Aggies continue solid start, remain unbeaten
For a program only in its 11th year, four consecutive 10-win seasons is quite an accomplishment – except for the Utah State Aggies women’s soccer team, that is, which has done just that. Expectations will be high again in 2010, as the Lady Ags are the Western Athletic Conferences’ preseason pick to win the conference.
On Aug. 29, the Aggies (2-0-1) drew with the Idaho State Bengals, 0-0 in double overtime. The Bengals had more shots on goal (9-2) but the Aggies had more shots overall (17-13). In preparation for the match against the Bengals, Aggie head coach Heather Cairns said the Lady Ags needed to play physical and be patient. According to Cairns the Aggies did just that, but weren’t able to find the net.
“We kept the ball on the ground and battled against long grass. They play a more physical style and we battled against that as well,” Cairns said.
In any other collegiate or club sport, the Bengals wouldn’t generally be considered an Aggie rival, but the two teams have gutted out hard fought matches but are even in the all-time series with five wins each and Sunday’s tie. Three of the last four matches between the two teams have gone into overtime.
The Aggie season started Aug. 20 when USU defeated in-state rival Weber State, 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Junior forward Shantel Flanary and senior forward Lauren Hansen scored goals for Utah State late in the contest. Flanary headed the ball into the net off a Hansen pass in the 81st minute, and put a 22-yard shot past Wildcat goalkeeper Ryann Waldmann five minutes later.
In their home opener on Aug. 22, the Aggies crushed in-state rival Utah Valley University with a 4-0 final score. Sophomore defender Natalie Norris headed two goals off corner kicks and assisted another goal as well. Flanary picked up her second goal of the season in the 55th minute to help secure the lead.
The shut-out victory was particularly special for junior goalkeeper Molli Merrill, who said, “Putting away UVU was great. It shows what kind of team we are.”
The Aggies finished the 2009 season falling to Boise State during the WAC tournament on penalty kicks. Despite the disappointing finish, Cairns says the team isn’t dwelling at all on last year.
“We aren’t even thinking about last season, we are just focused on this season,” Cairns said. “We’re really excited about our core of returners and we’ve got some great rookies. It’s an exciting time of year where you get to look forward.”
The Lady Ags are returning several key players including Flanary. The junior from Highland, Utah received the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award, and was named first team All-WAC and was a member of the WAC All-Tournament team. Flanary received the 2010 Preseason WAC Offensive Player of the Year and according to the junior forward, the expectations for the program are justified.
“They just continue to get higher,” Flanary said. “We expect more than just 10 (wins) now. It’s good to know that our program is rising instead of flattening out or going down. We definitely have a target on our backs being picked to win the conference, but I think we wouldn’t want it any other way.”
According to Cairns, Flanary will definitely be able to handle the pressure.
“One of the things that makes Flan(ary) so special is that she really likes the pressure,” she said. “She really thrives under pressure. She’s got that great risk-taking mentality where if it doesn’t work that time, it’ll work next time.”
The Lady Ags will also be looking to Hansen to lead the offensive attack for the remainder of 2010.
“I think if you look at Lauren Hansen’s career, she’s on track to break the all-time scoring record,” Cairns said. “I think she needs nine more to break that. Lauren’s had a great career here and we expect her to end it with a bang.”
Freshman forwards Libby Lundquist, Mauri Miyashiro and Jessica Hoskin have found a niche in the Aggie lineup as well. According to Cairns, freshman midfielder Kendra Pemberton has stepped up and made an instant impact after making her first collegiate assist in the victory against UVU.
Junior defender Chandra Salmon has also earned All-WAC accolades and plays a vital role in the midfield.
“She’s really the engine in our midfield,” Cairns said. “She sits back and destroys everything and lets our other midfielders be creative.”
According to Cairns, senior midfielder Stefani Shiozaki and Natalie Norris both have a lot of experience and play a key role in the backfield. Merrill played full-time goalie last season and according to Cairns she has solidified her position at goalkeeper for this season.
“She is even more confident, she has been making bigger saves, and she is really good at communicating and that calms down our back,” Cairns said.
The Lady Ags are loaded with individual skill but they know that any success will be a team effort. Flanary said of her preseason accolades, “Anytime you get individual awards it’s obviously really a reflection of a team effort because I wouldn’t have gotten it if we had gone fifth or last in the conference. If no one is looking out for you, you’re obviously not doing anything worth watching.”
“I think since I’ve been here, this probably is the closest we have been as a team as a whole,” Flanary continued. “I think we’ve done a good job at realizing that we had a lot of newcomers coming in and we knew many of them would need to step up. We are a lot closer this year than we have been in the past.”
The Aggies travel to California to face Long Beach State Sept. 3. at 6 p.m.
– ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu