Cougars Confounded by Californians 4-0
Brittany Eads
(310) 804-7245
britteads@gmail.com
BJ Pugmire
Los Angeles, CA (May 31, 2009) — It’s a routine play for any soccer player--a one-on-one chance to gain possession of the ball--but as BYU midfielder B.J. Pugmire charged a Hollywood United player during the 15th minute of Saturday’s game, something went horribly wrong.
“There’s a good chance that he blew out his ACL,” head coach Chris Watkins explained after the 4-0 loss, the worst of the year for BYU in goals and in morale. “Losing him so early in the game shocked our guys and in part accounted for our loss.”
Pugmire’s injury was the first of a series of unfortunate events for the Cougar squad Saturday night in Los Angeles. The team lacked several of its key players due to sickness, weddings, and a concussion received by prolific scorer Steve Fellows during Friday’s matchup against the Orange County Blue Star.
The Hitmen came into the game eager for retaliation following their 1-0 defeat last week in Provo and certainly had the momentum, managing to score all four of their goals in the first half. While the result of the contest was soon obvious, there was a silver lining for several of the team’s newest players.
“Missing so many of our starters gave our new guys a chance to play and have a great experience competing with the toughest part of our schedule,” Watkins noted. “Still, the outcome is disappointing and, with B.J.’s loss, there was a different feel out there tonight. It was pretty emotional.”
Despite the disappointment of their California excursion, the Cougars are looking forward to the return of their starters and an upcoming showdown back on their Utah turf. BYU’s next match sees it facing the Ogden Outlaws on June 9 in Provo.
