Forget those guys in pads and helmets-the best group of footballers on campus may be the Utah women’s soccer team.
Doubters need only take a gander at last year’s performance: The Utes went undefeated in conference play en route to an outright MWC title, and the squad’s 14 wins were the second-most in the school’s history.
But as good as Utah’s footballers were in the last season, there is plenty of reason to believe that 2006 could be even better.
“We’re trying to build on the success we had last year,” said head coach Rich Manning. “I really believe that this year we have the talent to make it past the first round in the NCAA tournament.”
In addition to talent, the reigning conference champs have the experience, continuity and depth necessary to make their NCAA tourney dreams a reality.
The Utes bring back all but two players from last year’s championship crew, including all-conference selections Amanda Feigt, Melissa Wayman, Adele Letro and keeper Ashley Mason.
All three field players boast very impressive credentials. Feigt won the MWC’s Offensive Player of the Year award, Wayman was named the conference’s top defender and Letro got the nod as the conference’s top freshman.
The team’s core is made up of a group of very talented juniors and seniors, many of whom have been playing together for the last three years. In other words, team chemistry is not likely to be an issue in 2006.
Although the team will certainly be affected by the departures of defender Michelle Deatherage and forward Kim Lloyd, the Utes have a deep enough roster to take both losses in stride.
“Michelle will be hard to replace because she was so tough,” junior defender Melissa Crespo said. “But we still have Melissa (Wayman) and Tasia (Duarte), so our back line will still be good.”
Lloyd’s hole will also be difficult to fill, but one player who could take over is sophomore Jen Christoffers. The scrappy forward tallied two goals to Lloyd’s three in 2005 despite playing only nine games in an injury-shortened season.
“Jen has been looking great this summer,” said Crespo. “She hasn’t lost any of her speed. Her ball control suffered a little because she hasn’t played in a game for so long, but she’ll get that back.”
Despite the fact that his roster has more firepower than a small African country, Manning refuses to buy into the hype. He is quick to point out the deficiencies of last year’s team and asserts that improvement, not winning, is his primary goal.
“Some areas of our game definitely need improvement,” he said. “We need to be more creative on offense and more concentrated on defense. We can’t give up easy goals like we did last year.”
In an effort to encourage his players to be all that they can be, Manning has assembled what could be the toughest non-conference schedule in school history, one that includes such heavyweights as Arizona, Stanford and Pepperdine.
Manning hopes that the preseason gauntlet will prepare his Utes for another run at the MWC title, apparently subscribing to the mantra that the only way to get better is by playing the very best.
Both he and his players, however, are well aware of the gamble that they are taking. A hot start could work wonders with the team’s national ranking, but any stumbling out of the gate could leave the Utes buried under a mountain of losses.
“It’s a high-risk, high-reward schedule,” said Crespo. “We run the risk of losing our first 10 games, but if we win out, we could end up as one of the top 10 teams in the country.”
While there is no denying that 2005 was a great year for the program, it only left Manning and company wanting more. This year’s team will not settle for another one-and-done performance in the NCAA tournament.
On the contrary, these footballers are aware of their potential to be the best the U has ever seen, and they are hell-bent on making 2006 a year that no one will ever forget.
“We want to make it to the Sweet 16,” said Crespo. “We want to make it further than any team in the history of the program.”
Jamison Brogdon