Before Friday’s game against Salt Lake Community College, men’s soccer head coach Gilbert Gaertner stressed how critical it was to set the tone in the first ten minutes of the game, and that is exactly what the Utes did. It was a very physical match and the Utes jumped to a 1-0 lead with a goal by Alan Garcia, which was the only goal of the first half.
It didn’t take SLCC long to rebound in the second half. They tied the match with a goal in the early minutes.
Ute Ian Hunsberg scored on a penalty kick later in the second half, after SLCC was called for a penalty when one of its players handled the ball inside the goal box
The Utes did not allow another goal the rest of the half, giving Utah its third straight win by a score of 2-1.
Utah came back for yet another physical game Saturday against a strong Weber State team, which recently won a tournament in San Diego.
Utah jumped off to another early lead as Chris Wade put the ball past the Weber goalkeeper in the first half. Weber was not denied in the first half, though. They tied the match at 1-1 just before the half ended.
The second half was very physical, and both clubs scored one more goal a piece, ending the game in a 2-2 tie. Goalkeeper Allen Reid had an exceptional match with several saves, keeping the Utes in the game.
The Utes’ record is 3-0-1 in NIRSA competition.
If the men’s team continues its hot streak, the No. 1 seed for the NIRSA tournament will be determined when it faces Weber State on Oct. 17, a match the team hopes to play on the women’s soccer field.