Since the very start of the year, the Utes have been adamant that they can compete for the Pac-12 championship.
The team gets its first chance to prove how capable it is when it hosts No. 11 California in the conference opener for both teams tonight at Ute Field.
“I think we are ready for anything,” forward Baylee Nielsen says. “We’ve been working really hard this preseason, and we’re all excited.”
The Golden Bears went undefeated in their nonconference slate and will bring a record of 6-0-2 into Salt Lake City. Cal is led by forwards Samantha Witteman and Ifeoma Onumonu. The duo has 12 goals and five assists between them, as they have helped the Bears outscore their eight opponents 20-7.
Utah will try to slow down these two high-scoring players by attempting to control possession and limit their touches.
“The more we keep the ball, the [more they] don’t have the ball,” Utah head coach Rich Manning says. “It will take good individual defending and sticking to the game plan on defense, and we have been doing a real good job at that.”
Manning has been encouraged by the way his team has been playing lately and is confident that maintaining that high level of performance will give the Utes a good chance at the upset.
“I think we have been playing really good soccer,” Manning says. “It will just be the case of making a few plays on each end. I am pleased with where we’re at and am confident we will do well.”
Confidence is not lacking in this Ute squad. Players have expressed all season how they feel they can compete with anyone.
“There’s no reason not to be confident,” Nielsen says. “We trust each other, and we play well together. It will be exciting to see. If we play our game and we possess well, like we’ve been doing all preseason, we will take it to them.”
Utah keeper Lindsey Luke will play a big role in keeping the talented Cal squad from scoring. Luke leads the Pac-12 in goals against average, allowing just .18 goals per game. She has posted four shutouts on the year and has only allowed one goal to get by her.
The forecast is calling for rain this afternoon which might fall into this evening. Manning doesn’t foresee the weather affecting his players, as many are used to such conditions.
“We would like for it to be nice because it affects our ball possession, but we will deal with it, and I am sure we will be fine,“ Manning says.
Tonight’s game against the Golden Bears will mark the first of the three straight home games for the Utes, who will be looking to that advantage as a way to get atop the Pac-12 standings early. In the first two years of playing in the conference, Utah won nine conference games, eight of which were at Ute Field.
The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m.