LARAMIE – Alyssa Bedard is entering her fifth and final season playing for the Cowgirls.
 
The battle-tested senior forward from Rock Springs is also playing for her third head coach at Wyoming.
 
Bedard has been on a bumpy ride during her career.
 
Her true freshman season was delayed and shortened due to the pandemic. Then there was a coaching change.
 
Two years ago, she experienced the thrill of a Mountain West regular-season championship. Last fall she dealt with an agonizing 11^th-place finish after the team was picked to win the conference. Then there was another coaching change.
 
"I think going through that, it was up and down and all these changes were a roller coaster," Bedard said. "There were definitely some hard times. I think the one thing that came out of it is the collective bond we have as a team. It brought us so close and that's going to show on the field this year."
 
UW athletics director Tom Burman hired Josh Purdum to take over the program on April 10. The new head coach immediately leaned on Bedard and the rest of the seniors to help with the quick transition to the 2024 campaign.
 
It started off with a bang as the Cowgirls beat No. 3 BYU 1-0 in an exhibition match last Friday in Provo, Utah.
 
"Adversity builds character and there's a lot of character in this senior group," said Purdum, who was an assistant at rival Colorado State before crossing to the other side of the Border War for an opportunity to lead UW. "It's another reason why I wanted to take this job. The seniors have come in with a chip on their shoulder. They want to leave on a high note, they want to leave their careers with this season in mind. We're excited they're in a good spot to potentially push this program forward."
 
The Cowgirls open the regular season against Washington at 8 p.m. tonight in Seattle. The match will stream on B1G+.
 
Purdum inherited a daunting non-conference schedule that continues with at Colorado next Thursday before UW's home opener against South Dakota State on Aug. 25 at the Madrid Sports Complex.
 
The result against BYU, a team coming off an appearance in the national semifinals, gave the Cowgirls a confidence boost to begin the Purdum era.
 
"I'm excited for how the season is going to play out," junior defender Lily Brongo said. "Coming off of BYU, now we just have to show everybody that it wasn't just a one-time thing."
 
Senior Gabby Clutter's goal stunned the near capacity crowd of over 4,000 at South Field and sophomore goalkeeper Haley Bartel played with swagger while making nine saves shutting out the talented Cougars.
 
"It was special for all of us. I wanted to bust out in tears," Maddi Chance, the senior forward from Lander, said of Clutter finding the back of the net for the first time at UW. "I know how hard she has worked for that moment and just to finally be rewarded in some sense was special. …
 
"(Bartel's performance) honestly lifts all of us up. She's only a sophomore, so having her be able to be a leader on the field and on the team is incredible. I can't wait to see what she does in the next two years in college."
 
Purdum is focused on the present.
 
There is still a strong nucleus of seniors, including Bedard and Chance, who were integral pieces in the Cowgirls earning the top seed at the 2022 Mountain West Tournament where they lost in the championship game to San Jose State on penalty kicks.
 
"It has left us motivated to know we were right there, and we know what it took to get there," Bedard said. "That core group of us have kind of been able to lead everybody else and motivate everybody to try to get to that spot again."
 
If you are interested in learning more about NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) or would like to support our student-athletes, please visit 1wyo.org. 1WYO was created out of Wyoming's culture of neighbor helping neighbor. The mission is to promote and strengthen local charitable organizations and develop Wyoming student athletes. 
 
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