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5 p.m.
Soccer
at UCF
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Friday, September 7
Salt Lake City, UT
7:00 PM
University of Utah
vs
Brigham Young
Photo by: Steve C. Wilson
Utes Prepare for Pair of In-State Foes
9/4/2018 10:29 AM | Soccer
Deseret First Duel on Friday, at Utah State on Monday
Utah vs. BYU
Date: Friday, September 7
Location: Ute Field
Kickoff: 7Â p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Mountain
Live Stream: Pac-12.com
Live Stats: UtahUtes.com
Utah at Utah State
Date: Monday, September 10
Location: Logan, Utah
Kickoff: 4 p.m.
Live Stream: UtahStateAggies.com
Live Stats: UtahStateAggies.com
Utah Soccer hosts BYU for the Deseret First Duel on Friday evening and then travels up to Utah State on Monday afternoon, completing a weekend of in-state showdowns.
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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.
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QUICK KICKS
- The next victory for Utah would be the 250th in program history
- Carly Nelson is third among Pac-12 goalkeepers with 17 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
- Haylee Cacciacarne led Utah with five assists and also scored Utah's first Pac-12 goal of the season at No. 2 UCLA
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WEEKEND RECAP
Utah Soccer saw a late lead slip away in a 2-1 double overtime loss at No. 19 Kansas last Friday.
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Hailey Skolmoski scored with less with five minutes remaining in regulation to put the Utes ahead. She got in front of a Kansas goal kick and headed it back toward the net for her first tally of the season and 23rd of her career. Unfortunately, the Jayhawks scored 36 seconds later and added a winner in the second overtime.
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Utah had not lost an overtime game since the finale to the 2013 season, 1-0 at No. 13 Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, a string of 21 games (5-0-16)
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THE DESERETÂ FIRST DUEL
Friday's matchup between Utah and BYU will mark the first contest of the 2018-19 Deseret First Duel rivalry series. This is the 12th year of the rivalry series that includes each sport where Utah and BYU compete head-to-head during regular-season play.
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The Deseret First Duel uses a system that awards points to the winner of each competition. A team trophy will be awarded to the individual winner in each sport. Points won by the individual sports will count toward each school's overall total. A granite traveling trophy is awarded to the overall series champion each year.
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Utah won last season's competition and has captured it five of the last six years. The school that wins the head-to-head competition in each sport is also awarded $1,000 by Deseret First Credit Union for its student-athlete scholarship fund. The university that wins the most sports at the end of the season will receive an additional $5,000 from Deseret First for its athletic scholarship fund
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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SERIES HISTORY
Utah is 7-21-2 all-time against the Cougars and 4-9-0 in Salt Lake City. Utah had won two in a row at Ute Field by identical 1-0 scores before a 2-0 setback in 2016. Utah is 42-29-3 all-time against in-state foes. Last season in Provo, the teams played out a 1-1 double overtime draw.
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Utah is 15-5-0 all-time vs. Utah State after a 2-0 win last season. The Utes scored a pair of goals in the first two minutes to earn the victory. Tatum Thornton scored the first of her career off a pass from Haylee Cacciacarne. The Utes have a 6-2-0 mark in Logan, winning 3-0 in 2016. Hailey Skolmoski scored an early goal and the Utes added another one minute later before tacking on a third at the hour mark. Utah is 85-27-13 all-time vs Mountain West opponents, with a 30-11-6 mark on the road.
Players Mentioned
Midfielder/Defender
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ SoccerUtah Soccer's Ali Swensen - ESPN+ Feature
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Utah Soccer's Lilliah Blum - ESPN+ Feature
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Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Tony Caridi, voice of the West Virginia Mountaineers
Tuesday, September 23
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Urban Meyer
Wednesday, September 17