Utes at No. 19 Kansas on Friday Night

Friday, August 31

Lawrence, KS

6:00 PM

University of Utah

Kansas

Photo by: Steve C. Wilson

8/28/2018 12:47 PM | Soccer

Soccer Notes - Week 3

Utah plays nationally-ranked Jayhawks on the road

Utah at No. 19 Kansas
Date: Friday, August 31
Location: Lawrence, Kan.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. CT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: KUAthletics.com

KICKOFF
Utah Soccer will spend its third-straight weekend on the road with a contest at No. 19 Kansas this Friday evening. The game can be seen live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. CT/6 p.m. PT

The Utes return seven starters from last year's squad including All-Pac-12 performers Paola van der Veen, Hailey Skolmoski and Tavia Leachman. Utah has 16 players back that saw action last season and added 12 newcomers to the roster.

QUICK KICKS
- The next victory for Utah would be the 250th in program history
- Carly Nelson s second among Pac-12 goalkeepers with 12 saves this season
- Utah ranked fourth in the Pac-12 last season with 27 goals (1.4 per contest)
- Hailey Skolmoski tied for the team lead with Paola van der Veen at eight goals apiece, ranking fourth in the Pac-12
- Utah matched the school record for goals in a match during its 9-0 victory over NDSU last season
- Haylee Cacciacarne led Utah with five assists and also scored Utah's first Pac-12 goal of the season at No. 2 UCLA

WEEKEND RECAP
After having its game canceled on Friday, Utah traveled to UC Irvine on Sunday afternoon. After an early penalty kick went against the Utes, freshman Makayla Christensen scored her first collegiate goal in the 84th minute to get a 1-1 draw.

PO PICKS UP PAIR OF HONORS
Paola van der Veen was an All-Pac-12 performer last season and named All-West Region by the United Soccer Coaches.

A native of The Netherlands, Van der Veen responded to an injury-plagued sophomore season with an outstanding junior year. Van der Veen finished fourth in the conference with eight goals and fifth in the league with 20 points, pacing the Utes in both categories.

This was the second Pac-12 postseason honor for Van der Veen. She earned a spot on the All-Freshman team in 2015 when she paced Utah with six assists, ranking sixth in the Pac-12.

UTAH TABBED NINTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The University of Utah soccer team was selected to finish ninth in the Pac-12 Conference this season, according to a preseason poll of the league's coaches

The Utes return seven starters from last year's squad including All-Pac-12 performers Paola van der Veen, Hailey Skolmoski and Tavia Leachman. Utah has 16 players back that saw action last season and adds 12 newcomers to the roster.

SERIES HISTORY
Utah is 2-0-0 vs. Kansas, including a win last season at Ute Field. Hailey Skolmoski scored the winner as Haylee Cacciacarne added a goal and assist. The Utes also beat the Jayhawks, 2-1, during the 1999 season.

Utah owns an 11-5-2 mark and is unbeaten in its last eight contests against Big 12 teams going back to 2008. During that stretch, the Utes beat Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament, earned a pair of draws with Oklahoma, knocked off Texas and captured four victories against TCU when they were rivals in the Mountain West Conference.

UTES RACK UP ACADEMIC AWARDS
Utah Soccer placed a pair of student-athletes on the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team and had 16 Utes honored by the conference due to their academic success

Max Flom (3.99, Political Science) earned First Team honors for a second time. Hailey Skolmoski (3.90, Human Development and Family Studies), who was a First Team selection in 2016, was named to the second team last year.

Paola van der Veen was honored for the second year in a row while Haylee Cacciacarne, Holly Daugirda, Ireland Dunn, Aleea Gwerder, Tavia Leachman, Carly Nelson, and Kristin Fairbairn were all recognized. Since joining the Pac-12, Utah has 85 all-academic honorees.