Women’s soccer scoring goals
Last season was a year of firsts for the Utah State women’s soccer team. The Aggies won the WAC Tournament Championship for the first time and received its first ever berth into the NCAA Tournament.
USU defeated Fresno State 1-0 in a hard fought championship match. The hero of the game came from an unlikely source – Jade Tarver, just a freshman at the time, scored the game winning goal for the Aggies in the 83rd minute.
“That was definitely the highlight of that year for sure,” Tarver said. “I’m striving to do it again and to get that same feeling. I know the game wasn’t over but I scored that goal and just started jumping for joy. It was one of the greatest goals of my life.”
Along with scoring the crucial goal in the final, Tarver was named to the WAC All-Tournament team. Tarver also scored her first goal at USU on Oct. 28 against San Jose State.
Now a sophomore, Tarver is looking to help her Aggies win another berth in the NCAA Tournament and secure the WAC title for the last time before Utah State moves to the Mountain West Conference.
“Now that I’m older, I do know what I’m coming into and what is going to happen,” Tarver said. “Freshman year is the scariest year because you come in not knowing anything and it’s so new to you. There are seniors and all this stuff.”
Tarver is filling the void left by Shantel Flanary at the front of the Utah State attack. Flanary, who graduated last year, finished her USU career with 24 goals scored including nine goals last season and 10 goals in 2009. She also had numerous awards and honors as an Aggie, including WAC Offensive Player of the Year.
“I think Jade can have a huge impact on the team more so than she already has,” Flanary said. “She can score goals and make plays. She can have a strong forward presence up top that makes teams have to respect her. She can help the team tremendously even if she isn’t scoring.”
USU head coach Heather Cairns wants Tarver and all her strikers to score goals but doesn’t want any of her players to feel the pressure of being the next Flanary.
“Flan was Offensive Player of the Year for a reason, but we aren’t looking to replace what she did,” Cairns said. “We are trying to form our own identity, and its going to take different players doing different things. I don’t think one person is going to step into that role and be the next Flanary. That’s just not fair pressure to put on someone.”
Although Tarver wants to be known as a g
oal scorer, she said it’s important to have your own identity and not to try and follow someone else’s footsteps.
“You want to be like her and score,” Tarver said. “You want to be known for scoring but you want to be your own person and make your own statement.”
Tarver learned many things from Flanary during her freshman year and said she was amazed by how Flanary played the game.
“She was so physical and she can body up,” Tarver said. “I would just sit there and be amazed and want to be more like that by controlling the ball and all that.”
Tarver didn’t begin the season as the Aggies starting striker. She earned the spot when USU went on a road trip to Portland for the Viking Classic.
“Jade started when we were in Portland,” Cairns said. “That was the first time that she became a consistent starter, and she has earned that spot. She is a very dangerous player. She is the strongest player on the field. She is super quick and surprises defenders with her closing speed. She is a fantastic finisher so she has a lot of qualities that make her a fantastic striker.”
She made the transition from substitute to the starting role by fighting for her spot and getting to the level of being ready to play in a game. Tarver said she did her hardest when it came to practicing and showing off her skills. She said it’s a lot of hard work but worth it in the end.
Although USU has six ties this season, half of which were scoreless, they have scored 20 goals through 16 matches.
“It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Cairns said. “We aren’t saying we are struggling in the attack. It’s whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right when it comes to that. We’re looking at the positive side. We are getting so many scoring opportunities it’s going to come.”
Tarver said they are getting plenty of chances on offense, but they just need to put them away. She said it is her job as a forward to finish those opportunities, and they will eventually happen.
The Aggies are 7-2-6 with the help of Tarver, who has scored three goals this season.
“I’m going to continue and go out and practice and give 100 percent,” Tarver said. “Because 100 percent in practice means you play 100 percent in games. I expect us to do great things because we are an amazing team, and we are going to get there.”
– jborba@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter:
@JBorba15