Ags looking to avenge home loss
With a bitter 3-0 loss to Long Beach State ending a three-game homestand, the USU women’s soccer team heads to the road this weekend to tackle Cal Poly Friday, and Wyoming on Sunday.
Both teams have records similar to the Aggies, with Cal Poly at 4-5-0 and Wyoming at 4-4-1, and are programs USU has historically struggled against. Since 1996, the Aggies have tallied a combined 2-11 record against Cal Poly and Wyoming, with the most recent win coming in 1999 against the Cal Poly Mustangs.
Add to this the fact that both teams come from talented soccer conferences, and the Aggies have plenty of challenges this weekend, but that’s what USU head coach Heather Cairns said she is hoping for with her team’s non-conference schedule.
“It’s two strong opponents we’re going to have on the road,” Cairns said. “It’s definitely going to be an uphill battle, but I think we’re prepared for it.”
With a losing record, the Mustangs have already faced plenty of athletic squads, falling to BYU, Arizona, Wisconsin and most recently 3-0 to Stanford. But they have also pulled down big wins, like a 5-0 blowout of Florida International, a 3-1 victory over Indiana and a 2-1 win over Western Athletic Conference rival Fresno State.
While they may be a team that has weathered a tough non-conference schedule, the Mustangs have a losing record at home at 1-2.
Cal Poly is led in scoring by Ashley Vallis, who doesn’t shoot a lot – firing off only 11 shots all season – but is accurate when she does, having scored three goals and tabbing one assist on the year. Teammate Tiffany Gummow also has three goals.
In addition to Vallis and Gummow, seven other Mustang players have scored at least one goal this season.
“Cal Poly I would expect to be a lot like Long Beach, very technical,” Cairns said.
In the net for Cal Poly is Coral Hoover, who has started every match for the Mustangs this season, snagging 42 saves and posting a .778 save percentage.
The Aggies, in comparison, are a much higher percentage shooting team, with team-scoring leader Lauren Hansen having 24 shots accounting for four goals and one assist. Fellow forward Erin Salmon has 19 shots and two goals.
The goalkeeper position has been dominated by senior Ali Griffin, who has 34 saves on the year and has posted three shutouts. Freshman Molli Merrill has also seen some playing time in three matches, including one start, and has a .875 save percentage.
The key for the Aggies to win the games this weekend, Cairns said, is to score a goal early so the team doesn’t have to play non-stop defense. Also, Cairns said her team focused on finishing scoring opportunities this week in practice, something that cost them in the Long Beach State match.
“We need to compete from 90 minutes,” Cairns said. “We really need to replicate what we did (offensively against Long Beach State) and add to it a bit more of a dangerous attack.”
The Aggies will need an especially good attack against Wyoming, a team noted for their fast attack and high shooting percentage. The Cowgirls are led in scoring by Amanda Lathrop, who has an impressive five goals and seven assists. She is joined in a dangerous attack by Emily Layton, who has four goals and one assist.
“Wyoming is a very athletic team that’s very good in the air,” Cairns said.
Beyond the shear scoring capacity of the Cowgirls, Cairns said Wyoming is a physical team that will prove an especial challenge since they will have had a week of rest before facing the Aggies.
Cairns said this weekend is important for her team since it is the last back to back series on the road before the conference schedule begins.
“This is a great road trip for us because it tests us and will give us a gauge to how we need to play on the road in WAC conference,” Cairns said. “To win in the WAC you have to win at home and get fresher results on the road.”
Getting results on the road will be especially important for the Aggies considering the majority of their conference games will be on the road, including a back-to-back Hawaii and San Jose State series near the end of the season.
-seth.h@aggiemail.usu.edu