Coming off its first loss of the season to Loyola Marymount, the No. 17 ranked University of Utah women’s soccer team (3-1-0) will look to rebound against an undefeated Cal State Fullerton team (3-0-2) on Sunday, Sept. 3. This will be Utah’s second game of its four game road trip that also includes matches against BYU and Duke. The Titans head into the match coming off 1-1 draws against BYU and Utah State, both matches went into double overtime and a victory on the road against Saint Mary’s.
Against Loyola Marymount, Utah had a slow start to the match and that is something head coach Rich Manning wants his team to avoid this time around. If the team can play with high energy from start to finish, something Manning believes his team lacked against the Lions, then he believes his team will come out on top.
“It will be important to start the game with the right amount of energy and aggressiveness,” Manning said.
To go along with eight total fouls and three corner kicks, the Utes had three shots in the first half and 11 in the second half, with five on goal against the Lions. Forward Hailey Skolmoski took three of those shots, and she found the back of the net. She knows the Utes need to regain focus with a short turn around before they return to action. Coming out with the right mentality and being prepared and ready to go come Sunday is what Skolmoski also believes her team needs to do.
Although the Utes loss to Loyola Marymount wasn’t the outcome Utah wanted, it was a match that taught the team, especially Skolmoski, where improvements can be made.
“The biggest thing I learned from this loss was that we need to carry the energy for the entire game by capitalizing on our opportunities and finishing the game strong,” Skolmoski said.
Manning said he will have his players ready to face Cal State Fullerton on one day of rest. Before it’s time for kickoff, he said they will go over things and watch the film so they can find ways to improve and learn from their mistakes. Heading into the match, Manning also noted that he will tell his team that in order to get off to the type of start it desires, it has to play smart and trust each other when they are on the field together.
According to Skolmoski, the loss to the Lions “lit a fire” under the Utes, and she said they are eager to get back on the field and show the country that they are still one of the top teams in the country and that one loss isn’t going to keep them down.
“We have to come out from the beginning of the game to the final whistle with good energy and take care of business,” Skolmoski said.
The match gets underway at 6 p.m. MT at Titan Stadium.
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