The U soccer team (13-2, 4 0) set a goal at the beginning of the season to win the MWC, and the Utes have made four big steps toward fulfilling that goal.
They are currently in a tie atop the conference with Wyoming, with both teams having notched four wins in four games.
If you ask coach Rich Manning how his team has gotten off to such a good start, he would first cite the team’s unity. But then he would undoubtedly talk about the play of junior Tracy Stratton.
“We’ve allowed the fewest goals in conference play, we’ve given up the least number of shots, and a lot of that’s because Tracy prevents the ball from getting into dangerous positions,” Manning said.
Stratton plays defensive midfield, which makes her the first line of the MWC’s best defense.
“She’s kind of like a middle linebacker,” Manning said. “Her job is to make sure the other teams’ dribbling and passing don’t get into our defense and goal area.”
Her similarity to a linebacker is borne out by the fact that she is intense, in charge and rarely lets anything get by her.
Her stature, however, is quite a bit different from the typical middle linebacker, but it is certainly an advantage for a midfielder.
At 5-feet-10, Stratton has the ability to win most balls that find their way into the air, and she often does. Manning feels this is a major reason for the Utes’ success this season.
“Anytime there’s a long service or a clearance from the other team, Tracy wins the ball out of the air,” he said. “If you watch a lot of other teams, you see those balls get by the midfielders and into their defense, and that creates a lot of trouble.”
Stratton is not only valuable in the prevention of trouble, but she has also caused her fair share of it for opponents this season, scoring three goals and adding an assist. Her defensive skill has come in handy while scoring, as each of her three goals has been scored on a header from a corner kick.
“I really like playing with her,” Amber Brower said. “I don’t have to win headers, that’s her job.”
Doing the dirty work seems to come easy for Stratton, who has never been one to shy away from physical play.
In the game against Florida, Stratton often found herself battling with a much thicker Dena Floyd.
Despite Floyd’s chippy play, Stratton still won countless headers and helped to shut down Florida’s high-octane attack at midfield.
“The more physical the game is, the more fun it is,” Stratton said.
Those are the words of a player coaches want on their team.
“Tracy is as good as anybody we play against,” Manning said. “I’m just glad she’s on our team.”
It’s no secret why she chose to play in Utah. Stratton is from Bountiful, where she excelled for Bountiful High. She was recruited by Manning’s predecessors after an impressive senior season, but it’s Manning who is reaping the benefits.
Off the field, Stratton excels as a business major, and as a result she was named to the MWC’s All Academic team in 2002. But you don’t need to see her grades to know that she’s bright. Just look at the fact that she enjoys playing within Rich Manning’s complicated system and excels at it.
“I like Manning’s system,” Stratton said. “It’s hard, but when our team does well, we kill other teams.”
Although she’s too modest to admit it, the Utes wouldn’t kill many teams without her. As the defensive midfielder, she’s the linchpin that hold the Utes together.
BIO
Class: Junior
Height: 5’9″
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Bountiful, Utah.
High School: Bountiful HS
StatisticsYear GP MIN G AST PTS 2002 21 1,227 1 3 52003 13 n/a 2 1 5
