former BYU quarterback Steve Sarkisian at Texas among the 25 most intriguing head coaches for 2026, a sign of how much attention the Utah football landscape is drawing. For BYU, Sitakes presence matters because it keeps the Cougars anchored in a moment when rivals are adjusting around them, but the bigger question now is how long that stability lasts in a coaching market that rarely stays quiet for long. [Read more 🡒]
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His path is notable, too, with professional experience in Poland and Spain and international background with Poland in FIBA competition. For BYU, the appeal is obvious: a versatile frontcourt piece who can contribute right away and help balance the roster, even if the longer-term fit may prove temporary. [Read more 🡒]