Utes play home-opener under the lights against the Wildcats Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 25, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
SALT LAKE CITY - The University of Utah women's soccer team (1-1) will play in front of its home crowd this weekend for the first time in 2008. The Utes will face the Arizona Wildcats (1-0) Friday night at 7:30 p.m., and will then host No. 18-ranked Georgia (1-0) Sunday at 1 p.m.
Utah and Arizona last faced off in the 2007 season-opener, with the Utes capturing a 2-1 win in Tuscon. Now a senior captain, it was then-junior Katy Reineke (Salt Lake City, Utah) who opened the scoring with an assisted goal in the 12th minute of play, scoring off of a 30-yard free kick. After taking a 1-0 lead into halftime, the Utes went up 2-0 in the 51st minute when Adele Letro beat the Wildcat keeper with a chip-shot, after receiving a feed from current sophomore Lauren Hair (Alpine, Utah). Kristina Camacho scratched one back for the Wildcats with 12 minutes left in the contest, but it was all the Utes would allow.
The Utes hold an all-time record of 4-3-0 against Arizona, including a 2-1-0 record at Ute Field. Utah has won two straight against the Wildcats, having also defeated them by a 2-1 score in 2006. The Utes last loss to UA came in a 1-0 overtime defeat in Tuscon in September of 2005.
Utah does not have nearly as much history against the Bulldogs of Georgia, having never faced them in the Rich Manning era. However, their single previous encounter was a positive one as Utah claimed a 3-2 win on the Bulldogs' home field in Athens in 2000. The Utes also have a history of success against Southeastern Conference teams, holding a 4-2-0 record against them, including an unbeaten mark of 2-0 in Salt Lake City.
Utah enters the weekend with a 1-1-0 record after earning a weekend split on the road to open the season. Friday night saw Utah fall to No. 21 Wake Forest, by a 2-1 margin in overtime. The Utes bounced back on Sunday at UNC Greensboro, this time coming out on the winning end of a double-overtime decision, downing the Spartans by a 2-1 score. Junior midfielder Kelly Isleib (Park City, Utah) scored the goal against Wake Forest, then buried the game-winner against UNCG off of an assist from sophomore defender Morgan Skeen. Freshman Katie Martinez (Littleton, Colo.) netted the first goal of the game in the 17th minute of play.
Scouting The Arizona Wildcats...
Arizona carries a 1-0 record into Friday night's contest after taking down Cal Poly by a 1-0 score in their season-opener. The only goal of the game was scored by Camacho, while Jacqueline Broussard was credited with the assist.
Arizona brings back seven starters and 19 letterwinners from a 2007 squad that went 6-13-1 overall, finishing ninth in the Pac-10. The team's top statistical returner from 2007 is senior forward London King, who accounted for four goals. In the season-opener against Cal Poly, she got off one shot, missing her target. Junior goalkeeper Chelsea McIntyre made Arizona's only goal stand up, making five saves to preserve the shutout.
The Wildcats are coached by Dan Tobias, now in his sixth year at Arizona, who holds a 47-48-8 record (.495). Tobias is 1-2 against Utah since becoming Arizona's head coach in 2003.
Scouting The Georgia Bulldogs...
Georgia is coming off of the best season in school history after posting a 2007 record of 18-4-2. Reigning SEC Coach of the Year Patrick Baker has high hopes for his young Bulldog squad and is playing the non-conference schedule to prove it. Georgia will face BYU Friday night, before invading Ute Field Sunday. The Bulldogs then follow this road trip with home matches against Virginia, Stanford and 2007 NCAA Champion Southern California, then will get back on the road with a trips to play North Carolina and Duke in Raleigh-Durham.
Georgia got the 2008 campaign off on the right foot with a 2-0 victory against in-state foe Mercer in Athens last Friday. Both goals were scored by freshman forward Ashley Miller, who captitalized on an early chance created by junior strike partner Carrie Patterson.
After taking a 1-0 lead into the locker room at halftime, the Bulldogs went up 2-0 when Miller converted an opportunity in the box after getting on the end of set piece played around Mercer's defensive wall. Towards the end of the game, Miller nearly recorded a hat trick, narrowly missing the top-right corner of the Mercer goal.
Junior goalkeeper Michelle Betos made two saves in the contest, including an acrobatic parry over the bar to keep Georgia's lead at 1-0. Betos is the current UGA record-holder for single-season victories, credited with all 18 wins in 2007.
The Bulldogs' top statistical returner from 2007 is Patterson, who earned second-team NSCAA All-America honors last year. A Hermann Trophy candidate for National Player of the Year, her 25 career goals and 14 career assists place her at No. 3 on the career points list at Georgia with 64. Her 25 tallies also put her in fourth for career goals scored.
From The Mind of Manning...
Quotes from Utah head coach Rich Manning regarding his squad, this week's opponents and other items of note:
On Splitting Two Road Games To Open The Season:
"Looking back on the weekend, I think we competed very well against two good teams, and that is a huge positive. We had some nice moments and we some players come in and perform well under pressure. There were a lot of positive things that came out of it."
On This Weekend's Home-Openers:
"I am anxious and eager to see how we perform in our first home games of the year. Now that we have two games under our belt, I want to see if we can continue to improve. We have so many new players, they may not remember what it was like to play Arizona, but I think they will enjoy it.
"Arizona will play a passing style just like Wake Forest. Georgia will be another good measuring stick for us too. They have a quality team that plays good soccer and they will test us. I think the players will enjoy playing a team from another part of the country. All of our players are really excited to play a game at home under the lights."
On Playing Two Overtime Games To Start The Season:
"I think it showed good grit and competitiveness from our player that we were fighting all the way until the end of those games. I think the players were pleased with Sunday, even though it didn't go our way the whole game, we hung in there and found a way to win, and we didn't do that a year ago. I certainly don't want to play 20 overtime games, but it was a positive that the athletes got more minutes out there. I think that will serve us well later in the year when we get to conference play."
Isleib Comes Out Firing...
Junior Kelly Isleib has wasted no time finding her scoring stroke in 2008, hitting the back of the net in both of Utah's games to open the season. The Park City, Utah native netted the game-winner in double-overtime Sunday to lift the Utes over UNC Greensboro, on the Spartans' home field. Friday night saw Isleib score in the 12th minute at No. 21 Wake Forest, in a game that ultimately ended in a 2-1 overtime loss for the Utes.
Isleib entered the year needing just six helpers to become the all-time career leader in assists at Utah. She already stands in third place in that category with 17, and is chasing the career mark of 22 held by Amanda Feigt (2003-06). Last year she set a new school record for assists in a single season, dishing out 13.
Martinez Breaks The Ice...
Freshman Katie Martinez netted her first career goal in Utah's 2-1 double-overtime victory at UNC Greensboro Sunday, becoming the first freshman to score in 2008. Martinez earned a starting position in both of Utah's season-opening games last weekend, playing primarily at the holding midfielder spot.
Reineke Creates Dual Threat...
Senior captain Katy Reineke has given Utah's opponents more than one reason to fear her game. Not only has she proved a prolific scorer, tallying 14 goals, including nine in 2007, but can also beat opponents with precision crossing from the left side. Despite not being credited with her second assist of the season, Reineke created Martinez's scoring chance in Sunday's game by whipping a left-footed cross into the box following a set piece.
Reineke is currently the leading shot-taker on the squad, firing eight shots, two of which have been on goal, testing the opposing keeper.
Rogers Solid In The Net...
By starting both of last weekend's games in the Utah goal, junior captain Emalee Rogers (Centerville, Utah) has already logged more starts in 2008 than her previous career total through two years. Coming into the season, Rogers had appeared in seven games, making one start.
Through two games, Rogers has recorded two saves. She has also helped organize the defense in front of her, which has held its opponents to a combined seven shots on goal.
Hair Picks Up Where She Left Off...
Sophomore Lauren Hair has been credited with one assist thus far, setting up Kelly Isleib's goal against Wake Forest Friday night. Though it was not reflected on the scoresheet, she also combined with Morgan Skeen to create Isleib's game-winning strike Sunday at UNC Greensboro.
Following her stellar freshman year, Hair is being asked to do yeoman's work up top, often as the lone striker, and has so far proven herself effective in the role.
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