The Utah women’s soccer team finished its season in good fashion, defeating Pac-12 rival Colorado 2-0 on Senior Day at Ute Field.
The Utes, who were led by Paola van der Veen, dominated possession over a vulnerable Buffs team, who finished the season at the bottom of the Pac-12. It was also a big night for the Utah seniors, including defender Baylee Nielsen, who scored her first ever Pac-12 goal in her last game playing for the Utes.
Utah came out strong in the fist half with quick passing which resulted in van der Veen testing Buffs keeper Kate Scheele in the second minute with a far-out shot going wide of goal. The Utah offense continued to pressure the Buffs’ backline and in the 11th minute took the lead when van der Veen took a free kick that set up Nielsen for an easy tap in.
After the goal, the Utes didn’t let up on the pressure and continued to outpace Colorado. The Buffs eventually had a few chances, including a close shot by forward Madison Krauser that was knocked out by Utah keeper Lindsey Luke.
Utah kept steady control of the ball but, although they had a few more shots, were unable to find the back of the net and entered half time with a one-goal advantage.
Second half action started slower than the first with both teams fighting to a stalemate in the middle of the field. Utah’s defense was tested with Luke having to come up big three times. This included Colorado’s closest chance to tie it up in the 66th minute with midfielder Morgan Stanton trying from outside the 18-yard line.
Utah eventually began to pick up the pace and created more opportunities to increase its lead. With continued pressure, van der Veen finally put her mark on the match with another tap-in goal in the 85th minute which resulted from a Natalie Vukic run. With Utah up 2-0 and five minutes to play, the team began to pass and hold the ball until the final whistle blew on Utah’s season.
It was an emotional game for the seniors, and head coach Rich Manning thought they, and the rest of the squad, put together a performance that was desperately needed.
“Winning this game meant grabbing extra points in the standings, reclaiming our home field and sending the seniors off right,” said Manning. “Those were our three goals for today. We achieved those, and it was great to see. The past few games this team showed how much they love and are willing to fight for each other. Those are some really rare qualities for a team to have, and you could see that the past three games.”
Manning also noticed how van der Veen helped grab the win for his team.
“She was super dangerous today,” said Manning. “She was a triple threat with her passing, shooting and free kicks. You could see how much she meant to our attack.”
Van der Veen felt like she played her best game of the season and hopes this can continue into next year.
“I’m trying to be my best and trying to be important for this team,” said van der Veen. “I think this team will definitely make it into the NCAA tournament next season, and we will be preparing to do great things next year.”
@chad_marquez