All good things eventually come to an end.
On Friday Utah seniors will lace up their cleats, put on their home jerseys and run out onto Ute Field for the last time when Utah welcomes in Colorado for Senior Day.
Utah didn’t have a single senior on their 2012 squad, so this soon-to-be departing group has been counted on to be leaders for quite some time.
They were recruited when the Utes were still members of the Mountain West Conference and got to experience the jump to the Pac-12. After respectable finishes the first two years in the conference, this Utah squad has become a legitimate player in the mix. Depending on results throughout the conference, Utah has a chance to finish in second place, behind only UCLA, the second-ranked team in the nation.
Senior Day is an emotional affair, and the players are prepared for it.
“I’m excited,” said forward Allie Wisner. “In years past it’s been pretty emotional. The whole team makes it really special. They honor your contributions and make you feel good about your time here.”
Wisner is serving as captain for the second straight year, and head coach Rich Manning has said many times she is one of the most natural leaders he has ever encountered. With that leadership, she has helped the Utes make a name for themselves and prepare a way for future success.
“This senior group has been through really hard times,” Wisner said. “We have cleared the path and started a new thing with Utah soccer and have really blazed the way for new players to come in.”
More and more underclassmen have started to contribute this season. Sophomore keeper Lindsey Luke has anchored one of the strongest defenses in the country, and freshman forward Taylor Slattery is becoming one of the team’s top scorers.
Every athlete wishes to have the fairy tale ending to their college experience. Be it a game winning goal, a conference championship or making the tournament. The perfect finish is rarely the case, and sometimes it ends in injury. Such is the case with Jen Ericson.
“Having been injured and knowing that I won’t be able to participate, it’s a little more bitter then sweet,” Ericson said. “Overall though, it’s great because it makes you reflect on the past four or five years and really realize how amazing of an experience it’s been.”
In sports, coaches often stress looking forward and moving on. Senior day is a special instance when players can look back and remember the things that they accomplished and realize the people they have become.
“It’s really a culmination of everything,” Ericson said. “I have had so many ups and downs, and looking back, the one thing that I am really grateful for is how much I have grown as a person and as a soccer player. It’s not always the best game, your performance isn’t always a highlight reel, but overall it’s a blessing to be able to take things from each of the four years and realize they have all come together to help me as a person.”
Though this will be their final game on Ute Field, the Utah seniors have a chance to make sure this isn’t their last game playing together. If the team comes away with the victory, the Utes can sure up a bid in the NCAA tournament and create one last memory together as a squad.