The Utah women’s soccer team will play its first home games of the season this weekend at Ute field. Utah takes on Houston on Friday and Cal State Fullerton on Sunday, and players are anxiously awaiting kickoff.
Utah enters the weekend with a win and a tie after a pair of overtime games last weekend and have yet to allow a goal, thanks to goalkeeper Lindsey Luke.
“We focused a lot on our defense in the preseason,” said Utah head coach Rich Manning. “We’ll continue to improve the offense this week.”
The Utes are ready to get out in front of their home crowd and show their talent. One new face on the team has made an immediate impact. Paola van der Veen is not the traditional college freshman. The 21-year-old has experience competing at a high level, playing overseas in the Netherlands, including for the Dutch national team.
“It’s been a dream of hers to come to America and play soccer,” Manning said. “She’s been in a lot of big games and big environments. She knows the game well, has good leadership qualities.”
Van der Veen has found early time on the field and recorded a shot-on goal in Utah’s last game. Look for her to make an even larger impact for this Ute squad as she continues to adjust to the American game.
Houston enters Friday’s game with one loss, and Cal State Fullerton enters with two wins. The Utes are ready to protect their home turf this weekend.
“The thought of playing at Ute Field again really excites the team,” Manning said. “They are anxious to show off the new team and how hard they’ve worked. They really can’t wait.”
The Utes won’t have to wait much longer. Utah’s defense will also be put to the test as it attempts to continue to shut out opponents, and leading the way will be Luke. The senior from California is already making her name known as she was named Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week last week. This hasn’t happened by chance or accident — the team has put in the work and is ready for the season ahead.
“We’ve been at it for about three weeks now with the preseason and first road trip,” Manning said. “They’ve worked hard.”
The Utes are eager to get out on the field and notch a couple of wins this weekend. Friday’s game will be televised on the Pac-12 network and will start at 4:30 p.m.
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