Men’s soccer sweeps weekend
On Friday night, the Utah State men’s soccer team defeated Southern Utah University 5-1 on the Legacy Fields in Logan.
The Aggies posted another home win Saturday night after beating Utah Valley University 5-2, and are now 5-1 on the season.
Friday night against SUU the Aggies dominated the whole game. USU maintained possession for the majority of the game and SUU barely squeezed in a goal with five seconds left on a penalty kick.
“We pinged the ball well,” said Utah State coach Shawn Casey. “I thought that we were dangerous. We took a lot of shots. I think their keeper got lucky at times, because we really kind of battered him.
“We had lots of opportunities for the subs to come in. They maintained the level and intensity and it seemed like it was a pretty good game. My subs played the majority of the second half.”
Coach Casey also said he had concerns in the past of the subs not keeping up the level of intensity when they come in the game. The game provided an opportunity for the subs to get some practice.
Saturday night against UVU the Aggies came out strong and scored two quick goals to go up 2-0. Then UVU came back and answered them scoring two goals to tie it up at 2-2.
The game stayed knotted up at a 2-2 tie going into the half.
“I think I could have been pretty upset with them and really chewed on them,” Casey said. “But instead I told them that hey, we are a team, we all win together and we make mistakes together, and it’s how we respond to them. So I asked them point blank, ‘Can you guys go out there and respond to them? It’s a new game right now. Can you guys go out there and respond?’”
Aggie team captain Landon Howard said the coach’s message worked.
Utah State chose to respond to the message coach Casey gave them. They scored 3 goals in the second half, winning 5-2.
“It was a must win game for us to put us on the right path to regionals,” Howard said. “The way that we played together as a team. The way that we went out there and played for each other. We pretty much played to have fun and win. I think when we play like that we are very dangerous, and we have a great chance to take regionals again for the second year in a row.”
The team has just a few more games till regional play begins.
“I am taking it one game at a time,” Casey said. “The objective is to get to regionals and then win regionals again and go to nationals. Right now we are siting good. I am proud of them. I feel I have a team, not just individual players but team that really cares about each other and really supports each other.”
The other USU co-captain, Braeden Loveless, said the team has good chemistry that helps them win games.
“We are feeling really good,” Loveless said. “One of the biggest thing that we have is that we are best friends on and off the field and we love playing the game. So it just all comes together when we play.”
https://usustatesman.com/gallery/soccer-usu-vs-suu/
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