"Kick Like a Girl" Movie a Must-See for Soccer Fans

Let's see...a group of 8-year old girls are on a soccer team called the Mighty Cheetahs. They are dominating their league and even defeating teams that are older than they are. What do you do? Well, Jenny Mackenzie decided to enter them into a boys' league...great idea and one that was challenging for the players, for sure!

Want to know what happened next? Well, you are in luck. Jenny is also a film maker. She recorded the whole season and kept track of the events - on and off the field. The result is the new documentary movie, Kick Like a Girl. Jenny came to our UWSA camp last summer and showed previews of the film. And, now it is ready and being shown at film festivals and other openings all over the country. It's a great show...funny, smart and poignant.

For more information, see the article in today's Deseret News newspaper.
You can also find out more at Jenny's web site.
And the Kick Like a Girl site.
Want to check it out?

There will be two showings in the Salt Lake City area in March:

The first is at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 8, in the Foursite Film Festival at Ogden's Egyptian Theater, and the second at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 28, at Salt Lake City's Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School. Mackenzie, her creative team and some of the Cheetahs will be there.

For today's fun fact, defender Addie Hair tells us that posted signs or any use of public space in Argentina must be written in Spanish, the official language of that country. I think some of our players need to start practicing now!

Why can't we just play soccer?

Well, you never know what you might learn....! Goal keeper Amy Edman got us going this morning with today's fun fact about Argentina.

Did you know that the national game of Argentina is called pato? It's a sport that combines elements of polo and basketball. Two teams of four players ride around with long baskets with handles...trying to get the ball into the hoop at the end of the field...But, that's not all!

"Pato" is the Spanish word for duck. And, in the game's early versions...going all the way back to the 17th century, ducks were used as the game ball! Thankfully, that tradition was changed and a real ball is used in the modern game.

How to Play Soccer Faster in 5 Easy (?) Steps

Speed of Play - One of the things we constantly emphasize in training and games is trying to play fast. The faster we can play, the harder it will be for our opponents to keep up. Now, playing fast doesn't always mean running fast...there are several ways in which we can increase our speed of play. We talk about 5 main areas...and here they are...

1. Clean Skills - This is fairly obvious...no? Have you ever seen a player struggle to collect a pass?...dribble the ball without much control?...It seems like they take forever to make a play with the ball. If you can control the ball cleanly, that gives you more time to think and get to the next play. It also give your opponent less time to react. Sharpen your receiving skills, make your passes more precise, dribble with better control...these will all help you play faster.


2. Reading - It's important to know what you are going to do quickly. Many players wait until they get the ball before looking up and making a decision. This can slow down the whole team. And causes missed opportunities...We talk about looking around and reading before you get the ball. Even if you're not the fastest player in the world, you can read quickly...this will help you play faster. We have a player on our team, Danielle Sample, who is excellent in this area. Danielle knows where she is going with the ball before she gets it and makes the right play quickly and cleanly most of the time.

3. Running - Well, of course if you run fast you will play fast...but we are also talking about "running" off the ball for your teammates. If you run into open spaces, you will help your team play more quickly. Sometimes, "running" can just mean moving one or two steps to improve a passing lane...but it can make all the difference.

4. Transitions - Soccer is a game of mistakes...the ball is being turned over constantly during the game...hundreds of times each game. Turnovers include steals, give aways, balls going out of bounds, fouls, even goals. And each time there is a turnover, there is a transition...one team goes from offense to defense and the other has to change as well...Guess what?...If I can transition more quickly than my opponent, I will gain an advantage. This is another area that can help us play faster as a team.

Did anyone see the Real Madrid-Getafe game last weekend? Real Madrid scored an apparent goal in the 2nd half to go up 1-0. They were all celebrating in the corner...well, the referee had called offside. Getafe put the ball down so quickly, they were racing to the other end with a 3 on 2 situation...and they scored at the other end...wow! Now, that is great transition...Click on the link to see it (it was so fast it even fooled the camera man!).

5. Communication - Letting our teammates know what we are doing helps us to play faster. Now talking is an obvious form of communication...but this is not always possible. So, this also includes pointing, eye contact, body language, hand signals...you name it. And, of course, listening always is an important part of communicating.


So, there you have the 5 ways...practice these at every training session...even if it's just a pickup game. You'll see the difference.

FUN FACT
Today's fun fact comes from Kelly Isleib. Kelly told us about the widest street in the world, the Avenida 9th of July...It's located in downtown Buenos Aires...do you know the meaning of the name?

Now, That's a Water Break

Well, another week closer to the big South American road trip. We have been training hard each morning. Today's training included a lot of finishing technique work and a spirited "half-court" soccer match, with lots of play in front of the net.

Today's fun fact comes from freshman defender, Christine Quinn. Christine told us about Iguazu Falls. Located near the Brazilian border, these falls are taller than Niagra Falls and twice as wide. There are over 275 cascades falling down in a two-mile long area...

Now, if we were training here....proper hydration would never be an issue!

Official Welcome to the Freshman Class of 2008!

The Utes would like to once again offer an official welcome to our incoming class for next fall. As has been reported here earlier, Februray 6th was the National Letter of Intent signing date for soccer. And we had 10 new players sign their names to join us...how exciting for all involved.

You can read more...much more... about our group in our official release at the Utah Utes site
And we have photos available at our Photo Gallery
Want more? Check out previous posts here about each player...look for the posts titled "New Ute"

Once again...welcome to...

Lauren Dudley
Chelsea Forbes
Shay Kennedy
Katie Martinez
Mallory Mitamura
Lauren Porter
Anne Shallenberger
Roxy Tebbs
Hannah Turpen
Kellie Woodfield

P.S. We had a hard time "cheering" yesterday in the Utah State 4A Girl's Basketball quarterfinals as Kellie Woodfield's Timpview team edged Shay Kennedy's Murray team, 42-40. Congratulations to both and good luck to Kellie as the tournament continues!

What do you mean we can't have a water break?

Well, after a one-day break, the fun facts are back! Today, we learned from freshman Alyssa Toomey about Atacama...the driest place on earth. Now, Atacama is actually in Chile, but it is part of the crossing between the Argentina-Chile border.

We had a good, hard practice this morning, with competitive games and some hard fitness to finish. In hearing about today's fun fact at the end of the session, many players commented that it wouldn't be fun to practice in such a place...water break? who needs it!

New Ute: Clutch Goal Scorer Comes Aboard

Anne Shallenberger is no stranger to scoring goals... and scoring when the chips are down. Anne scored several important goals this past fall in leading her Orem High School team to the 4A State Championship here in Utah. (To the left you'll see a photo of her celebration after scoring in the state final game). She has also scored several important goals with her Celtic Storm club team over the years. The team has had tremendous success over the last few years, making it to the Region IV club team championships the last two years in Colorado and Nevada.

Now clutch goal scorers are supposed to be cutthroat, merciless people. They take no prisoners and will do anything it takes out on the field (and Anne definitely scores those goals that break the other team's heart). But these ruthless players are not supposed to come in such pleasant packages. Anne is a generous person that is always looking at the positive side of things. She has participated in our Utah Women's Soccer Academy in each of the last two summers and we have found her to have that rare combination of being involved in the most fierce competition while sporting a smile on her face at the same time.

Anne is a terrific all-around athlete that will help us in many ways. In addition to her soccer success, she has done very well in basketball and track (running in the 100 to 400m events).
We can't wait to have her join us this fall.

Welcome to Anne and her family!

Uruguay Fun Fact: World Cup History

Well, the Utes were back to the training field this morning. And, of course, that means that we had another "fun fact" in preparation for our spring break trip to Argentina and Uruguay (March 14-23). Today's fun fact was supplied by senior, Paola Marsenaro. "P", as she is known, and her family are from Uruguay. This morning, P gave us a lesson in World Cup history.

The very first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. There were 13 teams present at the tournament. (The U.S. got to the semi-finals and lost to Argentina, 6-1). In the final, the host team defeated Argentina, 4-2, in front of 93,000 fans at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo. Interestingly, the teams argued about which ball to use in the game (we can only imagine the kind of heavy leather they used back then). In a compromise, the teams used the ball preferred by the Argentines in the first half (Argentina led 2-1 at that time). And they used the ball that the Uruguayans wanted to use in the second half (and the home team came back to win...).

Was it all about the ball?

Argentina and Uruguay...Here we come!

Well, for those of you that haven't heard yet. We are going to South America for spring break this year! The NCAA allows college teams to take a foreign tour once every four years...And our administration at Utah has been kind enough to let us go on one for the very first time. We've been working hard to raise money and train for our trip and we are EXCITED!

March 14-23, during our university's spring break. Argentina and Uruguay are our destinations....Buenos Aires and Montevideo, to be specific! We will play the full women's national teams from Argentina and Uruguay as well as the Argentine club team, San Lorenzo.

Each day at practice we are learning a fun fact about Argentina or Uruguay. Thursday's fun fact was provided by junior forward, Jen Christoffers, who told us that St. Valentine's Day is not celebrated in Argentina...(we want to know why not).

Today's fun fact was given by sophomore goal keeper, Emalee Rogers. Emalee had traveled to South America last spring and had some photos. She told us about the neighborhood in Buenos Aires called la Boca. Boca is home to colorful shops and houses. It is also home to the world-famous soccer team, Boca Juniors. They play in the stadium called "La Bombonera". And their most famous player is the legend Diego Maradona. Maradona, who is now retired, was the leader of the Argentine team that won the 1986 World Cup. He has his own box suite at La Bombonera and the crowd has songs and chants especially for him when he comes to the games. Show and tell to end the week of practice. We love it!

If you want to see some of great moments...go to You Tube and type in "Boca Juniors Diego Maradona La Bombonera".

Anyone that's been to those places, please let us know what the "gotta see" spots are!
We want to know.

New Ute: Keeping It in the Neighborhood

Lauren Porter came to the U. last September on an official visit. She went with the players and other recruits to the football game that Saturday. While waiting outside the stadium for some of the other girls to arrive, we couldn't help but notice how many people came up and said hello to Lauren as they were walking by to enter the stadium...and then it dawned on us...This girl knows more Utah fans and students then just about any of the players or coaches on our team. By the end of the weekend, we were asking her about some of the school history.

Well, Lauren grew up, and lives in the neighborhood. She is about 5 blocks from campus. Her parents are teaching faculty at the medical center. Like current Ute junior Katy Reineke did before her, she attends East High School and has about one billion friends on campus! Want more connections???? Lauren plays for the Avalanche Soccer Club, which is coached by former Ute great, Jo Barney! Her younger sisters have come to the UWSA summer soccer camp as well.

Lauren is a terrific athlete, she is a star for the East H.S. basketball team. She came to soccer a bit later than most these days and her game is really starting to take shape. She plays in the midfield, where she is dominant in the air, makes crunching tackles and can distribute the ball both near and far.

We would welcome Lauren and her family, but they already feel pretty welcomed...
So, we'll just say we're glad you're staying!

New Ute: Another Viking Comes to the Hill

For those that don't know yet...the University of Utah campus is snuggled up against the foothills of the Wasatch mountain range. So, it is often referred to as the "hill". Well, another Viewmont Viking has agreed to come and join the Utes next year.

Viewmont High School has produced three current Ute players: redshirt sophomore goal keeper Emalee Rogers, sophomore defender Jena Roberts, and freshman forward Erin Dalley. And next year, Mallory Mitamura will join the team. Mallory has come to the Utah Women's Soccer Academy (our summer camp program) the last two years and we've gotten to know her game well.

Mallory is a versatile player, who has grown up with the Utah Rush soccer club. She can play anywhere in midfield or the back row very comfortably. She reads the game very well on offense and defense and is very comfortable on the ball. We like her versatility and soccer sense a lot.

That makes 4 Viewmont players in 4 years...we'll have to see if the streak continues.

Welcome to Mallory and her family!

Argentina's name and hot drink of choice

Well, two more days of practice and two more fun facts about Argentina!...

Tuesday morning, we learned from senior Chelsea Card that Argentina gets its name from the Latin word for silver. The land is fertile with minerals and early explorers and settlers went there looking for a jackpot.

This morning, Katy Reineke, taught us about mate, which is a very popular hot drink in parts of South America, including Argentina...where it is known as the "national drink". Mate is a "holly-like" herb that is used with hot water and a special metal straw. Some of our current players, like Emalee Rogers and Amanda Sanchez, who have traveled to South America, noted that yerba mate, the official name of the drink, is definitely an "acquired" taste.

For more, we found this information at Travel-Amazing-Southamerica.com

Card, Hair Bowling Night Champions

I guess practice does make perfect as the saying goes...in the 1st Utah Soccer Bowling Championships, senior Chelsea Card and junior Addie Hair came away the big winners. Chelsea bowled a huge 187 and Addie came away with a 152 to take the first and second prizes.

Now, the blog has found out the Card, Hair and junior Jen Christoffers are all involved in bowling classes at school this year...instruction, regular practice, competitive matches each week...sounds like a good soccer program. Now wonder they won!

Special kudos to freshman Alyssa Toomey. Alyssa bowled two games with her left hand...(she is right handed)...after coming off of surgery to her right shoulder three weeks ago. Her effort brought some good laughs and definitely high marks for participating and keeping up the team spirit!

1st Day of Spring Practice

Spring practice officially began this morning. The team practices bright and early. With Ute Soccer Field being under the weather this time of year, our training is held at the Spence Eccles Field House, a beautiful state-of-the-art indoor facility that was built 3 years ago. Our players take classes after 10:00 A.M. this semester. We train daily at 7:00 A.M. And we do strength and conditioning on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:30 A.M.

Spring training focuses on individual development. Players work on making their games better. This morning, we worked hard on individual defense. Then the forwards and midfielders trained on making precise runs and target passes, while the defense worked in pairs on covering for each other. We work on perfecting fundamentals during the spring semester. The NCAA allows us to have 5 spring matches so that we can apply these fundamentals in a game environment. We get the added bonus this spring of going on a foreign trip to Argentina and Uruguay! (The NCAA allows one foreign trip every 4 years). We are heading to South America from March 14-23...and we get to play the Argentine full women's national team, the Uruguayan full women's national team as well as the club team San Lorenzo, from Argentina's Women's 1st Division. (More about the trip later!).

We are finishing practice each day with a fun fact about Argentina or Uruguay. Today's fun fact was supplied by sophomore midfielder, Danielle Sample, who told us about the Falabella horse that is bred in Argentina. These miniature horses are only 30 INCHES tall. And no, they cannot be ridden!

Anyway, we have a team bowling event tonight at the student union....and back to practice in the morning!

Team Sledding Day Produces Thrills, Spills and a Champion

We decided to take advantage of the weather last Thursday and headed over to Sugarhouse Park after classes for a team sledding day. Players and coaches were in attendance...there was even an appearance from Rachel Roderick. Rachel, the 1-year old daughter of assistant coach, Laurel Roderick and her husband Aaron (one of the football coaches at the U.), was making her very first appearance in the snow!

There was a lot of fresh snow as we climbed up the hill. We had the "Snow Boogie", the "Blue Dot Express", and assorted boards, saucers and sleds. There were some daring sliders...Erin Dalley was definitely the biggest thrill seeker of the group. We had a competition to see who could go the farthest...Jena Roberts and Amy Edman were the winners. Although Amy had an unfair "home ice" advantage as she grew up just 1 block from the park and had been on the hill dozens of time...There will be a rematch!

New Ute: Two-sport star

Shay Kennedy has been a star in two sports at Murray High School. In the fall, she is the rock in the nets as the goal keeper for the Murray soccer team. And, in the winter, she is the rock in the post as the leading scorer on the Murray basketball team. The Utes are ecstatic on two fronts...one, that she is choosing soccer....and two, that she is choosing our school and program.

Shay is a tremendous athlete in goal. She is quick, strong and very agile. She can make the acrobatic save and also come out and get the high ball in a crowd. Shay plays for the Impact club team in the spring and has come to our Utah Women's Soccer Academy over the past two summers. She is a terrific student as well and we are excited to have her.

Welcome to Shay and her family!

New Ute: First Canadian?

Lauren Dudley lives in Las Vegas, Nevada...her parents are from the Alberta province in Canada. She has trained in both the Canadian provincial program and the US ODP. According to our research and depending on how she views it...Lauren could be the first Canadian to play for the Utes...More importantly, regardless of where she is from, Lauren is an outstanding defender.

Lauren plays center back. And she has all the qualities in her game that a center back needs...she is tough on the ground, great in the air, a good communicator, composed, and good on the ball.

Lauren has played for the Rebels Soccer Club and was coached for several years by former Ute, Amanda Schmutz. She is also a terrific student and will be a great addition.

Welcome to Lauren and her family!

New Ute: Goal keeper and Nurse in Training

Let's start with with the obvious connections right away... Hannah Turpen, goal keeper, comes from San Clemente High School and the So. Cal. Blues. Two places that are very familiar to Utah soccer. Current Ute seniors, Chelsea Card and Kiley Jones, are San Clemente grads and also played for the Blues. Ute freshman, Morgan Skeen, is also a Blues grad...assistant coach Laurel Roderick played for the Blues...and head coach Rich Manning started coaching on the girls side with the Blues...well that's a lot of company for Hannah...

Hannah is a terrific talent and a hard worker. She is explosive, courageous and has good range in the goal. She has excellent foot skills and communicates well with her teammates...all wonderful qualities for a 'keeper. We are excited about her current game as well as her determination to improve.

Hannah is also a wonderful young lady...and will be studying in our Nursing College. Let's see...tough soccer goalie by day and compassionate nurse by night....interesting!

Welcome to Hannah and her family!

New Ute: Perfect Chemistry

Let's see...if you were a chemist and wanted to combine all the perfect elements to form a great soccer player...in addition to soccer skills, you would probably want to have qualities such as competitiveness, work ethic, mental and physical toughness, intelligence, teamwork... If you can mix those up in the right proportions, you would have a winning player.

Well, Kellie Woodfield has just those qualities. She can play anywhere in the back or midfield. She is a competitive person, a quick learner and a skillful player. Kellie will come to us from Timpview High School down in Utah County. (Ute assistant coach, Laurel Roderick, used to coach at Timpview back in the day)...She also plays on the Celtic Storm soccer club...and she is currently the point guard on a Timpview basketball team that is leading its Region and having a great season...whether it be on the soccer field, basketball court or in the classroom...success for Kellie is definitely not a surprise. Kellie came to the Utah Women's Soccer Academy the past two summers and caught our eye there first.

She is interested in studying chemistry...
Welcome to Kellie and her family!

New Ute: Blond Bomber

If you go to a Black Diamond club team or Davis High School game, you can't miss Roxy Tebbs out on the soccer field. She has this blond hair....REALLY blond hair! It's probably the first thing you'll notice when you see her play. But it won't take long before you see all of the other qualities that make her stand out. She is tough...We mean TOUGH out on the field. When she gets going on a dribbling run with the ball...it is nearly impossible to knock her off. She can "slice and dice" and she can "drive and dish". And she can hit a shot. Roxy plays in the midfield or up front...and she has been dabbling with an outside back role. Regardless of where she plays, Roxy can put fear into the opponent. We've been watching her for several years with club, high school and ODP teams...and look forward to having her put on the red and white!

Welcome to Roxy and family!

New Ute: Another Bountiful Player

We have a tradition here at Utah of getting some very good players from the Bountiful area of Utah. Bountiful is a beautiful community just about 10 miles north of Salt Lake City. Some of Utah's greats have come from Bountiful, Woods Cross and Viewmont high schools there. And our class of freshmen Utes will now include Bountiful high school's Chelsea Forbes.

Chelsea is a wonderfully skillful attacking player. She can play either forward or attacking midfield. She has SOFT feet and can control any kind of ball hit towards her under any kind of pressure. She's got good vision and is able to create chances around the goal. She will fit in well with our attacking players and will allow us to play a game with fast ball movement. She plays on the Black Diamond club team out of Park City.

Chelsea played at Bountiful High School with freshman defender, Christine Quinn. They teamed up in 2006 to lead Bountiful to the state championship.

Welcome to Chelsea and her family!

New Ute: Colorado Rush import

Well, the NLI's have been trickling in yesterday and today for our incoming class of 2008 high school graduates. First thing in the morning, when the e-mail came in notifying us that Katie Martinez had faxed in her paper work, we were fired up. As we said yesterday, this is the culmination of a long process and an exciting day.

Katie plays for the Colorado Rush soccer club and attends Chatfield High School in the Denver area. She is a midfielder by trade but is versatile enough to play different positions. We first saw her play in a women's league game in Colorado in the spring of 2006. Former Utah great Dominique Barcellona coaches with the Rush and tipped us off to Katie. She immediately reminded us of current Ute senior, Kiley Jones. And we think, like Kiley, she will be one of those players that just quietly plays the game of soccer at a very high level.

Katie is not the biggest player but is VERY tough for her size...excellent defensive skills and a good header. As with almost all the Colorado Rush players, she is very clean and confident on the ball.

We welcome Katie and her family! More details about her will follow at www.utahutes.com when we get all the NLI's in and put the official release out.

Signing Day An Important Milestone for Future Utes

Well, today is National Letter of Intent Signing Day for women's soccer players. We have several high school seniors that will be officially joining our Utah team. We've been receiving faxes during the day and expect to have a large class of freshmen joining our team next season. This is an exciting day for our future players and their families as well as for us. After a year or more of going through the recruiting process, it is now in writing that these players will become Utes next August when we start our preseason training.

The process can be a long one. Many of the players signing today came and visited our campus over a year ago as high school juniors. After they checked with other schools and narrowed down their choices, these players made a verbal commitment to come to Utah...that was an exciting day. However, the verbal commitment is non-binding...and things don't become official until the paper work is signed...the earliest day for that is today!

What is the National Letter of Intent (NLI)? It is a document that our recruits sign to let the University of Utah, the Mountain West Conference and the NCAA know that agreement between a school and a recruit stating that the player intends to come to Utah and not to another school. We send out 4 copies of the NLI to each family. They are signed and returned...then we keep a copy, send 1 to the Mountain West offices and 1 to the NCAA. Once it is signed and returned, the commitment is binding and official.

We will have the scoop on our newest Utes...our Class of 20012...in the next few days. Check back on the blog as well as at www.utahutes.com, the official web site for the Utes.

Super Bowl, Super Tuesday and Super Clasico!

Today is such a HUGE day in the 2008 Presidential Race that it has been called "SUPER TUESDAY." There are 24 states holding Primary elections...for those of you that are mathematically challenged, that is almost one-half of the 50 states in the U.S. The Utah Presidential Primary is going on today and many of our players are hitting the voting booths. We've got the new electronic-voting-machine-thing going on...complete with magnetic cards and touch screens...interesting. Regardless of your views and whom you prefer, we encourage all to get out and vote!

Sunday we had the Super Bowl, today is Super Tuesday...and tomorrow...the Super Clasico will complete the "Super Triple". In Latin-American soccer, when two rivals get together for a match, it is called a Super Clasico...there are many significant rivalries that carry this title...in Spain it is Barcelona vs. Real Madrid...in Argentina it is River Plate vs. Boca Juniors...in Mexico it is Chivas vs. Aguilas...

Super Clasico's have passion from both sides, a history of close and dramatic games, and usually a lot at stake. In the U.S., we would say that Red Sox vs. Yankees, Lakers vs. Celtics, Bears vs. Packers and others would qualify as Super Clasico's. Here at Utah we have a great rivalry with BYU...and any Utah vs. BYU event would definitely qualify as a Super Clasico (more on this rivalry some other time).

U.S. vs. Mexico - Wednesday, February 6 - 7:00 P.M. Mountain Time
TV: ESPN2, Univision
What is going on tomorrow (Wednesday)? Well, it's the U.S. vs. Mexico in men's soccer. And this rivalry has it all...these are the dominant teams in North America...they are close neighbors that have to constantly battle for precious berths in the World Cup and Olympics...Now, tomorrow's game is just a friendly but that is never a good description for this Super Clasico. Both teams have to start World Cup qualifying this summer and will want to get their year of to a winning start. Here is a quick viewing guide:

Home Field Advantage?
The match is being played in Houston, Texas...however, there will probably be more fans of the Tricolor (Mexico) than the Red, White and Blue...Even though the U.S. will probably not be hearing as many cheers and Ole's...it will hope to keep a great home streak going...In home games (on U.S. soil) since 2000, the U.S. team is 8-0-1 against Mexico.

Hugo's Last Dance?
Mexico's manager, Hugo Sanchez, is on the hot seat. One of most legendary Mexican player ever, Sanchez was a LOUD critic of previous managers...saying he could do a better job and that Mexico should never lose to the U.S. However, he has yet to beat the Americans on U.S. soil...watch for him on the sidelines...he loves the camera and wears his emotions on his sleeve

Young Stars
Both teams have some very young stars that may play in the game. Mexico has Barcelona's 18-year old phenom Giovani Dos Santos as well as Carlos Vela, another teenager who plays for Osasuna in the Spanish 1st Division. And the U.S. will have Jozy Altidore , Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley to choose from...Let's see if the future is now for either team!

This will be a great match as usual...Check it out!

Super Weekend

Well, what a super weekend it was. Let's see...

1. Giants over Patriots...and our favorite Super Ads
Exciting game...down to the wire...could have gone either way...and how about those commercials?!
Some of our favorites were:

• Will Ferrell - hard to beat Will as a basketball player plugging his favorite drink.
• Fed Ex/Birds - giant birds delivering cars and trucks...looks like an old Godzilla movie!
• Shaq wins the Derby!

How about your favorites??? Let us know

2. Ute Women Defeat Colorado State
It was women's sports day last Saturday afternoon at the women's basketball game. All of the women's teams were honored at halftime by being introduced at mid-court.....volleyball and softball were there in full force along with our soccer team. It was a fun game as the Utes vaulted into first place in the Mountain West Conference with a 68-28 win over the CSU Rams. The team is now ranked #20 in the nation...They are 17-3 on the season and 7-0 in the conference...what a good start. Next home game is Saturday, February 9 at 3:00 P.M. in the Huntsman Center. Congratulations!

3. Ute Gymnasts Defeat Minnesota
Many of our players started the weekend on Friday evening by watching the #2 ranked Utah gymnastics team defeat Minnesota. The gymnastics meet are always a blast and the highlight last Friday was Ashley Postell's 10.0 on the vault. The crowd went nuts as the score was posted after what is called her "yerchenko half on, front pike with a half vault". Just saying it is difficult!