2008 Utah Soccer Season Outlook

8/19/2008 12:00 AM | Soccer

Aug. 19, 2008

Following a 2007 season that saw the University of Utah soccer team miss out on an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in six years, head coach Rich Manning and the Utes are looking for a shot at redemption in 2008. With a group of experienced veterans and an infusion of young talent, the Utes have their sights set on a return to the top of the Mountain West Conference standings.

The Utah soccer team is entering the 2008 season invigorated, focused and aiming to regain their championship form. With three of their top four goal-scorers returning to the lineup, the Utes are looking ahead with an air of optimism and confidence.

"I think in a lot of respects we are looking at this season as fresh start," said Manning. "We have had a very successful group of players graduate over the past two seasons and we have brought in 17 newcomers in that time to take their place. That is a lot of turnover, but we now have a new group of leadership at the front end and I think everyone is very excited. It makes for a little bit of nerves and anxiety as we try to figure out how to find solutions to our questions, but it is a chance to see what kind of magic we can create with a new crop of players.

"There is definitely an element of redemption from the 2007 season," Manning added. "Last year we didn't come in fit and it felt like we were running uphill from the very beginning. We finished the year so poorly, losing two road games and then the conference tournament, I think people are really excited to get after it this year. Those feelings have certainly been reinforced since the start of preseason. Our players came in a week early on their own, trained on their own, and have been working really hard. There is surely an optimism about the team. We have had a target on our back for the last few years, but it feels different to adopt a new underdog mentality. It can energize you if you channel it the right way."

Creating an Explosive Offense
With the departure of last year's leading scorer, Utah now looks to a combination of seasoned veterans and skillful newcomers to fill the offensive void. The Utes will look immediately to senior captain Katy Reineke, junior Kelly Isleib, and impactful sophomore Lauren Hair.

Reineke was Utah's second-leading scorer in 2007, netting nine goals and dishing out seven assists for 25 points. Happy to give others the goal-scoring glory, Isleib set a new Utah single-season record for assists with 13, bringing her career total to 17, and is now poised to shatter the school record of 22. Hair joined the action with a tremendous freshman campaign as the third-leading scorer, hitting the back of the net four times and notching seven assists, good for a 15-point effort. When combined with the other pieces of the Utes' attacking puzzle, Manning believes they can be one of the most productive offenses in team history.

"I think this is one of the most talented groups of attacking players we have ever had," said Manning. "We will have the ability to build an attack through combinations and break down defenses with the drive-and-dish. We also have three or four players who can slice and dice through a crowd. I think it will be a lot of fun to put together a mix of those elements that will work.

"The offense will run through Isleib, who can do anything that needs to be done on a soccer field from an attacking standpoint. She can hold it under pressure, dictate where the play goes, quarterback the offense, break down a defense and score. It will start with her. Kelly needs to score more, she has to have a different mentality and realize that she is not just a set-up player this year, and she definitely has the ability to do that. Reineke is just a classic player who says `I can beat you with my shot or with a deadly cross. On a set piece or in the run of play, I'm going to make it happen.' Along with those two, Lauren Hair has improved tremendously since last fall. I think in her second year we will see a similarly versatile player, in combination with her hard work, relentlessness and improved game.

"Additionally, we will have some really nice pieces around those three players. We will miss Erin Dalley a lot (redshirting with a knee injury). I don't think we can replace everything she does with one player. She can head the ball, pass it, hold it, and defend. That being said, I am really impressed with our new players up front. Chelsea Forbes can hold the ball, find other players, and slice and dice through a defense. Anne Shallenberger has been clinical in her finishing with both feet and I think she will be able to score goals. Jen Cristoffers has been hampered with a knee injury but when healthy she has pace, bite, and a history of scoring goals. Hopfully we can put it all together and do some damage around our opponents' goal."

Building Through the Midfield
One of the critical elements to Utah's 2008 success will be its ability to keep possession and play through midfield. Senior captain Amanda Sanchez and junior captain Danielle Sample look to anchor a young, talented group of players. Combination play, linking up several consecutive passes to maintain possession or build an attack, and strong defending, will be the foundation of the Utah midfield.

"This is a group that can hold the ball well, connect passes, and get forward as a unit," said Manning. "Centrally, Sanchez is a fifth-year senior who will return to the midfield to provide a lot of stability and experience. She played there in her first two years, then last year we put her in the back. Katie Martinez is a tremendous freshman who can close down gaps, defend in big spaces in the midfield and can keep it herself. Sample will add to that, with the ability to keep the ball and make the simple pass to unlock a defense.

"We will also have some very good wide players, including Reineke. Roxanne Tebbs is another freshman who can really run at people with the ball, and we will use Katie Brower, a junior transfer from Utah State, out wide also. Mallory Mitamura is another freshman who has shown good instincts defensively, and will probably play in the wide midfield. But whether we put her in the midfield or in the back, she has good instincts on where to be, how to disrupt play, and position herself well. We will have a lot of options, and I think we will be able to hang onto the ball really well."

Changing The Mentality Of A Defense
For all of the confidence the team displays offensively, the Utes know they must be better defensively if they are to have success in 2008. Utah surrendered 29 goals last year, allowing opponents to score two or more goals in a game nine times, giving up a goals-against-average of more than 1.3 as a team.

The healthy return of several veterans and the addition of strength and height on defense gives the team hope for a solid turnaround. Most important though, will be a renewed toughness and attitude that Manning has instilled in the back line.

"Our defense is definitely an area we have to improve on from last year," said Manning. "More than just tactics or decisions, we have to be better mentally. We gave up a lot of soft goals, either at the wrong time in a game or as a result of a silly play. It seemed that whatever we did wrong, we got punished for. This team has to change its mentality, and we have a good group to do that. Morgan Skeen is back from ACL surgery after suffering the injury in mid-season, and we really missed her during conference play. On the right side or in the middle, Morgan is as hard-nosed as they come and she will provide some of that bite we missed last year. Nicole Cardon improved tremendously after her freshman year. She gives us pace in the back, she is a good tackler and is becoming a more well-rounded player. Alyssa Toomey is back from shoulder surgery and she is another smart player who can handle the ball. Addie Hair is a good athlete and Christine Quinn has gotten stronger and become a better athlete herself. Both of them could give us some valuable minutes back there.

"We will also see several newcomers on defense. Lauren Dudley and Lauren Porter are both good on the ball, good decision-makers, and are both great in the air. Kellie Woodfield is a player we could use in the midfield or in the back. Wherever we use her, she brings a good work ethic and a lot of energy as a freshman and I think she will make an impact."

Minding The Net
Utah comes into the 2008 season with four goalkeepers: senior Amy Edman, junior Emalee Rogers and freshmen Shaylyn Kennedy and Hannah Turpen. Despite the presence of two veterans, this group can account for just 193 minutes of collegiate game action, with Rogers shouldering most of that load. A backup to both Ashley Mason and Lynzee Lee prior to this season, Rogers played in the last two games of the 2007 campaign. In her only start, she made a pair of saves to record a shutout in the first round of the 2007 Mountain West Tournament, as the Utes blanked Wyoming, 2-0. Despite the lack of collegiate game experience, Rogers left her mark on the WPSL in the offseason, earning several postseason accolades as she helped guide the Arizona Rush to the WPSL championship match.

After sitting out two consecutive years with knee injuries, Edman returned healthy in 2006, but did not see any action. She made her way onto the field as a collegiate goalkeeper for the first time in 2007, making two saves against Utah Valley State to help preserve a 6-0 shutout.

In addition to Edman and Rogers, Turpen and Kennedy come to Utah following highly-touted high school and club careers, and give the Utes solid and dependable depth.

"We don't have a lot of experience coming back in terms of game minutes," said Manning. "But we do have a lot of good character, strong leadership ability and talented goalies. Emalee Rogers had a fantastic season with the Rush and was named the second-team WPSL Goalkeeper of the Year and was voted the first-team Big Sky Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. She comes into the year with a lot of confidence coming off of that great experience. She is very good with her feet and is a good shot-stopper. Amy Edman has shown major improvement over the last two years. She is another good shot-stopper, is a big presence in the goal and handles airballs well. "Hannah Turpen is a freshman who was named the Southern California High School Defensive Player of the Year last year. She has great athleticism, good feet, and is comfortable coming out of her box. She has a bright future and will do well for us. Shaylyn Kennedy is another freshman who is a terrific athlete, and in the preseason has shown flashes of it. She is is getting to the ball, making saves, and has a lot of tools that we will continue working with."

A Glance At The Schedule
The Utes have traditionally played a difficult non-conference schedule in preparation for the Mountain West portion of the season, and the 2008 campaign proves no different. Among its non-conference opponents, Utah will welcome the likes of Arizona and Georgia to Ute Field, while traveling as far as North Carolina and Los Angeles for respective road contests against Wake Forest and Loyola Marymount.

"We always load up the early part of our schedule with tough games," said Manning. "It helps us get ready for conference play and allows us to test ourselves against quality opponents. I think this year we play a good variety of teams, from very athletic squads to teams that are more defensive and like to keep the ball. "We are always excited to play against schools with good soccer traditions or that come from a conference with strong soccer traditions. Recently we have been at the same tournament as Wake Forest a few times but never gotten to play them. It will be nice to have that chance, they always play hard and finish in the top three or four in the ACC. We have faced Arizona four or five times in the last few years and that has developed into a nice little rivalry. Playing against Georgia will be great, that is a quality team with good athletes, and it is always fun to take on someone different who is coming off of a really good year. I think that energizes everyone. Also, we played Oregon last year in Salt Lake, so it will be good to get out and see how we do against them and Oregon State on that weekend road trip. "By the time conference competition rolls around, our young group will be much more seasoned and ready to take on the Mountain West."

Playing Winning Soccer
"Over the last few years, we really knew who we were as a team going into the season," said Manning. "It felt like we were just honing ourselves and waiting for the postseason. The fun part for us this year will be making a lot of exciting discoveries in our regular-season journey. I expect that we will improve quite a bit as the season progress, and I think we might end up in a far different place than we start, in terms of how we play and the ways we are successful.

"Our first goal is to play winning soccer. We played really attractive soccer a year ago but our mentality wasn't right. We gave up goals or failed to put teams away when we had chances, and that needs to change. We need to play better winning soccer, locking down teams on defense, making good decisions and making plays when we need to. Having watched the kids for a few weeks now, I have confidence that we can be as good as any team we have had here. I think it is overall the most skillful group we have had, and I expect that to translate into good soccer and wins. There is no question that we are capable of winning the conference championship, but we have to go out and prove it."

Helping To Grow The Sport They Love
For years, Manning has instilled in his players two main goals, one obvious and another more inconspicuous. Not only does he want his teams to win games and championships, but he hopes the Utes can demonstrate a benevolence towards the game and its fans in the process.

"Of course we want to win games, make the NCAAs and win our conference, which is what everyone aspires to," said Manning. "But we want to play good soccer and educate our fans while doing so. We want to play a style of soccer that they can enjoy, and we want to help grow our sport. We go into every season ready to do that and we put ourselves on the line by doing so. This will once again be at the forefront of what we are doing on and off the field this year."