The Boise State women’s soccer team fought through 110 minutes of tension before claiming a 3-2 victory in penalty kicks over San Diego State Wednesday night at the Boas Soccer Complex. The win sends the Broncos to the Mountain West Championship for the second straight year and keeps their 12-match winning streak alive.
The game featured disallowed goals, late saves and a dramatic finish that tested every player on the field.
San Diego State struck first in the 51st minute when Mia Lane scored from close range after a scramble in the box. After having a goal called back earlier in the match, Boise State responded by increasing the pressure and maintaining possession deep in Aztec territory.
The equalizer came in the 67th minute when Asia Lawyer drove down the right sideline and sent a cross toward the middle. Kenzie MacMillan’s shot hit the post, but the rebound fell right to Jillian Anderson, who buried the shot into the left corner to tie the match 1-1.
“It was great work by Asia to get the cross off,” Anderson said. “Kenzie, obviously hitting the post, could have easily gone in. It was about being calm enough to get it in the goal.”
Both teams found lots of opportunities to score through the closing minutes of regulation but were shut down by immaculate goalkeeping. MacMillan nearly scored in the 89th minute when her shot sailed just over the bar. Neither side could find the back of the net in overtime, forcing the match to be decided by penalty kicks.
Freshman goalkeeper Ava de Leest, recently named Mountain West Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year, stood tall in the biggest moment of her early career.
The Broncos and Aztecs would face off in a shoot-out called PKs. Penalty kicks decide a tied match, with each team taking five alternating shots from 12 yards out until one finishes with more goals.
De Leest made six saves during regulation and overtime, adding two more in the shootout, including a decisive stop that sealed the win.
“I knew deep down, if we went to PKs, that this was going to be our game and that we were going to win,” de Leest said. “Just from the way we were practicing them in training, I was kind of happy that it was going to PKs.”
Boise State’s shooters delivered under pressure, with Cindy Conner, Madie Donovan and Olivia Collins converting their attempts. After de Leest’s second save, she was swarmed by her teammates in celebration as the home crowd erupted.
Head coach Jim Thomas praised the team’s resilience and expressed confidence in his freshman goalkeeper.
“I believe in this team and they believe in one another,” Thomas said. “With a couple of minutes to go, I was hoping it would go to penalty kicks because Ava wants to be in the big moment.”
For MacMillan, the focus now shifts to finishing what the team started. A win Saturday would not only deliver Boise State its first Mountain West title since 2019, but also secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
“The teams had a lot of grit and resilience,” MacMillan said. “Even though we got scored on first, we knew that we had the grit to get the tying goal for us to get to PKs, and we knew that we were going to win no matter what.”
With the title game on home turf, Boise State will look to use the energy from Wednesday’s win as fuel. MacMillan noted maintaining composure and continuing to trust each other will be the difference.
The Broncos improved to 10-3-7 and will face Utah State in Saturday’s championship match at 7 p.m. at the Boas Soccer Complex. The Aggies defeated Boise State in last year’s title game, but the Broncos won 3-0 in their most recent meeting during the regular season.
The rivalry has grown in recent years, with the two programs meeting back-to-back finals and often sitting near the top of the Mountain West standings.
“Looking up and seeing my team running at me is so special,” de Leest said of the game-winning play. “The bond that I feel like I’ve created with these girls over the past few months is something that I’ll never take for granted.”
With another conference title on the line, Boise State enters Saturday’s final carrying both confidence and a sense of unfinished business.
