Sunday, September 28, 2008

Hanging On in California

We played a good Cal Poly team in San Luis Obispo today. We had challenged each other to put forth an extra effort and do the little things to help us get a win. The first half was a good one for the Utes. We are getting much better at keeping possession and moving the ball quickly as a team. And we had some great passing sequences early on. One of those sequences resulted in Kelly Isleib's 5th goal of the season. The second half was a tough challenge as the host Mustangs came out with great passion to equalize. We hung on for the first few minutes and were able to create some good counter attack chances in the middle of the half. Cal Poly threw bodies up front at the end and had some good pressure...but we were able to hang on for a great win.

Click here for game details and quotes!

Now we are back at the hotel. No flights available tonight. So we will meet in the hotel lobby tomorrow morning at 4:30 in order to head back home...many players will be going straight to class when we arrive back in Salt Lake City.

We had a nice visit with former Ute goal keeper, Ashley Mason Correa. Ashley became a new mom last week, giving birth to Penelope. The girls are living up in San Jose, California with husband (and new dad) Hugo Correa. Check out video of the new family with Emalee Rogers and Christine Quinn after the game at Pismo Beach.



Saturday, September 27, 2008

Young Utes Learning About "Road Rules"

The Washington Huskies took it to us last night, 3-0. You can read more about the game here.
It may seem hard to believe, but the game was closer than the score and statistics indicate. We were out shot (19-3)...and gave up 14 corner kicks (way too many)...We did play with great confidence on the ball and played one of our better games between the boxes...However, the game is not decided in the middle part of the field but around penalty boxes. And we clearly we outplayed there. Two of the goals were on corner kicks...And the other was scored just 47 seconds after the first one...

One of the lessons we must learn is that winning on the road takes tremendous concentration, effort and execution. There are more factors involved than just enduring travel weariness. The Huskies were fired up last night...playing at home in front of an excited crowd. They are having their best season in several years and the players are brimming with confidence. We needed to match their energy and couldn't do it for long enough stretches. We also have to be prepared to tough calls from the refs, different field conditions than we are used to, and even some heckling from the fans. All of these challenges require your best to overcome...and although we played okay at times...it was not near enough for us to win the game, especially near both goals.

We have played 6 road games so far (1-4-1 record) and have yet to find the right mindset for consistent success. When we play at Ute Field our energy level and commitment have been very good...tomorrow, with our game against Cal Poly, we will have another chance to see if we can give that little bit extra to carry us through...Kickoff is at 1 PM Pacific Time.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Star Gazing at the Airport

We arrived at the Salt Lake Airport today...while waiting for our flight...the girls spotted Utah Jazz forward Matt Harpring ...a few of them ran over to get an autograph...Harpring said, "Utah soccer team?....I need a photo with you gals!"...nice guy!

We arrived in Seattle to some rain....surprise! The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow. We will head over the the university for an early morning stretch and kick around...Here's hoping for a good match tomorrow night!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Pink on the Pitch Day Brings Awareness But No Victory


Pink on the Pitch Day was a big success. Lots of good folks dressed in pink, thinking of and honoring the fight against Breast Cancer. Both teams were outfitted in special Under Armour uniforms...we wore white with pink...the Fullerton Titans wore pink...(we probably need to have a darker pink next year...the referee had a tough day with the similar colors!).

We fell behind early and were able to fight back on a first half equalizer from Morgan Skeen...the game ended in a 1-1 draw. For more details, check out the game report.

Morgan was also honored by being named to the Soccer Buzz National Team of the Week. Click here to see the team. Congratulations!

Now it's on to a tough road trip with the Washington Huskies in Seattle on Friday and the Cal Poly Mustangs in San Luis Obispo on Sunday...more to come on those matches.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Morgan Skeen: Pitch on the Pink Day Brings Home Special Meaning

Morgan Skeen is a sophomore defender from Coto de Caza in Southern California. She is the youngest of 5 children of Doug and Linda Skeen. We are raising awareness for breast cancer today with our "Pink on the Pitch" game against Cal State Fullerton.

Morgan explains why today's match has special meaning for her:


"My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last year in late September. This came as a shock to say the least. I went from thinking the phrase 'save the Ta-Ta's' was funny and light hearted, to something that could potentially take my mom from my family. Although, I think my family now can see this experience as a blessing in disguise, not everyone is as fortunate as my family to have my mom complete 7 months of chemotherapy and 3 months of radiation and look as beautiful and healthy as ever. This is why I think this is such an awesome opportunity for us to come together and make everyone aware. I always knew my mom was tough, but she gives that word a whole new meaning. She is my hero. My mom has kept a blog throughout this whole experience and this is just piece of her first posting after finding out she had been diagnosed.


'I have come to see this as a difficult experience with many blessings and countless opportunities attached to it. I have been handed a very special chance to teach my children and grandchildren how we deal with difficult times and challenges in our lives and to demonstrate by example, my faith that the Lord knows us and loves us and He is the source of the peace that we seek.'


"I am excited to play in this breast cancer game but most of all I can't wait to play for my mom and all the other women and families that have been effected by breast cancer. "

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Morgan and Toomey Dance Off

Okay, we had to bring you the actual tape...if you recall, on our first road trip of the year to North Carolina...we visited a minor league baseball game between the Winston-Salem Warthogs and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans...we showed you a photo of the legendary dance off between Ute sophomores Alyssa Toomey and Morgan Skeen. We feel this is a great time to show you the actual video...Great stuff...!


Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Sunday is "Pink on the Pitch" Day

This Sunday's game against Cal State Fullerton will be a special day at Ute Field. "Pink on the Pitch" day will be used the game to promote cancer awareness.

Under Armour
, supplies the uniforms for both the Utes and the Titans. They have provided each team with special uniforms...the Utes will be wearing white with pink...while the Titans will be dressed in pink...

Some of the day's big features:


  • Everyone is encouraged to wear pink...Free admission to all fans in pink!
  • 500 pink hankies & special Utah Athletes Cancer Awareness posters will be given away.

  • The Huntsman Cancer Institute will be on-site handing out informational pamphlets.
  • Halftime presenter: MaryAnn Gerber was diagnosed at the age of 24 with melanoma. She beat the beast & survived. Now she is a great advocate to keep our youth out of tanning beds. It's been three years since her diagnosis and she is now trying to educate the public about the sun and how to keep our skin safe.

Big day for women's soccer: WPS allocation

You may not have known, but...today was a big day for women's soccer...the new Women's Professional Soccer league (WPS) held its allocation draft for the members of the gold medal winning U.S. National Team. The league will start up next summer with 7 teams:

Los Angeles
Bay Area (San Jose/San Francisco)
Chicago
St. Louis
Sky Blue (New Jersey)
Washington
Boston

They will add three teams in 2010: Atlanta, Dallas and Philadelphia

Want to know where such stars as Abby Wambach, Shannon Boxx, Kate Markgraff and Aly Wagner will be playing?...click here to the home page for the WPS!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Utes Show Progress, But Cannot Crack LMU Defense

We had a delayed flight back into Salt Lake City...didn' t get back into town until midnight...but, in case you missed it...

The Utes drew with Loyola Marymount of Los Angeles...0-0 final result.  We played with good energy and effort...creating several scoring chances from corner kicks as well as the run of play.  Some solid goal keeping from the Lions (as well as one save off the line from a defender) kept us out of the net.  It was disappointing not to get the win as we had worked hard enough to get one or two in.  However, some times it takes some precision in the attack as well as in the finishing to score.  And we were unable to do that.  Our team is creating more chances up front.  We have been able to limit our last two opponents to one or two chances...and that is a credit to the entire team.  We are improving and hope to continue to do so this weekend as we host Long Beach State (Friday, 7:30 PM) and Cal State Fullerton (Sunday, 1:00 PM)...two very good teams from the Big West Conference.  More details to follow this week!


Saturday, September 13, 2008

Good night for Utah Soccer

Big crowd...great atmosphere...and a hard fought game between the Utes and Aggies....what a great night for soccer in the state of Utah. The Utes came out with great passion and determination and created numerous scoring chances....thwarted by the post as well as Aggie goal keeper Ali Griffin. Finally, in the 65th minute, Kelly Isleib latched on to a loose ball in midfield and took the ball 50 yards, dribbling by a couple of Aggie defenders before slotting it home with her left fool...Just 10 minutes later, defender Morgan Skeen, attacking up the right side, cut inside the box and "toe-poked" the ball at the goal...it deflected off of an Aggie defender and into the goal for a 2-0 lead. It was a good performance and a great night. Thanks to all of the Utah Youth Soccer Association players, coaches and fans for putting on a clinic and coming out in record numbers to support the team.

For more about the game...see this article in the Deseret Morning News
And this one in the Salt Lake Tribune.


It's on to Los Angeles today for a tough game against Loyola Marymount University (LMU) on Sunday. Check out the LMU soccer web site to follow the game live on Match Tracker.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Utah State "Clasico" Game Brings Friends Back Together

Friday night at Ute Field, the Utah-Utah State rivalry will be renewed once again. These games are always hotly contested and usually come to a dramatic conclusion. In 2005, the Utes won in Logan on an overtime goal by Amanda Feigt. In 2006, an unfortunate Aggie own-goal in the last few minutes was the deciding factor in a 1-0 Utah win. And last year, two second-half goals in a rain storm broke a scoreless tie. This year's game will be no different.

One of the great features of the rivalry is the great friendships among the players from both teams. Players on opposite sides of the field used to be teammates in club and high school... Many members of the Utah State team have worked our summer camps over the years....Alyssa Lowry, Lindsey Smart, Stef Shiozaki, Ali Griffin and others. Alex (Marsh) Gentry from Utah State is the sister of former Ute, Hailey Marsh. Current Ute Katie Brower played at Utah State for a couple of seasons before transferring to our program.

Friday night's game is Utah Youth Soccer night. All youth soccer players are eligible for free tickets from the Utah Youth Soccer Association (UYSA). There will be a free clinic at 6:30 PM conducted by UYSA staff coaches and both teams will participate in an autograph session after the game...Click here for more information.

Come on by and join the fun!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Wednesdays with Coach Argust


Wednesday's are a conditioning day for the Utes. We spend the first part of training with Coach Greg Argust from our strength and conditioning staff. Coach Argust is a ball of energy and has just the right balance of pushing our players as well as encouraging them.

During the season, we focus on exercises that increase strength and flexibility, help prevent injury, and help with recovery from our games.

Some players that want to focus on a particular aspect of their athletics do extra work with Coach Argust later in the week as well.

In the off-season, we work two or three days each week with Coach Argust. At that time we program spend more time increasing strength and quickness.












Here's Coach Argust at work with the team, doing a couple of flexibility exercises before training...this is toward the end of his session, so it's a little more "low key" than the usual:





In addition to the work we do with Coach Argust, we have a conditioning program that we follow that was designed by Pierre Barrieu, the conditioning coach for the U.S. National Team. Pierre's programusually has 2-3 workouts per week. It consists of many interval runs, mixed in with speed training and shorter runs. It is designed for peak fitness in October and November and takes into account many aspects of the tough college season.

Check out the great information at Pierre's web site!

Monday, September 8, 2008

The Record Skips...another tight loss

Well, things aren't much fun in the middle of a 4-game losing streak....we fell to Oregon State in a tight game that was decided late...this time in overtime...1-0. The goal that was scored was unfortunate for us as the ball was crossed in from the side...mis-hit...and went directly into our goal...ouch!

After a rough first half, we made some corrections to our game and attitude at the break and played a solid second half. We were a bit unlucky not to get a goal as the Beavers' goal keeper made two terrific saves late in the game...and we had scored an apparent goal from a corner kick with about 10 minutes left, but the referee ruled that their goal keeper was interfered with...

Things can get testy when they are not falling your way...little mistakes seem much larger...every call that goes the other way is an injustice...the goal that you're shooting at can seem like a tiny hole, like the eye of the needle...it's a great test of character to keep forging ahead and work to improve...it is important to stay positive and confident...and to stay committed to the team and to working hard...

After a rest day today, we will head back to the practice field Tuesday to work on some things that we need to do a bit better. Hopefully the recent losing streak creates a determination to improve and turn the recent results around.

Friday night we host Utah State at 7:30 P.M. at Ute Field...it is Utah Youth Soccer Association night...free tickets, autograph session and other events planned....more details can be found at www.utahutes.com...

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Bowling in Corvallis Clears the Mind for the Beavers

Well, Friday was another tough loss...falling 3-2 to the Oregon Ducks. The winning goal was scored with less than 7 minutes left on a corner kick. The second straight game in which we fell to a late goal was disappointing. After falling behind in the 10th minute, we fought back to take a 2-1 lead after a PK by Katy Reineke and a bullet from Kelly Isleib. After going into the half at 2-2, we couldn't get another and were forced to swallow another bitter pill. Good lessons for us all and these will serve us well as we move forward this season. We definitely are trying to clean up our late-game tactics and mentality.

Being on the road is tough and one of the qualities needed is the ability to "brush off" a tough loss on Friday night and come back strong for Sunday. We were able to do it against UNC Greensboro two weeks ago and will attempt the same tomorrow against the Oregon State Beavers.

This morning, we slept in and then made the 40-minutes drive from Eugene to Corvallis. After a brief practice at Oregon State, we checked into the hotel. After a 3-game losing streak...and needing a little break, we headed to the Highland Bowl for a quick game or two...it was good to take our minds off soccer for an hour or so...and, do we ever have some bad bowlers...notable exceptions were goal keeper Amy Edman and freshman Lauren Dudley, who were solid.















Freshman goal keeper, Shay Kennedy, celebrates half of a strike...while assistant coach, Laurel Roderick, gives it some body english...
















Alyssa Toomey and Erin Dalley practice a new bowling grip...while Amy Edman consoles Katie Brower after a tough frame.



The Utes also had some birthday cookies for Chelsea Forbes and Kelly Isleib who celebrate this weekend! An evening video review of the Oregon game and some mexican food capped the day and we hope to come away with a victory tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Utes Discuss Training and Heading to Oregon


Sophomore defender, Morgan Skeen, talks about training this week and the upcoming games at Oregon and Oregon State.





Junior midfielder, Kelly Isleib, talks about playing on the road.

"Lost" Weekend Provides Important Lessons

Last Sunday, we fell to the Georgia Bulldogs, 2-1. It was a tough game to lose as we had fought hard to tie the score and felt like we were pushing for the game winner...only to see the Bulldogs score with just over 4 minutes left...Georgia's first goal came just after half time from a corner kick. Just 3 minutes later, we equalized...Lauren Hair twisted and turned her way around the corner of the defense and slipped a pass across the goal...Kellie Woodfield hustled to retrieve the ball and laid it off for an onrushing Chelsea Forbes, who smashed it home for her first college goal and a 1-1 tie.

We created more good attacks and had some chances to hit home a winner...but the Bulldogs scored from a great cross and header. It was a "body blow"...definitely a painful way to fall. Georgia was a good team and scored a fantastic late goal to knock us out.

Losing the first two home games can be deflating...but provided some important lessons. We created good chances in both games and did not finish...we need to be more aggressive in getting forward and being dangerous. We had some lapses in concentration that cost us...in the middle of periods of good play...so more consistency is needed. We were in two close games late into the second half and were unable to pull out a win. That time of the game...crunch time...is when we have to be most aggressive and lift our play.

Now we head to Oregon to play the Ducks and Beavers...another chance for improvement!