You’ve probably heard of the age old saying: “defense wins championships.” The term has been thought to be originally coined by legendary Alabama football head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant during the 1970s and has become quite the cliché even decades later.
Regardless of that adage being somewhat overused in every sport, it rings particularly true for Cowgirl soccer in their hot start to the season. Just ask Northern Colorado, Regis, Idaho State, Colorado Mesa and even 21st nationally ranked Georgia, all of which are teams the Cowgirls have blanked this season.
“We’re the best version of ourselves when we defend well,” head coach Josh Purdum said after his defensive unit strung together their third straight shutout victory against Colorado Mesa at home on September 14.
“We’re going to continue to put an emphasis on the defensive side, because it’s so important to how we play and so important to giving ourselves a chance to get these victories.”
The Cowgirls are off to a roaring start in Purdum’s second season at the helm, as they currently bolster one of the best starts to a non-conference slate in school history with a 5-1-1 record as of the time of writing. That is in large part due to their stingy defense–which hasn’t allowed more than two made goals in any single game this season, that being in a close 1-2 loss on the road at Colorado earlier this season.
“I think all of us just trusting that we are in the right spots, the right places at the right time, you know?” Goalkeeper Haley Bartel said of the Cowgirls’ defensive dominance this season. “It takes not just me, not just the back line, but our midfield and forwards, too.”
Bartel and this experienced backline aren’t unfamiliar with shows of defensive excellency. Defensive specialists Lily Brongo, Maddie Burr, Peyton Hunt, Reese Gould and Raegan Richardson alongside Bartel at the net were all a part of the defensive third of the field a season ago, where they set the record for the most shutouts in a single season at nine.
Now, that whole crew are all back this season and causing fits for opposing teams’ attacks.
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— Wyoming Cowgirl Soccer (@wyosoccer) September 16, 2025
Purdum also went into the well of the transfer portal to further bolster his defense this year with the addition of Saint Bonaventure transfer Lauren Westwood. The addition of freshman Addison Keen has also added some more depth to the defensive backline as the young defender recently earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors for her work on the defensive front against Idaho State and Colorado Mesa.
With five shutouts already under their belt in just seven contests played, the Cowgirls are currently well on pace to shatter the record they set last season for the most shutouts in a single season. While Bartel’s only concern is the game ahead of them, there’s no doubt this team is capable of etching their name back into the record books.
“The goal is just to take one game at a time, you know? If I set my sights on beating that record, then my sights of winning the game that we’re in right now aren’t full and 100 percent,” Bartel said.
The Cowgirls wrap up their non-conference slate on the road at South Dakota on September 21 and will soon begin Mountain West play on September 25, where they will hope to maintain their defensive prowess as they look to top the standings for the first time since 2022 when they tied for the regular season title alongside San Jose State.
While it’s not all encompassing of their success, a lot of prosperity rests on the defensive third of the field, where the Cowgirls have proven they are already one of the best in the conference.
“I’m pretty proud of the shutouts, pretty proud of the maturity to see games out compared to last year,” Purdum said.
“That’s been the biggest growth this season.”
