On Saturday evening, the University of Utah soccer team faced in-state foe Weber State in an exhibition matchup where the Utes walked away victors with a 3-0 shutout.
The Utes took the lead in the latter part of the first half when a corner kick lead to junior Madi Clarkson scoring the first goal of the game. The lead was extended in the second half for Utah after a goal from junior Paola Van Der Veen. The Utes final goal of the night came from freshman Natalie Kump who scored with one minute left in regulation.
Standout player:
For Clarkson, who missed all of the 2015 season and was nagged with injuries last season, her goal in this match was her first collegiate career goal. It was a moment that she described as the greatest feeling “in the world.”
“There were all different kinds of emotions,” Clarkson said. “I was so happy, I was jumping on people and hugging them, and I almost cried hearing my name. It was just so crazy.”
Clarkson said she was shocked to have scored the first goal of the match for her team, but seeing the ball in the back of the net to give her team the momentum they needed to help move forward was an irreplaceable experience.
Improvements:
Although the match was an exhibition, it was a game for the Utes to find out what they can improve upon as individuals and as a team all together. Head coach Rich Manning thinks the things his team needs to work on are pretty normal for this time of year — playing faster, making better transitions and working on speed of play.
Offensively, Manning feels his team was lacking. He wants to see a better job of his team moving the ball and finding the right places to take advantage of its opponent. While Manning wants to see improvement with the offense, Clarkson believes the defensive side of the team — that features new freshman — also has improvements to make. She said for the freshman being able to get more experience while being in games will help the newcomers gel together.
Clarkson also noted that there were times when the center was too open and they needed to do a better job of closing that in and communicating more with the midfield, but overall, coming away with the win was exactly what the Utes wanted.
Coach’s corner:
“I was very pleased overall,” Manning said. “I think a lot of people played well. We have been working a lot on our defense and clearly we defended well in the game so that was good to see.”
Up next for the Utes, they are set to face South Dakota State as they open their season on the Ute Soccer Field on Sunday, Aug. 20. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 pm.
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