2023-10-03 23:22:51
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SALT LAKE CITY – After collecting a win and a tie during their first Pac-12 road trip of the season, the University of Utah women’s soccer team will try and keep that momentum intact when they return home for two more conference matches at Ute Field in Salt Lake City, starting on Thursday, when they’ll play host to the California Golden Bears at 6 p.m., followed on Sunday by a 1 p.m. clash with the No. 3 Stanford Cardinal.
THURSDAY’S MATCHUP
Date | Time: ThursdayOct. 5 | 6:00 p.m.
Utah (5-3-4) at California (5-3-3)
Location: Salt Lake City | Ute Field
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Stream: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @UtahWSoccer
SUNDAY’S MATCHUP
Date | Time: SsoOct. 8 | 1:00 p.m.
Utah (5-3-3) vs. Stanford (10-0-1)
Location: Salt Lake City | Ute Field
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Stream: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @UtahWSoccer
Game Day Promotions
Thursday will be Senior Day at Ute Field and seniors Courtney Brown, Megan Quiggle, Ragan Vanschalkwyk and Taliana Kaufusi will be honored before the start of the match and fans can get their hands on senior posters as well. It will also be the Unmuted Mental Health Match with the organization’s wellness team being recognized during the evening, as well as the U Alumni match and Alumni Association members can purchase discounted tickets.
Sunday’s showdown will serve as Camper Reunion Day and any Utah Soccer camp attendee will be allowed in for free with their camp registration form or camp t-shirt. Fans will be able to get their face painted at the game for free.
Scouting California
The Golden Bears have started the season by going 5-3-3 in their first 11 matches, scoring victories over San Francisco, Cal Poly, San Diego, Washington, and Arizona, three of which were clean sheets. Cal tallied 48 shots over those matchups, 28 of which were on goal and produced 12 total goals. In their most recent matchup against ASU on Oct. 1, midfielder Rilee Harmon found the back of the net to even the score 1-1, eventually leading to a tie against the Sun Devils.
Harmon is one of five players who has collected multiple goals for the Golden Bears so far in 2023-24, with her first of the season coming on Aug. 31 to aid in Cal’s 5-1 victory over San Francisco. Karlie Lema has been the team’s most prominent offensive threat, leading the squad with three goals and a total of 22 shots. Lema’s season-high of five tries came on Sept. 10 in a 1-0 loss to CSU Fullerton.
In goal for the Bears, Teagan Wy has not missed a start and has produced four clean sheets. Wy picked up a season-high eight saves against North Carolina on Aug. 20, which contributes to her 43 saves on the season, tied for fifth-most in the Pac-12.
All Time Against California
With 15 matches in the books between these two programs, the Bears own a 10-1-4 record against their rivals from Salt Lake City, including a 5-0-1 mark in Utah. The Utes did manage a tie against California in Sept. of 2013 at Ute Field and their lone win in the series came in Berkeley in 2018. Utah came from behind on that day courtesy of second-half scores from Makayla Christensen and Paola Van Der Veen in a 2-1 triumph.
Last Time Against California
Utah’s most recent trip to the Bears home field came in 2022 and ended in a 0-0 draw. Kasey Wardle and Evelyn Vitali combined to record a clean sheet for the Utes, with Vitali making the biggest play of the day for the visitors, saving a penalty in the 71st minute that kept the shutout intact.
Scouting Stanford
Stanford has had a dominant 2023 season, remaining undefeated through their first 11 matches, winning ten with the only exception being a 1-1 draw against Georgetown on Sept. 10. Stanford opened the year by blanking San Diego on Aug. 17, 4-0, one of six shutouts they’ve logged in 2023. The Cardinal is set to make its next appearance in Boulder, taking on Colorado on Thursday Oct. 5, before heading to Salt Lake City to face the Utes.
Jasmine Aikey has been the team’s top goal scorer, finding the back of the net five times through 11 matches, while also ranking second on the team in shots, racking up 34. The owner of Stanford’s highest total in shots is Maya Doms, who has fired off 42 efforts to go with four goals on the season. Together, the duo has posted 32 shots on goal, scoring nine times.
Senior goalkeeper Ryan Campbell has started 10 of 11 matches in 2023, never giving up more than one goal in any of her appearances. Campbell has been responsible for all six of her squad’s clean sheets, including spotless showings against No. 10 Duke, No. 12 Santa Clara, and No. 24 Washington State. She racked up a season-high five saves against Santa Clara on Sept. 17.
All Time Against Stanford
The Utes will be aiming for their just their second win ever over the Cardinal when Stanford comes to Ute Field and the program’s first since 2006. That meeting more than 17 years ago ended in a 2-1 Utah triumph over the then-19th ranked Cardinal, as Emily Campbell and Adele Letro registered goals to help the Utes spring the upset. Stanford has won the last eight meetings between these sides.
Last Time Against Stanford
The Cardinal was ranked No. 7 nationally when the Utes visited Stanford in 2022 and came out on the short end of a 5-0 defeat. Utah was credited with eight total shots in the match, including two each by Brooklyn Blaylock and Kelly Bullock.
Racking Up Results on the Road
For the first time in program history, the Utes have gone undefeated through their first eight road fixtures. They kept that streak alive with a draw at Oregon State on Thursday and a 4-2 Sunday win at Oregon. The program’s previous best start on the road involved four matches without a defeat.
Penalty Kickers
The Utes have earned four penalty kicks so far in 2023, tied for third-most in the nation and a total that already eclipses their number in that statistic from 2022. The last time Utah was awarded more than four PKs in a season was in 2008, when they took six.
Looking at the Pac-12 Leaderboard
One glance at the Pac-12’s statistical leaderboard will uncover several Utes in the top five in various categories. Katie O’Kane’s six goals have her fifth in the league and she ranks third in shots. Courtney Brown’s four assists are tied for second in the conference, while both Utah goalkeepers are in the top five in save percentage. Kasey Wardle’s 44 saves have her tied for third in the Pac-12.
Bullock’s Early Breakthrough
Kelly Bullock put the Utes on the board in the third minute in what became a 5-0 trouncing of Utah Valley on Aug. 30. Bullock’s score at the 2:21 mark goes down as the program’s earliest goal since Natalie Vukic’s tally 40 seconds into a match against Utah State in 2017.
First Half Fireworks
Utah’s attack was also responsible for three first period tallies in their rout of the Wolverines. Those three first half scores represented their highest total in the opening 45 minutes since they scored four times in the first half against North Dakota State on Aug. 27, 2017.
Ring the Bella
Bella Woods tallied Utah’s first goal of the season in the team’s Aug. 17 meeting with N.C. State. That made her the first Utah freshman to register the program’s season-opening score since Erin Dalley in 2007. Woods also picked up an assist in the Utes’ win over College of Charleston.
NCAA Tournament History
The Utes are aiming to reach the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in school history and the first time since 2019. Utah put together its best postseason finish in 2016, when they forged a path all the way to the Sweet 16.
By The Numbers
The list of players back in the fold for Hideki Nakada’s club includes just about all of the team’s statistical leaders from 2022. Taliana Kaufusi, who piled up a team-high six goals, is back for her senior campaign, while assist leader Ryann Cull has returned after collecting four helpers a season ago. Kaufusi also led the squad in shots in 2022 with 41, followed by fellow returners Katie O’Kane, who racked up 28, and Courtney Brown, who posted 26.
In goal, all four of Utah’s keepers, Evelyn Vitali, Kasey Wardle, Megan Quiggle and Taylor Prigge, are back for another season. No one on the roster collected more saves than Vitali’s 48 in 2022, while Wardle crafted a 0.70 goals against average. Utah’s keepers combined to record seven shutouts a season ago.
Senior Six
Utah’s six-person senior class is comprised of Courtney Brown, Brooke Hale, Katie O’Kane, Taliana Kaufusi, Megan Quiggle and Ragan Vanschalkwyk. This group has combined to take the field in over 200 matches for the Utes and Brown is the one player remaining from the 2019 squad that reached the NCAA Tournament.
New Utes
Utah’s 2023 roster includes seven new faces and that list of newcomers is comprised of freshmen Kennedy Schoennauer, Lilliah Blum, Bella Woods, Rylan Park, Mia Becarevic and Izzy Smith and sophomore transfer Alex Schoenstadt.
Woods, Becarevic and Smith were all part of an Alta High School squad that made a run to the state playoffs in 2022, while Schoennauer helped her squad capture the CCA Division II Championship, Blum was named her conference’s player of the year and Park was an all-league selection.
Schoenstadt played her freshman season with Ole Miss and helped the Rebels achieve a winning record, as well as record nine clean sheets.
Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll
The Pac-12 released its preseason coaches poll on Aug. 14 and the UCLA Bruins garnered nine first place votes and landed in the top spot in the poll. The Utes were ranked 10th.
2023 Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2023 season are now available. Fans can purchase season tickets for $35.00 by calling the Utah ticket office at 801-581-UTIX or visit www.utahtickets.com. Utah soccer team scarfs available as a $10.00 add-on.
Up Next
After Utah’s homestand, they’ll travel to UCLA for a 7 p.m. match on Oct. 13.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer).
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