When it comes to soccer, scoring goals is the number one priority at the forward position. In Utah’s case, there are many different options for the position head coach Rich Manning has to choose from.
“We feel that we have a lot of talent that can play up there,” Manning said. “At this point there is good competition for slots, no question.”
Typically a team will have about four or five players who are able to play the position well, but for Manning, he has the difficult task of choosing from seven or eight players to play in that forward slot.
Having a large group to choose from can be both a blessing and a curse. It allows Manning to assess the game and then decide if he needs to make a change in order to exploit a weakness. He can use the depth to run the opposing defenders down with the constant rotation of fresh legs. However, it also gives him the difficult decision of who will play when there are so many athletes competing for the position.
“I think we have people that bring different qualities to the attack and different strengths,” Manning said. “It’s a matter of finding the right combination and seeing who can step up and put the ball in the net.”
In Utah’s first two games, Manning selected senior Ashton Hall and freshman Natalie Vukic as his starters up top. If Manning feels that he needs more of an aerial threat in the next games, he will most likely go with junior Baylee Nielsen, who stands at 5-foot-10. Nielsen has proven to be the most aggressive of the forwards so far this season with nine shots in the two games played.
Other options at the spot are junior Ali Allen, sophomore Addie Jensen and freshman Mariah Elmer. Despite not being listed as forwards on the roster, adding to the list are seniors Katie Taylor and Avery Jenkins, who have seen minutes up top versus their starting roles in the midfield.
Taylor has already registered a goal this season, as well as fellow midfielder junior Kaycee Buckley, while the forwards have yet to score. Despite not having notched a goal, Taylor believes this season will be filled with shots and goals from the team’s forwards.
With so many options at the position, one could assume that some of the players would not enjoy splitting playing time with a large group. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Hall though.
“This year, I am actually super excited with, not only with the starting group, but the girls that can fill in behind the starters for any game are awesome,” Hall said. “It’s super exciting to know that we have six or eight, what should be first-string starters up top at forward. I think that is going to be dangerous.”
Even though Hall and Vukic have been the starters so far this season, they may not remain the starters for the duration of the campaign. Both Manning and Hall are in agreement that there isn’t one player that is above the rest, and Manning would rather use different combinations of the forwards to find the right chemistry in order to win games.
“Each of the girls who play up top with me are so different and offer different things,” Hall said. “We are just going to have to see who meshes well with who in certain games and certain defenses.”
@dominic2295