This Friday, Utah Soccer will kick off its conference schedule with a home game against No. 8 Stanford. To commemorate the team’s fifth year in the Pac-12, here’s a look at Utah’s five best single-game performances in conference play according to head coach Rich Manning.
5) Sept. 23, 2011 at Oregon: The Utes were faced with the daunting task of squaring off against a talented Oregon squad on the road for the program’s inaugural Pac-12 game. After a scoreless first half, Utah struck first in the 49th minute to take the 1-0 lead. Shortly after, Ute Leslie Muirhead fired a shot from the top of the penalty box that sunk into the upper corner of the net and put Utah up by two in the 56th minute of the game. The Utes held the Ducks scoreless despite Oregon’s ten shot attempts that day, and left Eugene having notched their first conference victory and taken the first step in establishing the team as a force within the conference.
4) Oct. 14, 2011 vs. No. 18 Oregon State: Following a pair of tough losses to Washington and Washington State, Utah returned to Salt Lake to face the 18th-ranked Beavers. The game was an extremely physical affair, and after a scoreless 90 minutes of regulation, the game headed into overtime. In one of the biggest plays of the year, Utah’s Erin Dalley blasted a header into the net off a Utah corner kick in the 92nd minute to give the Utes the edge. The win was Utah’s first against against a ranked Pac-12 opponent, their first win against a top 25 opponent in two years, and marked the Utes’ sixth-straight home victory in an impressive first season as a Pac-12 member.
3) Oct. 13, 2013 at Washington State: In the team’s sixth overtime game in a season that would boast five more extra time thrillers, the Utes traveled up to Pullman and snapped the Cougar’s nine-game home winning streak. Utah had a fantastic start to the game, and goals from Megan Trabert and Taylor Slattery gave the Utes a commanding 3-0 lead heading into halftime. Washington State came out fired up in the second half, scoring three goals in an 11-minute span to defend their streak. A diving save from Utah goalkeeper Lindsey Luke in the 89th minute prevented the Cougars from executing the comeback and sent the game into overtime. After a scoreless first overtime period, Ute Katie Taylor sunk a chip shot into the far post during the 104th minute to secure the win. The win was Utah’s first road win against a conference opponent since the aforementioned victory against Oregon in 2011 and the Utes’ four goals marked the team’s best offensive performance in a Pac-12 game.
2) Nov. 8, 2013 vs. Colorado: Another overtime victory in the Utes’ successful 2013 campaign came against conference rival Colorado. The game was a defensive battle from the start, but a late-game own goal had Utah in danger of losing its last regular season competition. The Utes rallied, and in the 87th minute Megan Trabert’s corner kick connected with Ashton Hall who headed the ball in and kept Utah’s hopes alive. In the first overtime period, neither team was able to score a goal, but in the 104th minute, Utah’s Jill Robison fired a shot from just outside the box that deflected off a Colorado defender and landed in the net. The victory clinched a third place conference finish for the Utes, their highest ranking to date, and sent the Utes to the NCAA tournament for the first time since leaving the Mountain West.
1) Tie between Oct. 25, 2013 vs. No. 2 UCLA and Sept. 26, 2014 vs No. 4 Stanford: It is fitting that a pair of draws tie for the greatest single-game performance for Utah soccer in the Pac-12 era. Both games were home games in which the Utes battled against top-five opponents. In 2013’s game against the Bruins, the Utes struck early when Ashton Hall weaved her way through the UCLA defense to score her third goal of the season in the 17th minute. The second-ranked Bruins quickly responded in the 22nd minute to tie the game at 1-1. The Utes failed to score on several more shot attempts throughout regulation and the two overtime periods, but Utah goalkeeper Lindsey Luke’s eight saves allowed the Utes to walk away with the 1-1 draw against a top-tier opponent.
In last year’s duel with the fourth-ranked Cardinal, the Utes found themselves trailing early after a Stanford attack netted a goal in the 21st minute. The Utes were unsuccessful in their first half scoring attempts, but just two minutes into the second half, Utah’s Mariah Elmer scored the equalizer. Utah relentlessly attacked for the remainder of regulation and both overtime periods, but were unable to score the deciding goal.
Utah’s draw with Stanford was Utah’s 18th straight win or tie in home conference openers, and the Utes will once again be put to the test as they open the 2015 Pac-12 schedule against the No. 8 Cardinal.
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