A sentiment that is felt among the Utah women’s soccer team is frustration. The Utes are upset that they did not play to their potential in their regular-season ending 3-0 loss to BYU last Saturday.
Now, the Utes head to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Conference Championship. Though they didn’t earn the conference title, this represents yet another chance for them to make the NCAA Tournament.
Though Utah has never made it to NCAAs before, doing so was the team’s main goal at the beginning of the season.
Utah will go into Las Vegas seeded fourth, and the tourney begins with a matchup against fifth-seeded San Diego State. Utah lost to SDSU earlier this season, 2-1 in overtime. Now the Utes are looking for some payback.
“[SDSU] will be a tough game, but we’re out to beat them because they beat us earlier in the season and it’s our chance [for revenge],” junior defender Megan Maxwell said.
If Utah defeats the Aztecs, it will earn a rematch with first-seeded BYU.
The Utes say they are ready.
“I have no doubt in my mind that we can beat San Diego State and BYU,” Ute senior Alli Cerruti said. “It’s not the physical or athletic part, it’s us mentally preparing ourselves.”
They know they can play with each of these teams and are excited for tournament time, when they will get another chance to display their abilities.
“We’re not done with the season, even though we lost to BYU. That doesn’t make any difference. We’ll just go out there and play hard,” said sophomore midfielder Heather Wilhelm.
The game against San Diego State is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. PT.