Close but no cigar: The Utah soccer team ended its last weekend road trip of the season 0-2, as they drop a one-goal result to the 2014 National Champions in UCLA. It was a close game for both sides, who had chances on either side of the field. But it was the Utes who once again came away empty-handed, giving up a goal in the 68th minute to the Bruins’ senior star Kodi Lavrusky, who worked her way through Utah’s defense to tap in the ball past Lindsey Luke. The Utes also had multiple chances to equalize the Bruins after their blunder, but couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net. The Utes have not scored a goal in their past five matches and need to find answers to repair their offensive issues.
Same old story: Even though Utah played decently well against the Bruins, this match is a basic summary of how unfortunate the Utes have been this season. They have done very well possessing the ball in the midfield and were very strong defensively as a team. But with all those positives, Utah’s scoring woes have overshadowed the team’s strengths, leaving it with zero points in its past five games and with only two wins in Pac-12 play.
Injuries affecting team: Another issue that Utah head coach Rich Manning has been dealing with this year is the plethora of injuries plaguing the team. The Utes’ latest injury was senior starting defender Baylee Nelson, who suffered an arm injury during Friday’s match against USC. Nelson’s absence was an issue for Utah’s defense, but the Utes held their ground until UCLA’s breakthrough in the second half. There was also an injury scare with Utah’s anchor in the midfield Paola Van der Veen, who had to come off in the first half with a frightening knee injury. Thankfully, nothing major happened with the freshman midfielder and she came on in the second half after limping off in the 27th minute.
Coaches Corner: “We played well in the first half and continued to battle. I’m proud of the team for showing tremendous grit and character in both games. I thought we defended with great intensity, moved the ball around well and created a bunch of opportunities. I’m extremely pleased with the fighting spirit shown by this team. Luke had a great game and made two big saves on through balls. This weekend, our back four did a nice job keeping the opponents out of the penalty area.” — Head Coach Rich Manning
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