Playing against an in-state rival is something sophomore Tavia Leachman of the University of Utah soccer team looks forward to throughout the season. As the Utes prepare for their match against Utah State on Thursday, Aug. 24, it’s another opportunity for Leachman and her team to compete on their home field against a local team.
“I think it’s awesome we get to get out and play again in another home game,” Leachman said. “Utah State is an in-state rival so we are going to get up for it like every game. It’s nice to play on our home field. We are expecting a big crowd and it’s a night game under the lights, which is always fun so I’m just excited to get out there with my team.”
Head coach Rich Manning said the Utes have played in heated matches against this opponent before, and he believes it’s going to be another passionate game this week in a thrilling environment. Since the Utes first scrimmage against Weber State this season, Manning has been looking forward to how his team would compete. Leachman and Manning both agree that there are areas in need of improvement, and hope to make progress.
Leachman believes that in order to earn a victory over the Aggies, Utah needs to start the game with high intensity, rather than try building up to it — and it needs to control any nerves there might be. In practice, the Utes have been focusing on not giving up goals early in the match, something that occurred in the last contest.
Utah had a solid week of practice, that helped boost confidence and solidify in their minds that they are capable of repeating what was accomplished last year as they made program history, according to Leachman. Manning is just as confident in his team’s abilities, and he believes as the team acclimates to a new year, things will get rolling.
“The first week of school is always a little bit rough,” Manning said. “It’s a big change, understandably so. I’m always understanding that they have to refocus when they get out here with the school setting and [Tuesday] was the first chance we got to do that. We took Monday off and they looked really good today so I’m looking forward to the next couple of days.”
If the Utes can work together to communicate throughout the match, it will help them make quicker decisions and put pressure on the ball, as they’ll be up against a defense that can cause trouble, according to Manning.
For Leachman, it’s the Utah State fan section that she feels her team will need to ignore in order to walk away with another win. Although the game is on Utah territory, she expects their will still be an Aggies fan base in attendance.
“What I remember last year is playing at their field and them having a really big fan section,” Leachman said. “It really hyped them up and they came out on fire. I think that we are going to have to watch for their intensity right off the bat. When the whistle blows, we need to match their intensity, if not be better.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT.
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