Prepping for season finale
After winning back-to-back tournaments for the first time this season, the USU soccer team is looking to make it three straight.
With the Western Athletic Conference Tournament less than a week away, the Aggies still have one final obstacle in Louisiana Tech, whom they play Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Chuck and Gloria Bell Soccer Field.
A win over La Tech would mean more than another tally in the win column, it would be a sign Utah State is overcoming a win-loss pattern that has plagued the team all season.
“I think we feel good that we got the monkey off our backs in terms of winning games back to back,” USU Head Coach Heather Cairns said. “That was a big, important goal for us, playing two quality games in the span of a weekend. I think in general we’re playing some of our best soccer that we’ve played all season, so it’s great that that’s happening at the end of the season when you try to make a run for the NCAA Tournament.”
The Aggies come into Saturday’s game ranked fourth in the WAC with a 4-2 conference record, an 8-10 mark overall and have clinched a berth in the tournament. Utah State is only one loss behind the three teams ahead in the WAC, having already beat one of three.
The Lady Techsters come to Logan with a 0-5-1 conference record, looking to vindicate close losses to the Aggies in the past two years. After just three years in the WAC, Louisiana Tech is looking for its first conference win ever. Luck may be on their side too as the first goal LTU scored against a WAC opponent was against USU last season.
“Louisiana Tech is a team that has progressively gotten better,” Cairns said. “We have to go in expecting a really tight game. They haven’t had as many results in terms of wins, but they’re a much improved team from last year, so we have to be very respectful of them and bring our best game to beat them. I expect them to come out fired up, playing hard.”
Playing their best game might not be too difficult for the Aggies with a string of forwards on hot streaks, led by freshman Lauren Hansen, who leads the team with six goals, junior Candice Clark and sophomore Erin Salmon, who Cairns said she credits for being dangerous in the attack.
“I think our attack is looking better than it has been,” Cairns said. “We’re getting contributions from our midfield in terms of putting points on the board, and that’s made a difference. So I think our attack as a whole has just come a long ways.”
Cairns said she is excited for the improving health and fitness of Salmon, who has played minimal minutes this season due to a knee injury. Cairns said she expects Salmon to play significant minutes in both halves, which will aid in scoring opportunities. Also on injury watch is team captain Dana Peart, who is slowly recovering from a leg injury. Practicing in a leg brace on Thursday, Cairns said Peart is improving but is not at full capacity.
“She doesn’t look 100 percent, but the question is going to be can we use Dana at less than a 100 percent? And I think the answer to that is yes, we just have to figure out how much she’s capable of doing and how many minutes she capable of playing,” Cairns said. “You’ve got your top point getter who’s a senior who wants to come back and make a difference. She’s got the mentality to help compensate for anything that’s going on with her body.”
Despite some health concerns, Cairns said her team is playing with intensity and urgency, something she knows is necessary going into tournament play, which begins Thursday, Nov. 8, in Boise, Idaho.
“This is getting toward do-or-die season,” Cairns said. “You have to switch your mentality a little bit. The wins and losses mean a little bit more this time of year, and come Thursday, they mean a lot more.”
-seth.h@aggiemail.usu.edu