LARAMIE – Brooke Brown went on an Odyssey-like journey to find her soccer home in Wyoming.
 
The redshirt freshman forward is from Palmer, Alaska. From ages 5 to 10, she lived in Cairo, Egypt. After moving back to her native Alaska for the end of elementary school and junior high, Brown and her family left "The Last Frontier" for Florida so she could get on the radar of more coaches and recruiters.
 
Brown began her collegiate career at UConn in Storrs, Conn., where she suffered a season-ending injury before the 2025 campaign. She decided to enter the transfer portal to continue the search for the perfect fit, which she found with the Cowgirls.
 
"I think it has helped me, like, adapt," Brown said of her travels.
 
Through her first 10 games, Brown has made an immediate impact coming off the bench for a Cowgirl team off to the best start in program history.
 
Brown scored her first goal during a 3-0 victory at Northern Colorado and scored with a powerful strike from her non-dominant foot to seal the 2-0 win at Nevada in last Friday's Mountain West opener.
 
The Huskies had Brown pegged as a midfielder or possibly a defender. UW head coach Josh Purdum saw someone who could help alleviate some of the pressure on Alyssa Glover in the attack.
 
"One of my goals was just to get on the field no matter where it is," Brown said. "I'll go anywhere, but of course scoring goals is the best feeling, in my opinion. Even if they would want me in midfield or defense, I would do it because I just want to be on the field and I want to help the team."
 
Purdum had the advantage of knowing the well-traveled Brown had ties to the Brown & Gold when she entered the portal. Her father, Don Brown, graduated from UW with a Bachelor of Science in petroleum engineering in 1987 and recently retired in Thayne, Wyo.
 
"I reached out to her coach, so the coach communicated to her that I was interested, and then by the time the portal opened, it was, hey, let's get you on a visit, let's see if there's a good fit," Purdum said. "I think there were a couple of programs in the Pac-12, in the (Pacific) Northwest that were looking at her as well. When it came down to it, she's an in-state kid who knows a lot about our program, did a lot of research on us, saw that we were improving. I don't think she even took her second or third visit. That's how that went down."
 
When Don relocated to Egypt for his work as a petroleum engineer, Brown fell in love with soccer while attending an international school in Cairo.
 
"I remember bits and pieces. I mean, it definitely shaped a lot of my life. That's where I started playing soccer, there's a huge soccer culture there because it's so big there," Brown said. "I got to meet so many new people from different countries. Even though we were younger, it's just the way they see the game. It did help me, like, get into the sports environment and get in a different type of friend group."
 
After competing on developmental club teams in Egypt (2017), Alaska (2018-20) and Wyoming (Jackson Hole Soccer Club in 2020), Brown played for IMG Academy from 2021-24 in Bradenton, Fla.
 
Brown suffered a torn ACL during training in 2025 and watched the Huskies make it to the Big East championship from the sideline. She enjoyed her time with the program, but the UConn coaches wouldn't commit to her scholarship for four years following her injury.
 
"I was just so focused on recovering. The injury was right before preseason, but UConn was super supportive, super helpful. I was very grateful because the facilities they have, the people they have because of the basketball environment, they have so much support," Brown said. "I was able to watch them train every day. My mentality was I wanted to keep growing even though I was injured. Even though I wasn't playing, I got to, I got to still learn."
 
Brown visited Wyoming every summer with her family, but she didn't know a lot about UW's soccer program. She was impressed with the facilities and had a good rapport with Purdum and the staff during her visit.
 
"I was just like, why not? I mean, if everything fits," she said.
 
Glover leads the team with five goals and 13 points, and a strong defense has helped Haley Bartel allow just six goals all season. Maddie Burr and Isabel Vasco have three goals each, with Alissa Bunn and the versatile Brown adding two goals apiece to the more balanced attack.
 
"She's been a pleasant surprise in terms of how much and how hard she works. We call her a soccer junkie," Purdum said of Brown. "She could take a wicked free kick if she ever gets the opportunity. Obviously, you've seen that she could score a PK (penalty kick). She's quite confident in those areas of the ball. The strike on the non-dominant foot to get her second goal. She's been a pleasant surprise in her ability to add to the program in different ways than what we've had."
 
The Cowgirls (8-2, 1-0 MW) are on a six-game winning streak and are 6-0 on the road entering their match at UC Davis Friday (7 p.m., MW+).
 
Brown is certainly comfortable traveling as UW concludes this stretch of playing six consecutive matches away from Laramie.
 
"We have good momentum right now. It's definitely helping us knowing that we can do this because we have done it," Brown said. "Now let's just continue doing it and not get in our heads and not get complacent. Let's keep on going, let's use this momentum as a good thing."
 
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
 
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.