Utah State Soccer finds ‘gems’ in Cache Valley

Utah State Women’s Soccer has been able to sustain a high level of success over recent years, winning the past three Mountain West championships and currently sitting atop the Pac-12 standings.  

One factor that has been able to sustain the team’s success is their access to local talent. Currently, there are seven players on Utah State’s roster who come from Cache Valley, nearly a quarter of the roster.  

Head coach Manny Martins has a few hypotheses as to why Cache Valley produces so much soccer talent. His first has to do with the quantity of players in the valley. 

“I’ve learned since I’ve gotten to Utah State that Utah has the most kids per capita playing soccer out of any state in the country. I’ve also heard that Cache County has the most kids per capita out of any county in Utah, so I think that has something to do with it — just pure numbers,” Martins said. “I think it says a lot about the community. Moms and dads that volunteer to coach — it says a lot about the family atmosphere where people prioritize making sure that they are a part of creating a good environment for their kids to grow up with sports and other activities.” 

In addition to the quantity, Martins believes USU has an advantage to accessing that talent due to the secluded nature of the Cache Valley. 

“The kids in the Cache Valley that decide at some point during their high school years to leave and go play for the clubs that play on the national platforms. They get recruited by successful programs on the national stage,” Martins said. “Those who choose to stay more local will fly under the radar, especially for programs that are outside of our state or outside of our region. But again, we maybe have benefited from that a little bit.” 

Many members of the team feel similar to Martins, which they feel allows them to get lesser-known talent on the roster. 

“[Martins] and I were talking a while ago, and he used the phrase ‘hidden gems,’ and I think that’s perfect. Since we don’t get as much recognition in the valley, he’s able to pick apart and find those hidden gems,” sophomore midfielder Mia Lopez, a Logan native, said. “There are very talented players in the valley who probably aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. Being able to pull from the valley has helped to develop a strong local team.” 

The team strives to keep local talent here at USU, as they see the benefits within the team. 

“We’re intentional about our recruiting, and I think this is a philosophy that’s been part of my recruiting philosophy, which is we’re always going to want to keep the best local talent in town. I mean, it just makes sense,” Martins said. “We have benefited from the fact that there’s been a lot of talent in the Cache Valley, so that part has been not necessarily in my control. I don’t get to dictate how much talent is in town, but I feel fortunate that kids are growing up in this area and they can associate themselves with Utah State.” 

Many of the Cache Valley residents have ties to Utah State long before they join the team. For Lopez, those ties helped her return to Cache Valley after starting her collegiate career at Brigham Young University. 

“Growing up, I went to a lot of USU soccer games. I was able to see the environment as a fan and on the field, and that helped me with my decision to come back because I knew what I was going to get out of Utah State,” Lopez said. “Growing up in this environment and being able to see it from a different view really encouraged me to commit here.” 

Another benefit the team sees by recruiting from within Cache Valley is that many of the players come to the program with connections to their teammates that they were able to develop in high school. 

“Having that background helps because we know each other’s playing styles and we played with them before, so just being able to bring that here helps a lot,” said Summer Sofonia, a Hyrum native. “We’re all coming here, and we’ve already had that experience of that high-level play, and so being able to transition was easier because we’ve already been playing with each other at a higher level.”  

Lopez, who played her prep years at Logan High School, played alongside many of her current teammates. 

“I grew up playing with [Hadli] Barrera, Sofonia, and Capriel Winder. I think there’s a different connection when we’re all on the field together. I know how they play from high school, and that connection really does help.” Lopez said. “I think that connection helps off the field as well. I think it makes being with the team more fun, and I know how to connect with them because I grew up with them.” 

Another benefit the team sees with its connection to the valley is the attendance of fans wanting to support players they grew up around. 

“There’s tons of groups in different parts of the field who are cheering for a local girl,” Lopez said. “We bring a lot of fans in general, but the local girls especially because we grew up around so many people from the valley. It goes to show how good of a support system we have.” 

While the team views their local ties as a strength, they make sure that factor doesn’t impact the team’s chemistry as a whole. 

“We work hard to make sure that the dynamic within the team transcends location or regionality because we’re never going to have a team of 28 players from the Cache Valley, so we have to make sure that the team dynamic is not swayed one way or another because of that,” Martins said. “It certainly affects the dynamic within the community because I think the community is proud of Utah State and how Utah State represents them, especially when Utah State has so many members of people from the Cache Valley that understand what the Cache Valley is about and that are representing it to another level.” 

With the team having such strong ties to the community as a whole, there is a sense of pride within the team to represent Cache Valley within the state of Utah and beyond. 

“There’s a different motivation when we play other Utah teams. Utah State gets stereotyped, and that’s what creates that different motivation,” Lopez said. “We’re hungrier to be the best team in that state and to prove that Utah State is the place to be.”