Alums and Families Support Utes in Oregon

The Utes love it when we have supporters, especially when they are old friend and family members of the players. And we had some great support. Starting it all is the Dalley family...Erin Dalley is a sophomore forward. Erin is from Viewmont High School and Centerville, Utah. However she spent much of her childhood in Vancouver, Washington...just over the border from Portland. The youngest (of many) children, Erin has older siblings that have stayed in the northwest....and they came out in full force to cheer on the Utes last weekend. Erin's folks, Bob and Sharon, were there also. We loved the red shirts and posters. Erin had to miss the trip last fall to Oregon and Oregon State due to a knee injury that kept her out all season. So it was great to have her out on the field this spring. She rewarded the fans with a two-goal outburst on Sunday against Seattle U.

We also had the Isleib family out to support the Utes. Parent Bob and Kim as well as brother Dave and sister Justin came out to watch Kelly with the national team as well as play with us on Sunday.

And we had two of our esteemed alums there as well. Maren Harper, was captain of the 2002 team that was the first to make the NCAA playoffs. She is now coaching with FC Portland. Maren came out to the games in between coaching assignments. Also, Bobbie (Benegas) Hackenbruck came out on Saturday with her new son, Boden. Bobbie was captain of the 2003 Mountain West Conference champions. She lives in Bend, Oregon with former Ute football great, Tommy Hackenbruck. Rumor has it that they may be moving back to Salt Lake soon.

Great to see everyone!

Spring Season Finishes in Oregon

Great weather, good competition, watching soccer and Ronaldo....

We finished our spring season this past weekend in Oregon with two games at the NIKE campus in Beaverton. We played on the Ronaldo fields there (remember him?).

We fell to the University of Oregon, 1-0, on Saturday. And we defeated Seattle University, 2-1, on Sunday. In between games, we watched the U.S. under 23 national team defeated the University of Portland. All in all, a great way to end a very productive spring season.

On Saturday, we faced the Ducks from Oregon. The Utes were without Kelly Isleib (who was finishing her U.S. team camp), Katie Martinez (injured leg) and Nicole Cardon (shoulder). So some players were moved to different positions as Morgan Skeen played holding midfield and Mallory Mitamura and Christine Quinn filled in admirably at outside backs. We also were happy to have a guest appearance from senior Katy Reineke.

The Ducks were playing their first game of the spring and we fired up to get out and play. We played a lot of defense in the first half as we struggled to match the energy of our opponent. Oregon had a couple of good chances in the first 10 minutes, but were unable to finish. In the 20th minute, Lauren Porter hit a long ball to Erin Dalley, who got behind the defense but had her shot saved by the Ducks' goal keeper. That play seemed to settle us down and the game evened out after that.

Five minutes into the second half there was an exciting sequence. First, goal keeper Hannah Turpen kept the game scoreless with a terrific save on a 1 vs. 1 situation. The ball was cleared out and the Utes sent a threading pass to Lauren Hair who was off on her own breakaway. La hit the ball just inches wide of the far post.

Oregon scored the game's only goal in the 57th minute as a forward got loose just inside the box to the left of the Utah goal and hit a shot that caromed off the far post and into the net. We responded well. In the 63rd minute, Mallory Mitamura fed Erin Dalley with a nice pass and Erin's shot was saved. And in the 65th Dalley fed La who just missed. Overall, it was a fairly good performance which improved after the first 20 minutes.

On Saturday evening, the team packed up the vans and headed to the University of Portland to watch the Pilots take on the U.S. under 23 National Team. The game was enjoyable with a great environment and a good level of soccer. The U.S. defeated Portland, 3-2. We were rooting for our own Kelly Isleib, who was with the U.S. team. Kelly didn't see any action, but she looked good in her uniform. Kelly had played for the U.S. earlier in the week in wins again Oregon State and Washington.

On Sunday, we headed back to the NIKE campus for a match with Seattle University. Kelly rejoined us for the game. We started a bit slowly again. In the fourth minute, the Redhawks opened the scoring with a 25 yard blast. Facing an early deficit, we fought back and Lauren Hair drew a penalty kick in the 10th minute. La took the kick and placed it well into her right corner. However the Seattle goalie made a fantastic diving save to preserver the lead.

We had another close call in the 13th minute after Kelly Isleib took a short corner and drilled a cross to the far post, Lauren Dudley was there but couldn't quite get her volley on frame. Kelly fed La in the 35th minute over the top of the defense, but her shot was saved. Just before the halftime whistle, we tied it up as Chelsea Forbes hit a corner kick into the middle where Erin Dalley headed it home...1-1!

The Utes took the lead four minutes into the 2nd half as Chelsea Forbes hit a threaded ball between the Seattle center backs from midfield to a streaking Erin Dalley, who slipped it into the net...2-1!

In the 55th minute, Emalee Rogers kept the lead with a fantastic save on a 1 vs. 1 breakaway. In the 65th minute, Morgan Skeen saved a ball that was heading into the net after a near collision with goal keeper Shay Kennedy (who had replaced Emalee just prior to the play).

Just one minute later, after a great buildup, Kelly Isleib fed Christine Quinn who had raced forward from her right back spot. Chris fired a shot from just inside the box that clanged off the crossbar. Just two minutes from time, Shay saved a hard shot from 25 yards out and the victory was sealed.

Overall a good weekend of soccer!

Relaxing at the Shallenbergers

We played two games at the BYU invitational down in Provo on Saturday. With the first game scheduled at 10 AM and the second at 6 PM, there was plenty of down time...so what to do on a wet day in between?

Never fear...the Shallenberger family was gracious to host the team at their house near the BYU campus for lunch and some relaxation. Ute freshman, Anne Shallenberger and her parents, Steve and Roxanne were great hosts. There was plenty to eat, movies, resting and even a birthday cake for "young" coach, Rich Manning, who was celebrating another birthday.

The Shallenbergers have some adventure in them and have set up some "fun" rides and exercises in their yard...a zip line, a swing and a human sling shot. And we were determined to try some of these out... check out the photos and videos!


Lauren Dudley rides the zip line!



Coach Manning celebrates his birthday with a wild swing ride!




Anne Shallenberger gets raised up before trying the big swing at her house!\








Hannah Turpen gets some advice and encouragement from Steve Shallenberger and Shay Kennedy.
















Coach Manning blows out the many candles on his birthday cake.

Utes Win Two at BYU Invitational

It was a cold and wet day in Utah on Saturday, but it was shining brightly for the Utes. We played in in BYU Invitational down in Provo and came away with a 2-1 victory over Utah Valley and a 1-0 win over Dixie State.

Chelsea Forbes (pictured at left) had two assists in the opening match and Lauren Hair continued her torrid scoring streak, notching the game-winner in each match.


The morning match was played outside in a drizzle as the Utes faced the Wolverines from Utah Valley. We got off to a strong start and created several chances in the first half of the game. Anne Shallenberger hit the post on the 10th minute. Goal keeper Hannah Turpen saved a one on one in the 23rd minute. And Erin Dalley headed a Chelsea Forbes free kick just wide in the 26th minute.

The Wolverines broke through in the 33rd after Hannah had trouble hanging on to a UVU free kick and the rebound was knocked home. The Utes responded well and were unfortunate not to equalize before halftime. Just four minutes after the goal, Chelsea hit a laser free kick just over the bar from 25 yards out. And just before the break, Morgan Skeen hit a shot that was saved and Anne followed with a dangerous cross.

Down 1-0 at the half, Utah came out firing. Emalee Rogers (pictured at left), continuing her comeback from a broken leg suffered over Christmas, replaced Hannah in goal. After knocking at the door a few times, the Utes were rewarded in the 50th minute. Chelsea Forbes delivered a cross on a free kick from the right side. The ball skidded across the Wolverine goal and Katie Martinez headed it home for the 1-1 tie.

More chances followed...Erin Dalley rose above the crowd on a corner kick but headed wide in the 55th minute. And Anne Shallenberger's shot was saved in the 63rd. With just 5 minutes left, Chelsea Forbes made a weaving run on the right side and sent in a cross to the middle. Lauren Hair turned with the ball and toe-poked it home past the on-rushing 'keeper...a fantastic goal! The Utes held on for a 2-1 win.

The second game against Dixie State was moved indoors as the steady rain during the day had made the field too wet. Freshman goal keeper Shay Kennedy played the first half, while Hannah Turpen replaced her in the second. Utah used a Lauren Hair penalty kick in the second period to clinch a 1-0 win.

Utes Score 3-1 Victory over Utah State Aggies

Soccer returned to the Utah campus for the first time since late October as the Utes earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over the Utah State Aggies. The attacking trio of Kelly Isleib, Lauren Hair and Erin Dalley combined to create all three goals as the Utes held off the 2008 WAC champions.

Utah started strong and held an advantage in possession throughout the early stages of the match. In the fifth minute, Isleib threaded a pass from midfield that split the defense and put La La in on the Aggie goal. La hit a hard, low shot that caromed off the near post. A Utah State defender tried to clear the ball off the line and it ricocheted off another Aggie and into the net. The own goal gave the Utes a 1-0 lead.

In the 29th minute, Kelly, La and Dalley had a thrilling combination of passes that put Dalley on the ball inside the box, but her shot was saved be Molli Merrill, the Aggie goal keeper.


The Aggies had a series of corner kicks late in the half, but were unable to capitalize.



Early in the 2nd half, the Utes put some pressure on the Aggie goal. Chelea Forbes hit a fantastic shot from 22 yards that Merrill acrobatically tipped over the bar. In the 65th minutes, Erin Dalley made an explosive, weaving run with the ball from just inside the mid-line to the top of the 18-yard box. Her initial shot was blocked but came right back to her and she cooly pushed it into the net for a 2-0 lead. Erin missed all of last season with an ACL injury and is starting to find her form.









Utah State rallied later in the half. Lauren Hansen got into the Ute penalty box in the 75th minute and cut a defender before pushing her shot wide. In the 79th minute, the Aggies scored an apparent goal but it was taken back as Utah was called for a foul as the shot was being taken.
On the ensuing free kick from the top of the 18, Lindsey Smart powered into the corner of the net to cut the lead to 2-1.

Just one minute later, the Utes responded. Kelly Isleib took a ball from the left side and hit a laser-like cross to the far post where Lauren Hair lunged to half volley it home from 8 yards out....a fantastic goal and a 3-1 lead. La La has continued her scoring spree that had her score all 5 of her goals last fall in the last 8 games. She has scored 2 in just 3 spring games and also created the own goal last night. La is becoming a very dangerous player each time she steps on the field, whether she is scoring, creating for others or drawing fouls.






The defense looked good for most of the match. Sophomore Nicole Cardon had a very strong showing, especially in the second half as she shut down the right side of the Aggie attack and got forward a few times as well. Fellow sophomore Morgan Skeen also created havoc on the other side in the second half, getting forward a few times and just missing on a shot late in the game.















All three returning goal keepers saw action. Hannah Turpen played the first 45 minutes. Emalee Rogers and Shay Kennedy both played in the second half. Emalee has fought hard to come back from a broken leg suffered over the Christmas break. It was great to see her back out on the field.






The Utes will return to action this Saturday at the BYU invitational. They will face Utah Valley at 10:00 AM and then play Dixie State at 6:00 PM. Ute midfielder Kelly Isleib will leave Saturday to go to camp with the U.S. under 23 national team in Portland, Oregon.

La La and K Mart Rule the Day

We had another edition of Utah Champions League at training this morning...5 vs. 5 (including goal keepers)... first goal wins....winning team stays on....every 15 minutes, we mix up the teams and continue the games. Teams are chosen randomly. We keep track of everyone's wins and losses during the tournament (including goal keepers).

Today's champs....Lauren Hair and Katie Martinez each won 71% of their matches.


This is a great way to add some spice to training as well as give the players an idea about how they are as competitors. They may be thrown into situations where they have to play a role or position they are uncomfortable in doing. And they have to figure out a way to win as many games as possible. So La La and KMart are the queens until the next round of Utah Champions League.

Utah State Game Re-scheduled for April 8

We've had a couple of spring snow showers here in Salt Lake City. On Sunday morning we got a few inches in just a couple of hours...and this morning another shower hit early... we love the spring snow as it can extend our skiing/snowboarding seasons!

However, it is not great for our field...so we are re-scheduling our game with Utah State. Originally slated to happen this Wednesday, it will now be played on the following Wednesday, April 8 at 7:00 PM at Ute Field. Admission will be free...come out and watch two in-state teams in action...

Our updated spring schedule:

April 4 - Utah vs. Alumni (11:00 AM) at Ute Field
April 8 - Utah vs. Utah State (7:00 PM) at Ute Field
April 11 - BYU Invite (10:00 AM and 2:30 PM).
April 18 - Utah vs. Oregon (12:00 PM) at NIKE HQ in Beaverton, OR
April 19 - Utah vs. Seattle U. (10:00 AM) at NIKE HQ in Beaverton, OR

1st Spring Day Brings Mixed Results

After almost 3 months of training and conditioning, we finally got out and played some soccer yesterday in Las Vegas. And the performances brought out some good and some bad that we can work on in the next few weeks.




Both games were played over 70 minutes...we fell to BYU, 2-1 in the opener. The Cougars got out to a 2-0 halftime lead and were able to hold on despite a late goal by Lauren Hair. The match was marked by the return to play of Hannah Turpen (injured late in the fall season), Erin Dalley (surgery last summer), Katie Martinez and Anne Shallenberger (off-season surgeries). After about 10 minutes of feeling each other out, the Cougars opened the scoring when Lauren Anderson got behind the defense and pushed it past Hannah. The goal seemed to rattle us as well as energize BYU and the next 25 minutes or so were not so great for the Utes...we didn't insist on keeping the ball and lost our composure a bit....The Cougars doubled the lead when Jennie Marshall slammed home a shot from close range...

The second half was a bit better as the Utes kept the ball and were able to create a few more chances...with Dalley and Kellie Woodfield having shots from close range saved. "La La" pulled one back with 5 minutes left when she dribbled around the corner on the right side of the BYU goal and hit a shot that the goal keeper let slip through her hands...but we could not get the equalizer.

The second game against UNLV ended in a 0-0 tie. We played some good soccer and had some chances to score in the first half. The Rebels turned it on in the final 10 minutes and were unlucky not to get the game-winner with a breakaway and a great chance on a corner kick...we seemed to tire at the end. The game marked the debut of goal keeper Shay Kennedy, who red-shirted in the fall. Shay was composed and played very well in getting the shutout.

Overall some good soccer and great feedback. We need to shore up a few things in the back...and work harder to get more people involved in the attack...

Next up, Utah State this Wednesday at 7:00 PM at Ute Field...we got some snow today, so we'll keep you posted on any changes.

Spring Snow and the "Spence"

There is an old saying here in Utah that if you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes...
because it will change. After a week of sunshine and "spring" time, we had a steady dose of snow on Monday. One of those last spring showers...Great for those of us that like to get out on the slopes a couple of last times. Not good for outdoor soccer! However, we are very thankful for our Spence Eccles Fieldhouse on campus here at the U. Built in 2004, we have a full-sized soccer field to train on which allows for year-round development for our team.

We had a great training session this morning...working on speed of play as we prepare for our first spring games this Saturday in Las Vegas. The "Spence" hosts all athletic teams on campus...even the pros join in...This morning the Real Salt Lake team followed us into the facility. They were snowed out of their training field and wanted to get a good session in ahead of their MLS season opener this Saturday in Seattle against the Sounders. For more information on RSL, check out their web site: www.realsaltlake.com.

KMart and Anne Coming Back Strong

We've mentioned a few times that we have several players in the process of "comebacks". Our injured ladies are at various stages of their rehabilitation. So far, much progress has been made. Two freshmen, Katie Martinez and Anne Shallenberger have had surgery to repair what is called compartment syndrome. The procedure is called a fasciotomy.

Katie and Anne are well on the way to full recovery and you can hear for yourself on this video.
We're glad to know they will both be back on the field for our spring season!