In game one of a four game road trip that began on Sept. 1, the No. 21 ranked University of Utah soccer team (4-1) lost its first match of the season against Loyola Marymount University. Defender Tavia Leachman believes Utah played well despite the loss. She knew it was going to be a battle from the start, but she said it was the mindset the Utes had going into the game that got the best of them.
“I think just having the mentality that it was a road challenge, we weren’t at home, we didn’t have the fan base or the support going our way,” Leachman said. “I think we needed to have the mindset that we were not expected to come in and win the game easily. [LMU wasn’t] going to give us the game. We need the mindset that it’s always going to be a battle because things will be against us. Once we do that, and I think we did that against [Cal State] Fullerton, things will go a lot better for us on the road.”
The Utes bounced back from their loss to Loyola Marymount by earning a win against Cal State one day after they fell short to the Lions. Utah head coach Rich Manning wasn’t pleased with the way his team started either game, as he said his players created enough chances in both matches to win, but they only took advantage of those chances during the second game. As of now, Utah is 1-1 on the road, but it is hoping to improve its record as it continues to play away from the Ute Soccer Field.
The Utes will head down to face their in-state rival BYU on Friday, Sept. 8 in the Deseret First Duel. Leachman is ready to compete in the rivalry match, and she said Utah is looking forward to the challenge because it gets a chance to apply what it learned in their first two road games and use it against the Cougars.
“The rivalry game is always the best no matter who is doing well this season so far,” said midfielder Holly Daugirda. “The game is always a good game and it’s always so fun. I’m excited too because I’ve never been down to Provo to play them, and I hear the crowd is kind of crazy so I think it will be fun to be in that atmosphere.”
In order to come away victors, Daugirda believes her team needs to keep a positive attitude and mindset. For Manning, he wants to see his team stay level-headed throughout the game.
“We love the game,” Manning said. “We are excited to play the game. We love playing good teams and whether the game is here or in Provo, the game always has a great atmosphere so we like playing in that. I think we will play well, but we need to manage our emotions in that kind of environment and that will be one of our challenges.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.
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