After completing a four-game road trip, the No. 25 ranked University of Utah soccer team (4-2-1) returns home to the Ute Soccer Field to wrap up its nonconference schedule on Friday, Sept. 15 with a match against Kansas (5-2-1).
The Utes are coming off their second defeat on the road where they fell to Duke. Five minutes into the second half of the game, Paola Van der Veen put her team on the board as she scored the first goal of the match. The Utes kept a 1-0 lead for 40 minutes, but Duke tied the game in the final 10 minutes when they got its first goal. Duke scored 30 seconds after its first goal, and the game came to a 2-1 end in favor of Duke.
“[Monday’s game] was one of those games where it really focuses you in on how much you want this because we were right there and I think the team is energized by it,” said head coach Rich Manning. “They know they can be really good and now they are focused on getting the job done.”
Going into Friday’s match against Kansas, Manning wants to make sure his team brings the right energy at home. Although Utah is expecting to face another challenging competitor with the Jayhawks in town, it’s up for the task.
“I think they are similar to a lot of the teams we have played recently in that they are athletic, they are well coached, they have a good plan and they are a tournament team from last year,” Manning said. “I believe they belong there so we have to go in there with that mindset and confidence as well so it’s a really good test for us.”
In order to walk away with a win, Manning believes his team needs to continue to play with the same energy and competitive spirit they have shown over its past four games. There are some things Manning has pointed out that his team needs to cleans up, such as with their touch on the ball and reading the game, but Manning knows that will come over time.
Van der Veen is proud of the way the Utes have been playing up to this point in the season. She said returning home to its own field has Utah looking forward to Friday night’s match, and if her team plays on Friday like the way they did against Duke, Van der Veen is positive her team will walk away victors.
“We just need to fight back,” Van der Veen said. “[Monday] was a tough loss, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to do anything to us. We learned from it, and we are going to make sure we win that game on Friday.”
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. MT.
@emileewhiteee