It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Finals are coming to an end and everyone is beginning to catch the holiday spirit! Many of the girls on the team will be heading home for the holidays...some to the beaches of California and others to the warmth of Vegas! Here in Utah we have gotten plenty of snow lately, all of the skiers and snowboarders on the team are excited about that - a few of them have already been up a few times! As for the picture above...well let's just say a few of the upperclassmen (Lauren Porter, Lauren Hair, Morgan Skeen, and Erin Dalley) were trying to get in the mood for Christmas with a good old fashioned visit to Santa Claus! Embarassing? A Little. Fun? Absolutely! Stay tuned for more winter break updates and pictures and stories from the mountain resorts!

Weekly Update

The weekend was filled with exciting College Cup action from College Station, Texas. On Friday Stanford continued their undefeated season with an overtime goal against UCLA then UNC took down Notre Dame. The final game on Sunday was eventually decided by North Carolina's goal in the first 3 minutes of the game...the rest of the game was scoreless as UNC went on to claim yet another National Championship and Stanford suffered their first loss of the season. For more details on the weekend, click here.

Finals week is quickly approaching here in Utah...many have begun this week and things will really pick up next week. The team is working hard and excited for the three week Holiday break that is so close (yet so far!).

If you need a break from work or school, (all of us around here sure do) check out this funny clip from the Simpsons (great soccer spoof!)

The Final Four

It is that time of the year again...time for the most exciting Division I College Soccer Games of the year! The original pool of 64 teams has been narrowed down to just four. Here is what the semifinal games will look like:

Stanford (24-0-0) vs. UCLA (21-2-1)

Notre Dame (21-3-1) vs. North Carolina (21-3-1)

Both games will be held this Friday, December 4 in College Station, TX. Stanford and UCLA will kick off at 5:30pm ET and Notre Dame and UNC will begin at 8:30pm ET. Both games will be televised live on ESPN2/ESPNU.

For more information about the teams and the games, click here!


The Utes are back from Thanksgiving with friends and family and are about to start hitting the books...just 2 more weeks of class until finals! The team finished up team workouts for the fall last week and is now on their own for the remainder of the semester and the break. Stay tuned to find out how finals are going and what all the gals will be doing over Christmas Break!

It's RIVALRY WEEK In Utah!

Rivalry week is one of the most exciting weeks of the whole year in Utah! The Utah/BYU Rivalry is historically one of the most intense rivals in the entire nation. Few athletes are ever able to participate in such a big rivalry...combine that with college football and the energy can't be matched! On our campus, there are tons of events taking place this week: pep rallies, extra media events, and even the traditional 'hunt' for Cosmo The Cougar- a scavenger hunt on campus throughout the week will lead lucky students to find the nasty mascot from down south and claim a prize! Like we said...things get pretty crazy!

A great part of the rivalry is the opportunity to involve the whole community in a larger context than athletics. Each year, Utah and BYU compete in the Rivalry Week Food Drive. The goal is simply to collect as much food as possible to help those in need. Check out the video from Head Football Coach Kyle Wittingham to learn more about the food drive and how you can donate.

It's a great week to be a Utahn...it doesn't get any better than this! The game kicks off at 3pm this Saturday in Provo, UT. The game will be televised on CBS College Sports and The Mountain. For more details on the game, check out the official website.

GO UTES!!

Congratulations Real Salt Lake!!

After coming back from a 1-0 deficit in the second half and remaining scoreless in two overtime periods, Real Salt Lake came out on top in the shootout. Real topped the Galaxy 5-4 in the shootout (which went to 7 rounds!). This title is the first in club history for Real. Check out the MLS official website for more details on the game!

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando was named the MLS Cup MVP. Rimando played a very solid came, coming up huge in the shootout with 2 great saves.

Check out all of the highlights and watch the shootout by clicking here!

Congratulations, Real! It has been a great season, the best post-season imaginable, and fun the whole time!

NCAA Tournament Update

The NCAA Tournament is becoming extremely exciting as the Elite Eight has been decided. Here is the schedule for the next round of games that will take place next weekend:


Stanford (23-0-0) vs. Boston (18-3-2)
Portland (21-1-0) vs. UCLA (20-2-1)


Wake Forest (16-5-2) vs. [Winner of UNC vs. Maryland]
Notre Dame (20-3-1) vs. Florida St. (19-4-1)

The 4 winners of these games will advance to the Final Four! For more information, brackets, etc. visit the NCAA Official Website!


Exciting day here in Salt Lake...Utah Football hosts SDSU in their last home game of the season (and Senior Day!) at 2pm and Men's Basketball will take on SUU this evening at 7pm. Women's Basketball and Volleyball are on the road and will compete today as well. Good Luck to everyone!

GO UTES!

Real Salt Lake Takes on LA Galaxy in the 2009 MLS Cup

What an exciting time for local fans! Our very own Real Salt Lake fought their way up from having a seemingly average season and entering the playoffs as a low seed to advancing to the finals. The LA Galaxy is a dominant team in the league, having reached the finals now 6 times and are also the champions for two years running. However, Real is not to be discounted...during the teams' two meetings in the regular season, one game ended in a draw and the other was won by Real. Here are the details of the game....be sure to watch and support our very own team! A special good luck from all of us here at Utah Women's Soccer!


MLS CUP 2009
LOS ANGELES GALAXY vs REAL SALT LAKE
QWEST FIELD, Seattle, Wash.
November 22, 2009, 5:30 p.m. PT (ESPN; Galavision) / KICKOFF 5:55 p.m. PT

Click here for more info about the game and the teams!

PK Shootout...Brilliant tactics or Loony Tunes?

Okay, we are still celebrating here in Salt Lake City as our own Real Salt Lake has made it to the MLS Cup final on Sunday after defeating the Chicago Fire in a dramatic penalty kick shootout...the final will be exciting this weekend as RSL takes on Landon Donovan, David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Which brings to mind this very bizarre PK shootout that happened recently between the University of Hartford and Stonybrook. What would you do if the goalie started doing cartwheels?

Watch!

Heartbreaking Loss in 2OT Cuts the Season Short

After maintaining a 1-0 lead from a great scrappy goal from Erin Dalley, SDSU tied the game with less than ten minutes to play. The overtime periods were hard fought, and fatigue began to set in. SDSU ended up scoring with just 2 minutes left in the second overtime. For more notes on the game, visit our official website.

It is a very strange and sad feeling to have the season end so quickly. The team this year experienced many ups and downs and continued growing and progressing up until the very last game. Most of the girls will be thinking hard about what to do in order to improve themselves and the team next spring and next fall; the seniors will now be looking back on their years of college soccer. The seniors leaving the team will be greatly missed; and they are all moving forward to great things:

Jen Christoffers came from Arizona and has a solid member of the team for 5 years.Her quiet leadership and strong competitiveness have helped the team excel in practice and in games. Jen will be graduating this December with a degree in Family Studies.

Emalee Rogers has been a strong leader on the team for 5 years as well. Her leadership and confidence in the goal will be greatly missed. She will be graduating in the spring with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science and is planning to attend medical schoool; she is currently awaiting replies from her applications.

Kelly Isleib will graduate with a degree in Communications and is looking to join the Women's Professional League. Isleib has been a standout player on the team, in the conference, and in the nation for the past four years. Her one of a kind ball skills have put on a great show for players, fans, and coaches for 4 years here at Utah.

Thank you to everyone who supported the team this season! The team could not do it without the support of our friends, family, our great athletic department, donors, and fans. We look forward to seeing everyone in the near future...stay tuned in to the blog, our official website, facebook, and twitter pages throughout the off season to keep up on team news and events.

GO UTES

Utah Beats TCU and Advances to Semifinals

The Utes got on the board in the 25th minute when Lauren Dudley assisted Kelly Isleib. Lauren Porter gave the Utes a 2-0 lead just ten minutes into the second half; Porter scored on a header from a free kick off the foot of Morgan Skeen. Although TCU snuck one in, the Utes struck back yet again when Erin Dalley blew by TCU defenders and goalie to seal the deal. The team ended up with a solid 3-1 victory.

The team will now take on San Diego State tomorrow at 12:00 pm at South Field. The winner of the game tomorrow will advance to the finals! The finals will be held on Saturday, November 7 at noon. If you can't make it to the game, watch it live online here.

For more details on the game including quotes and a box score please check out our official website.

GO UTES!

Four Utes Earn All-Conference Honors

Kelly Isleib, Erin Dalley, and Lauren Porter earned All MWC First Team honors last evening at the annual conference banquet and Lauren Hair earned a spot on the All MWC Second Team. Coach Manning commented, "We are always pleased to see our players rewarded for their performances when the team does well...all four players were extremely productive for us, especially in the conference season."

The team was looking classy at the banquet!

Don't forget, the Utes kick off against TCU in Provo today at 12:00pm. If you can't make it, click here to watch it live online!

Tomorrow's Game Online

Courtesy of BYU, tomorrow's match will be streamed live online. So, if you can't make it to the game be sure to catch it on this website!

The team is off to the annual Conference Banquet tonight...stay tuned to find out who will be receiving honors this year!

MWC Tournament

The Mountain West Conference Tournament games are arguably the most intense, tightly fought games of the season. The winner of the this week's tournament receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. For almost every team in the conference, this is the 'do or die' part of the season...win or go home.

The #3 seeded Utes will take on #6 TCU Wednesday, November 4 at 12:00pm in Provo at South Field. The winner of this game will then take on #2 San Diego State Thursday at 12:00pm. Please visit our official website for more notes and details on the game.

Check out the rest of the bracket by clicking here!

We hope to see you all Wednesday afternoon...it's playoff time!!

GO UTES!

Senior Day a Huge Success

Jen Christoffers, Emalee Rogers, and Kelly Isleib received special recognition before the game yesterday. All three seniors have proved to be great leaders on and off the field throughout their years at Utah. The last home game of their careers was a great success as the team took down Air Force 3-0. Jen Christoffers scored a goal, Kelly Isleib had an assist, and Emalee Rogers (usually a goalkeeper) got a chance at forward with her fully casted arm! Sophomore Erin Dalley tallied two impressive goals for the team as well.

The day was a very eventful one in addition to Senior Day. We stared off the morning with a great Alumni Reunion. We hung out in the new locker room, signed the new alumni wall, then played a fun competitive game of soccer. "Compo," a favorite shooting game among the team, eventually decided the winner of the Alum battle. It was great to see everyone and we appreciate all of our former players coming back to support the program.

Finally, what would Halloween be without some costumes?! Many kids as well as older fans showed off some awesome costumes at the game. We even had a parade! Half time then ended with a fun soccer relay.

Check out the video below for a quick

recap of all of yesterday's events!

Thanks to everyone who helped make yesterday a memorable one!

The MWC Tournament begins this Wednesday in Provo, Utah. Stay tuned for details on game times and opponents...we hope to see you all there!

GO UTES!

Off To Oklahoma, Back For Halloween

The team snuck in a practice on Monday but because of snowy conditions (yes, snow!) yesterday they focused on watching game film. Traveling all the way to Oklahoma today, the Utes will take on OSU tomorrow night at 7pm. This will be a great non-conference test against a very tough opponent for the team as they head into their final weekend of conference play. OSU (11-7-0) is currently on a four game winning streak and will prove to be top notch competitors. Follow the game on Gametracker!

After returning Friday, the team will take on Air Force Saturday afternoon at 1pm. This is the last home game of the season and also Senior Day. Jen Christoffers, Kelly Isleib, and Emalee Rogers will be honored before the match. In addition, we will be having our Alumni Game Saturday Morning at 10am.

Saturday is also, of course, Halloween! We have a busy day of soccer but we want to celebrate as well! We are inviting everyone to dress up and come in costume! Kids in costume will receive free candy and treats before the game and everyone dressed up is then invited to participate in the half time costume parade! Come on out and spend Halloween Day with Utah Soccer!

Stay tuned for more details about tomorrow's game as well as final information about our Halloween Day Festivities!

Halloween Begins!

After returning from a long road trip (and a successful one!) the team got all dressed up and attended the Athletic Department Halloween Party! The soccer team chose to be Cowboys and Indians...maybe not the most politically correct option...but they did look good! Each sport selects a different theme for the party and there is a costume contest, pumpkin carving contest, a bowling tournament (our athletes love to be competitive no matter what the setting!), and many more events. The party is held in the downstairs area of the Union Building on campus and there is free pizza and treats for everyone! Just another great thing about being a Utah Student Athlete!

One of the Utah Soccer Team's favorite traditions- having a costume Halloween practice - will have to be postponed until next Monday this year as the team travels to Oklahoma Wednesday and has a home game on Saturday. Stay tuned for pictures and video though, it is for sure the funniest (and spookiest) practice of the year!

Utah Takes Down Wyoming on the Road

"Probably the most exciting thing to come out of today's game - seeing the team show a lot of character and break through."

- Coach Rich Manning

The Utes worked back from a 1-0 deficit to overcome a tough Wyoming team 2-1 earlier today. This was an important win for the team as far as points in the conference standings and for their confidence and momentum as well. Lauren Hair tied the game with a great goal and Kelly Isleib hit the game winner with less than 12 minutes remaining. Coach Rich Manning commented, "We scored two fantastic goals in this game...Lauren showed a lot of composure in front of the goal and Kelly hit a bomb." Utah goalkeeper Hanna Turpen also stood out producing 5 saves this evening.

The Utes now have 10 points and have guaranteed a spot for themselves in the Mountain West Conference Tournament in 2 weeks. Stay tuned for a conference update after this weekend as we head into the final weekend of regular conference play next week!

Halloween will be an exciting one for Utah Soccer this year...October 31 will consist of a Costume Parade (anyone who comes dressed up will receive free candy and all kids in costume can be in the parade!), Alumni Game, The Utes' Final Home Game, and Senior Day! Watch for more information about this exciting weekend and plan on coming to join the festivities!

Also, CONGRATS to the Utah Volleyball Team for defeating BYU last night and the Utah Football Team for overcoming Air Force in OT this afternoon!

GO UTES!

Once an athlete, always a competitor!

A college career coming to an end is one of the most difficult times in an athlete's life...the sport you have played almost every day for the majority of your life is suddenly coming to an end for most. It is perhaps most difficult to replace the intensity and competitive atmosphere that were part of your every day life. Many of our Utah Soccer Alums have found other ways to keep their competitive juices flowing....check out a few pictures that they have sent us. Several other people have done similar events! (Kiley Jones, Amber and Katie Brower, and lots of others!) What great accomplishments!

Hailey Marsh running the

San Diego Marathon! Paola Sanchez and Courtney Mcbeth at the Daybreak Triathalon!

Katie Battazzo and Melissa Crespo

at the Kokopelli Triathalon!

Weekly Update

The Utes went 1-1 over the weekend as they suffered a tough loss to the Lobos on Saturday night. Nonetheless, we battled hard and are still improving; everyone feels that the team has not yet played its best soccer. The conference season is flying by....here are the updated standings:

TEAM (Rk.)	CONF	POINTS	OVERALL
BYU	4-0-1	13	13-2-2
Wyoming	3-1-1	10	9-5-3
New Mexico	3-2	9	11-3-2
San Diego State	2-0-2	8	9-3-5
Utah	2-2-1	7	7-8-2
UNLV	1-2-1	4	5-6-5
TCU	1-4	3	8-8-0
Air Force	0-5	0	2-13-1

The Utes will train hard for the next 4 days then hit the road to take on a tough Wyoming team next Saturday, October 24. The team will then have its final home game of the year against Air Force on Saturday, October 31. This Halloween will be a busy one....alumni game, soccer game, and football game that evening! Keep checking in for some behind the scenes stories and updates!

Also a big congratulations to our Football Team (5-1) for defeating UNLV this weekend and moving up to #19 in the AP Top 25!

GO UTES!

Utah Defeats TCU!

In what players describe as a very physical match last night, the Utes prevailed against a tough TCU team. The offense put on a show while the defense played solid. Thirty minutes into the game, Sophomore Chelsea Forbes found Redshirt Sophomore Erin Dalley on a cross that Dalley finished with a header. Dalley now has 5 goals this season, tied for the second highest on the team. Only two minutes later, Senior Captain Kelly Isleib nailed a bending free kick from 30 yards out. Isleib has a team high 6 goals now including 3 from impressive free kicks. Freshman Hanna Terry provided the Utes with the third goal early in the second half. She capatalized on a TCU defensive error and netted her 5th goal of the season as well.

Here are all of the results from last night's conference play:

Utah 3; TCU 1
BYU 3; UNM 0
UNLV 1; AF 0
SDSU 2; Wyoming o

The Utes will host a good New Mexico team tomorrow (Saturday, October 17) at 7pm. See you there!

Contest Winner Announced! Plus,a new Ute Insider is filmed!

Thanks to everyone for entering the ticket giveaway contest! Our lucky winner for this week is Mark Pontius! Mr. Pontius will receive 4 tickets to tonight's match against TCU as well as a Utah Banner signed by the whole team! We appreciate everyone's entries and support, keep watching for future promotions and giveaways! Don't forget, the Utes kick off against TCU tonight at Ute Field at 7pm. See you there!

Also, check ou the latest Ute Insider that was just filmed! You can view it on any of the following websites:

iTunesU Ute Insider Channel: http://su.pr/2vWFwV
Utahutes.com women's soccer page:http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/utah-w-soccer-body.html
Utahutes.com main page: http://utahutes.cstv.com/
YouTube: http://su.pr/5QTbGQ

Conference Update/Weekend Schedule

Another set of exciting conference games beings tomorrow! The Utes are taking on TCU at 7pm tomorrow night at Ute Field. See our official website for details and notes on the game. Come on out on a beautiful fall night and support the team!

Here is what is going on in the conference this week.

Current Standings:

TEAM (Rk.)	CONF	POINTS	OVERALL
Wyoming	3-0	9	9-4-2
BYU	2-0-1	7	11-2-2
New Mexico	2-1	6	10-2-2
Utah	1-1-1	4	6-7-2
TCU	1-2	3	8-6-0
San Diego State	0-0-2	2	7-3-5
UNLV	0-2	0	4-6-4
Air Force	0-3	0	2-11-1

Games this week:

Thursday, October 15:

TCU @ Utah

UNM @ BYU

UNLV @ Air Force

SDSU @ Wyoming

Saturday, October 17:

UNM @ Utah

TCU @ BYU

SDSU @ Air Force

UNLV @ Wyoming

For more details about the league, check out the MWC official website.

Utah Goalkeeper Hannah Turpen Named Defensive Player of the Week!

The Mountain West Conference announced yesterday that Sophomore Goalkeeper Hannah Turpen has been awarded the Defensive Player of the Week Award. Turpen led the Utes to a shutout against UNLV this past weekend and had several important saves against SDSU on Saturday. Turpen has already made 48 saves this year, bringing her career total to 62. Hannah is tied for second place for her goals against average among all goalkeepers in the conference.

Here's what Coach Rich Manning had to say about Turpen, "Hannah showed a lot of mental toughness and character last weekend,” said Utah head coach Rich Manning. “For a lot of the UNLV game she didn’t have much to do, but when they forced her into decisions and plays toward the end, she handled it well. Saturday Hannah was put in a tough environment at SDSU and faced a lot of shots and made a lot of good plays, including a game-saving stop right at the end of overtime. The whole team really stepped up the defense last weekend with a renewed commitment to keeping the ball out of our net.”

Hannah told us, "It definitely feels good to receive this honor but it really should be a team award,” said Turpen. “The whole defense played great in both games. I think we have gotten a lot of our confidence and swagger back. Even though we lost at BYU we walked away knowing that we played well. Then getting two good results on the road this weekend was huge for our confidence. Not just for the defense, before the whole team. It’s a good time to have it back, this could be an important week for us.”

Congratulations Hannah!

Ticket/Prize Giveaway Package!

The University of Utah soccer team is giving you a chance to win free admission for four people to see the Utes battle TCU this Thursday night (October 15)! The lucky winners will also receive a one of a kind banner autographed by the whole team!!

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. MT. Come cheer on the Utes as they continue their quest for the Conference Title!

To enter the drawing, simply send an email to utahsoccer09@gmail.com with your name and contact telephone number, and you will be registered to win. One winner will be selected at random and will receive free admittance to the event for four people.

Please note: By entering the contest, you are acknowledging that you would like to receive periodic email updates from Head Coach Rich Manning about the Utah Soccer Team. Those people already receiving Utah Soccer updates are eligible for the contest but must enter by sending the email to utahsoccer09@gmail.com.

For the match preview as well as this week's game notes, please click here.

Utes Take Down UNLV, Players Reunite with Friends and Family!

The Utes defeated UNLV 1-0 last night thanks to a goal from Forward Erin Dalley late in thegame! Please go to our official website for details on the game as well as quotes from Coach Rich Manning!

The Utes are now 1-1 in conference and are on their way to sunny San Diego right now to take on the Aztecs tomorrow afternoon (1pm Mountain Time...see the post below for a link to gametracker!).

In addition to the win, last night was especially fun for Sophomore Lauren Dudley and Freshman Ashely Mosely, as they are both from Las Vegas! They were cheered on by many friends and family last night.

GAME DAY!

The race for the conference title is only just beginning and we are excited for two more challenging games this weekend! The team is in Vegas now and will take on UNLV tonight at 8pm (Mountain Time). The Rebels are coming off a loss to Oregon State and currently hold a record of 4-4-4. Keep updated with the game on the Gametracker!

The team will then head to San Diego State on Friday and will compete against the Aztecs on Saturday afternoon at 1pm (Mountain Time). SDSU will host BYU thursday night; the Azetcs currently have an impressive 7-3-3 record. This game is also available on the Gametracker.

The Utes have gotten a lot of press lately! Check out the article in the Salt Lake Tribune about Senior Kelly Isleib, the articles in The Chronicle (School Newspaper) about Team Unity, as well as an editorial about Men's and Women's soccer on campus!

Here in Salt Lake, our Women's Volleyball team will take on TCU this evening at 7pm at Crimson Court...come out and support if you are around campus! Also watch Saturday as our Football team battles CSU in Fort Collins at 4pm Mountain Time (live on The Mountain).

GO UTES!

MWC Update

The Mountain West Conference is always a competitive one with many close results and a tight race for the title. Here are the results from the first week of play:

BYU/Utah: BYU wins 2-1 (OT)

Wyoming/Air Force: Wyoming wins 3-1

New Mexico/TCU: New Mexico wins 1-0

(SDSU and UNLV have not yet had a conference match)

This weekend will be another exciting one! Here is the schedule:

Thursday, October 8

Airforce @ TCU

BYU @ SDSU

Utah @ UNLV

Wyoming @ New Mexico

Saturday, October 10

Utah @ SDSU

BYU @ UNLV

Air Force @ New Mexico

Wyoming @ TCU

The Utes will train hard today then hit the road tomorrow to travel to 'Sin City'...hopefully 'Win City' for the team this weekend! Check out our official website for details on the games!

Weekly Update

First, thank you to all of our great fans who supported us Saturday night! We appreciate all of your support and the team would not be the same without it!

So, on to a new week! The team will begin preparing this afternoon for two tough conference games...UNLV and SDSU. The Utes will travel wednesday so it is another quick turn around! Stay tuned for more deatails on the matches coming up later this week.

It's time to finish introducing our newest members of the team this year! We have talked with Stephanie, Natalie, Hanna, and Monica...now it's time to meet Zoe Van Gorder, Allie Wisner, and Ashley Mosely!

GAME DAY!

"The Utah-BYU rivalry is one of the best in women's college soccer. It is always dramatic, it usually goes a long way toward deciding the conference race and it is always played in a special environment. I know that for the players on our team, it is generally one of the best memories they will take away from their college experience, getting to play in these types of games. I certainly don't have to motivate anyone to get ready to play this game. It will be more about competing with confidence and poise in the face of thousands of screaming people." (Coach Rich Manning on tonight's game.)

The weather is dark and cool, but the day is full of tension and excitement. The Utes will embark on the drive to Provo in just a few hours and begin preparing for one of the most important matches of the season. Practices have been intense and positive all week and upperclassmen prepared a special team bonding activity for last night...the team is more ready to go than ever.

Check out this highlight video created by 5th Year Senior Jen Christoffers....guaranteed to pump you up! Don't forget, kick off is at 8pm tonight...see you there!!

The Rivalry

Since Utah and BYU are only about 30 miles apart, it's no wonder that the rivalry is so big within the state. In addition, many alumni from both schools manage to somehow end up at the other end of the valley at some point...and one of those people is Assistant Soccer Coach Laurel Roderick! Roderick is originally from Southern California but she came to Utah to play soccer and attend college at BYU...and she's has been here ever since. After graduating from BYU, Laurel then attended Law School at BYU and began coaching at the U at the same time. Laurel's husband, Aaron Roderick, who is currently the Utah Football Receiver's Coach is also a BYU alum...we're just glad they ended up wearing red! Here's what Laurel had to say about the rivalry....

Utah vs. BYU this Saturday!

It's already that time of the year again....that is, time for the Utes to go Cougar hunting (meaning the Team Down South...not the middle aged women). The game this year will be hosted by BYU in Provo on Saturday, October 3 at 8:00pm. Check out our official website for details and notes on the game.

The Utah/BYU rivalry has been said to be one of the most intense and well-known in the entire country- each year every one of our sports battles the Cougars and the contests are always heated, full of emotion, and extremely exciting! The BYU soccer stadium is very impressive and will hold thousands this Saturday night.

Check out some of the photos below from past rivalry games and stay tuned for more to come in the next few days!

Utah Falls to Pepperdine...Now Focusing on Conference Play

In a close 1-0 contest, the Utes fell to a good Pepperdine team this afternoon. The Utes are experiencing some tough challenges as they have dropped several close matches in the last few weeks after a near perfect beginning. However, the team is ready to keep tweaking their formation, practices, and game plan and move forward into a brand new season of conference play.

In addition to the game taking place today, the teams, fans, and school helped to promote cancer awareness by having a "pink game"...anyone who wore pink received free admission and the halftime show consisted of some awareness trivia. Thanks to all of our great fans who helped build a great atmosphere for this Sunday game!

The Utes will have a day off tomorrow then go hard the rest of the week in order to prepare for their first conference match next Saturday against the biggest rival...BYU. The game always promises to be intensely fought and undoubtedly exciting. Stay tuned to the blog and the official website this week for more inside updates and details on the game.

See the video below to hear what coach Rich Manning has to say about the upcoming week and how the team will overcome their current challenges.

p.s. Congrats to Utah Volleyball for defeating BYU Friday night and also to Football for taking down Louisville! GO UTES!

Utes Lose Heartbreaker in OT

The weather was beautiful and the setting couldn't have been better...but the Utes' night did not end favorably. The in-state rivalry is always a tough one and with an overtime goal the Aggies came out on top this evening. Freshman Zoe Van Gorder tallied her second goal of the season by heading in a great corner kick played by Chelsea Forbes. Goal Keeper Emalee Rogers also had a solid game in the goal, making a very impressive save in the first half. For more notes on the game as well as the box score, visit our official website.

The Utes will bounce back against Pepperdine this Sunday at Ute Field at 1pm. Don't forget....it's the "Pink Game" which means everyone who wears pink gets in for free! Pink Games are a way of recognizing and promoting cancer awareness, so come out and support!

In other Utah sports news, Utah Volleyball takes on BYU at home (Crimson Court) tomorrow night at 7pm. Come support the team as they look to win the first Deseret Duel of the year! Saturday night the Utah Football Team will be hosting Louisville at Rice Eccles Stadium...looking to recover from a disappointing loss to Oregon last week. GO UTES!