The U women’s soccer team will begin its toughest road trip of the season Friday when they face the No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies.
The Utes will then travel from College Station to Waco, Texas for a match against the undefeated Baylor Bears on Sunday. Each opponent has yet to lose this season, and each one poses a serious test for the Utes.
The Aggies bring a powerful offense and a stiff defense. They have scored a total of nine goals in their two games, while allowing just one.
Midfielder Kristen Strutz is one of the best in the country at her position. She has two goals this season and needs just nine assists to set the Aggie career record. Additionally, the Aggies have never lost to the Utes in two contests, including a 2-1 victory in Salt Lake City four years ago.
U coach Rich Manning is quite aware of the historical success of the Texas A&M program.
“They’re very experienced. They’ve been a top program for a long time, so they’re used to winning,” he said.
To beat Texas A&M, the Utes will have to block out the crowd and hold the Aggie attack to fewer than the 17 shots they managed against No. 22 SMU.
This will be the toughest test to date for the young Utah defense.
Coach Manning called the Aggie attackers “as fast as most in the country.”
The Utes do have a small height advantage that could prove pivotal on corner kicks and goalie punts. If they keep Texas A&M out of rhythm and get an early goal, they will have a good chance to come out on top.
When the Utes meet Baylor, they will be facing some hungry Bears.
“Baylor’s coming off a season where they didn’t do as well as they would have liked, and they’re on a mission to prove to everybody that last season was a fluke,” Manning said.
The Bears also have good team speed, as well as a top scorer in Ginny Rosario-Tull, who has three of the team’s six goals. They are also well-coached according to Manning, who has a lot of respect for head coach George Van Linder.
The Aggies may be the better of the two teams, but anything can happen on the road in Texas.
Manning was pleased with the practices this week, citing hard work as his reason.
“I was pleased with everybody’s effort. Coming back from a big win, it’s easy to let down,” he said. “I think people are starting to settle into their roles and understand their positions a little bit better.”
The Utes could really assert themselves this weekend as a tournament contender if they play well on this road trip.
Either way, as Manning puts it, “I am sure that we will know a lot more about ourselves after this weekend.”