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6 p.m.
Soccer
at TCU
Sunday, August 27
Salt Lake City, UT
12:00 PM
University of Utah
vs
Clemson
Women’s Soccer Back at Home for Matchup with Utah Valley
8/25/2023 12:29 PM | Soccer
After back-to-back road wins, Utes host two matches at Ute Field
SALT LAKE CITY – Following a season-opening swing of three straight road matches, the University of Utah women's soccer team is nearing its first two chances to take the field at home, as the Utes prepare to host the No. 19 Clemson Tigers in their 2023 home opener, followed shortly after by a home fixture against the Utah Valley Wolverines.
The Utes and the Tigers will clash on Sunday at Ute Field, with kick-off scheduled for 12 p.m., while Utah and UVU are set to meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Game Day Promotions
The Utes will be welcoming fans back to their home field for the first time in 2023 with a list of promotions that includes free bucket hats for the first 75 students and free ice cream sandwiches for the first 100 fans. All those in attendance can also grab a 2023 schedule poster and stick around after the final whistle for postgame autographs with the entire squad.
On Wednesday, fans can get in free by showing their ticket to Thursday nights Utah football game and kids 12 and under wearing their club team's soccer jersey will also be admitted free of charge. The first 300 students through the gates will receive a free MUSS t-shirt.
Scouting Clemson
The Tigers, who started the year ranked at No. 25, are attempting to capture their 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and they've started that quest with a tie followed by back-to-back shutout victories.
After battling South Carolina to scoreless draw, Clemson has outscored its last two opponents 11-0 and is tied for 13th in the nation in scoring. Nine of those goals came in a blowout win over Gardner Webb, which included a Samantha Meredith hat trick and a five-point performance courtesy of Makenna Morris. The Tigers also racked up a school-record 58 shots against the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Four days later against UVU, the Tigers scored a 2-0 triumph thanks in part to four saves made by goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz, who is in her second year as the program's starter in net.
All Time Against Clemson
The Utes and the Tigers have only met once going into Sunday's showdown and that fixture on Clemson's home field ended in a 2-0 victory for the home side. Hal Hershfelt and Dani Antineau tallied goals for the Tigers, who ended the day with a 13-5 advantage in shots.
Scouting Utah Valley
With three matches in the books so far in 2023, the Wolverines have filled all three columns on their ledger, registering a tie, a win and a loss and they'll be in action again on Sunday when they visit Idaho State before making the trip to Salt Lake City.
UVU spent the 2023 season dominating the Western Athletic Conference to the tune of a 9-1-1 record and their resume earned them an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament. The list of returners from that squad included five student-athletes who were named preseason all-conference and senior defender Jenna Shepherd Gremillion earned the title of WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
One of the stars of the young season for the Wolverines has been forward Faith Webber, who was named to the United Soccer Coaches Forwards to Watch List in the preseason. Webber has already collected three goals and an assist and posted five points her team's 5-1 victory over Houston Christian on Aug. 20.
All Time Against Utah Valley
Wednesday's contest will represent the first time since 2016 the Utes and the Wolverines have tangled and the eighth time overall. Utah can count six victories in those seven previous tussles, with the only exception being that 2016 engagement, which ended in a scoreless draw. The Utes are also a perfect 5-0 against UVU in matches at Ute Field.
Last Time Against Utah Valley
There were 20 combined shots when these teams met seven years ago and nine of those tried were on goal, but in 110 minutes of action, neither the Utes nor the Wolverines could find a goal. Utah's July Mathias collected three saves, while UVU's Brooklyn Nielsen made five.
Newcomer Contributions
The Utes added seven new players to the roster prior to the start of the 2023 season and at least one of those newcomers has appeared on the scoresheet in each of the squad's first three matches. Bella Woods tallied Utah's first goal in their season opener against N.C. State, then Woods and Alex Schoenstadt picked up assists against College of Charleston. In the team's 1-0 triumph on Thursday, Kennedy Schoennauer recorded her first collegiate point by assisting on Taliana Kaufusi's game-winning goal.
Tangling with the Top 25
Clemson enters Sunday's match ranked 19th in the United Soccer Coaches poll and the Utes will be attempting to knock off a ranked opponent for the first time since they took down No. 17 Arizona State on April 9, 2021.
Home Opener History
The Utes have come out on top in each of their last four home openers, including a 3-0 defeat of Colorado State a year ago. Utah's all-time record in home openers stands at 23-5.
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-opener score since Erin Dalley in 2007. Woods also picked up an assist in the Utes' win over College of Charleston.
Courtney Contributes Three Points
Courtney Brown had a busy day against College of Charleston, contributing a goal and an assist in a 2-0 Utah triumph. This marked the second time in her career she filled both columns in a single match and the third time she tallied at leas three points. If Brown can pick up four more assists in 2023, she'll break into the program's all-time top-five in that statistic.
Keeping the Net Clean
Utah goalkeepers Kasey Wardle and Evelyn Vitali combined to make 10 saves across 2023's first two matches, including six in Sunday's clean. Those 10 stops are the most by Utah's keepers over the season's first two matches since the Utes were credited with 14 saves in 2019's first two tilts.
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 reach 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.
Scanning the Schedule
The Utes started the season on the road for the third time in the last four campaigns and their road clashes with the Wolfpack and Cougars will be followed by a visit to Utah State. The Utes will begin their home slate on Aug. 27, when they host the Clemson Tigers at 1 p.m. Utah will be at home nine times in 2023, including their Pac-12 opener against USC on Sept. 22 and a closing-day matchup with Colorado on Nov. 3.
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
The first home match of Utah's 2023 season will take place on Sunday, when the Utes will host the Clemson Tigers for a 12 p.m. tilt.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer).
The Utes and the Tigers will clash on Sunday at Ute Field, with kick-off scheduled for 12 p.m., while Utah and UVU are set to meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
| SUNDAY'S MATCHUP Date | Time: Sunday, Aug. 27 | 12:00 p.m. Clemson (2-0-1) vs. Utah (2-0-1) Location: Salt Lake City, Utah | Ute Field Live Stats: Click Here Live Stream: Click Here Twitter Updates: @UtahWSoccer |
WEDNESDAY'S MATCHUP Date | Time: Wednesday, Aug. 30 | 6:00 p.m. Utah Valley (1-1-1) vs. Utah (2-0-1) Location: Salt Lake City, Utah | Ute Field Live Stats: Click Here Live Stream: Click Here Twitter Updates: @UtahWSoccer |
Game Day Promotions
The Utes will be welcoming fans back to their home field for the first time in 2023 with a list of promotions that includes free bucket hats for the first 75 students and free ice cream sandwiches for the first 100 fans. All those in attendance can also grab a 2023 schedule poster and stick around after the final whistle for postgame autographs with the entire squad.
On Wednesday, fans can get in free by showing their ticket to Thursday nights Utah football game and kids 12 and under wearing their club team's soccer jersey will also be admitted free of charge. The first 300 students through the gates will receive a free MUSS t-shirt.
Scouting Clemson
The Tigers, who started the year ranked at No. 25, are attempting to capture their 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and they've started that quest with a tie followed by back-to-back shutout victories.
After battling South Carolina to scoreless draw, Clemson has outscored its last two opponents 11-0 and is tied for 13th in the nation in scoring. Nine of those goals came in a blowout win over Gardner Webb, which included a Samantha Meredith hat trick and a five-point performance courtesy of Makenna Morris. The Tigers also racked up a school-record 58 shots against the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Four days later against UVU, the Tigers scored a 2-0 triumph thanks in part to four saves made by goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz, who is in her second year as the program's starter in net.
All Time Against Clemson
The Utes and the Tigers have only met once going into Sunday's showdown and that fixture on Clemson's home field ended in a 2-0 victory for the home side. Hal Hershfelt and Dani Antineau tallied goals for the Tigers, who ended the day with a 13-5 advantage in shots.
Scouting Utah Valley
With three matches in the books so far in 2023, the Wolverines have filled all three columns on their ledger, registering a tie, a win and a loss and they'll be in action again on Sunday when they visit Idaho State before making the trip to Salt Lake City.
UVU spent the 2023 season dominating the Western Athletic Conference to the tune of a 9-1-1 record and their resume earned them an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament. The list of returners from that squad included five student-athletes who were named preseason all-conference and senior defender Jenna Shepherd Gremillion earned the title of WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
One of the stars of the young season for the Wolverines has been forward Faith Webber, who was named to the United Soccer Coaches Forwards to Watch List in the preseason. Webber has already collected three goals and an assist and posted five points her team's 5-1 victory over Houston Christian on Aug. 20.
All Time Against Utah Valley
Wednesday's contest will represent the first time since 2016 the Utes and the Wolverines have tangled and the eighth time overall. Utah can count six victories in those seven previous tussles, with the only exception being that 2016 engagement, which ended in a scoreless draw. The Utes are also a perfect 5-0 against UVU in matches at Ute Field.
Last Time Against Utah Valley
There were 20 combined shots when these teams met seven years ago and nine of those tried were on goal, but in 110 minutes of action, neither the Utes nor the Wolverines could find a goal. Utah's July Mathias collected three saves, while UVU's Brooklyn Nielsen made five.
Newcomer Contributions
The Utes added seven new players to the roster prior to the start of the 2023 season and at least one of those newcomers has appeared on the scoresheet in each of the squad's first three matches. Bella Woods tallied Utah's first goal in their season opener against N.C. State, then Woods and Alex Schoenstadt picked up assists against College of Charleston. In the team's 1-0 triumph on Thursday, Kennedy Schoennauer recorded her first collegiate point by assisting on Taliana Kaufusi's game-winning goal.
Tangling with the Top 25
Clemson enters Sunday's match ranked 19th in the United Soccer Coaches poll and the Utes will be attempting to knock off a ranked opponent for the first time since they took down No. 17 Arizona State on April 9, 2021.
Home Opener History
The Utes have come out on top in each of their last four home openers, including a 3-0 defeat of Colorado State a year ago. Utah's all-time record in home openers stands at 23-5.
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-opener score since Erin Dalley in 2007. Woods also picked up an assist in the Utes' win over College of Charleston.
Courtney Contributes Three Points
Courtney Brown had a busy day against College of Charleston, contributing a goal and an assist in a 2-0 Utah triumph. This marked the second time in her career she filled both columns in a single match and the third time she tallied at leas three points. If Brown can pick up four more assists in 2023, she'll break into the program's all-time top-five in that statistic.
Keeping the Net Clean
Utah goalkeepers Kasey Wardle and Evelyn Vitali combined to make 10 saves across 2023's first two matches, including six in Sunday's clean. Those 10 stops are the most by Utah's keepers over the season's first two matches since the Utes were credited with 14 saves in 2019's first two tilts.
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 reach 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.
Scanning the Schedule
The Utes started the season on the road for the third time in the last four campaigns and their road clashes with the Wolfpack and Cougars will be followed by a visit to Utah State. The Utes will begin their home slate on Aug. 27, when they host the Clemson Tigers at 1 p.m. Utah will be at home nine times in 2023, including their Pac-12 opener against USC on Sept. 22 and a closing-day matchup with Colorado on Nov. 3.
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
The first home match of Utah's 2023 season will take place on Sunday, when the Utes will host the Clemson Tigers for a 12 p.m. tilt.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer).
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Players Mentioned
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MID
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