The match against Gonzaga University at UVU’s Clyde
Field Friday night could not have been better. Someone on the team must be living right – after a week of rain, the clouds went away and the
weather was picture perfect. Honestly, the on-field atmosphere bristled with energy especially from the student section on the south end of the field.
Five skydivers descended in a deep blue sky delivering a
Wolverine flag to Clyde Field’s center circle to start things off. It was a
nice demonstration of pinpoint skydiving skill.
The performance of the Wolverine side was every bit as exceptional
as the weather and the diving team. They made a few mistakes early in the game
– but not as many as you might expect from a team that starts eight freshmen,
and only one senior. Some credit for this should be given to Gonzaga - the
Bulldogs are a physically strong, technically skilled side. They played a
possession-oriented scheme and truly challenged UVU in the early stages.
After the game, coach Maas said, “We knew they were a big,
strong team – well prepared, but we made continual on-field adjustments, found
our rhythm and improved throughout the first half.”
Chalk it up to good coaching, and a solid, disciplined
shape. Of the six shots Gonzaga put on goal in the first half, only two looked
dangerous from the stands. Their best chance to score came just 2 minutes after
kickoff, but a diving punch save by Collin Partee kept the ball out of the back
of the net (his quick leap to his right to parry the shot was easily the most impressive save of the evening by the
Wolverine Keeper). Another Bulldog scoring chance came a few minutes later in a
scramble right in front of the net ball after a free kick. But the danger was cleared by
the UVU defense, denying the shot attempt. By midway through the first 45, the
Wolverines had equaled possession and looked to be the more threatening team. A
great buildup, ten minutes before the halftime whistle, found Karson Payton running onto a well-placed feed from the right side. His worm-burner towards
goal struck just enough of the post to keep it out. 0 – 0 at halftime with
chances being equal, but UVU getting the best of the last 25 minutes.
In the 52nd minute, Payton won a ball on the right side near the end line after a long pass had come in from the UVU defense. He fed it
back to an oncoming Matt Gay, who scorched it into the goal (if he’d struck it
any harder, it might have torn a hole through the net). The goal bolstered the Wolverine confidence,
and for a short time the Bulldog resolve to find an equalizer. Both teams
played a physical, hard-charging, hard-tackling twenty minutes of soccer.
The second half was punctuated by moments of elegance by the
Wolverine midfield, and a once even game took a turn as the Bulldogs began to
wear down. The Wolverine buildup seemed to get more and more dangerous as the
game went on. In the 85th minute Matt Gay took a deflected ball into
the attacking third by himself against three Bulldog defenders. He slid to take a hard
shot towards goal, just beating the closest Bulldog fullback. The shot, too hot
to corral by the Gonzaga Keeper, rebounded to the turf where Gay, belying his
size, scampered to his feet to beat everyone, including the lunging keeper. He pushed
the ball clear of the crowd and placed it safely into the back of the net.
The last five minutes offered the Bulldogs one last chance
to score, but Partee was not really tested.
This game was the culmination of homecoming week at UVU, and
a post-game fireworks show topped off the evening. Spectators and team all
gathered on the field to watch, but at the conclusion of the fireworks nobody wanted to
leave. So they stuck around to celebrate long after the lights and the music
were turned off.
For both the long-term soccer fan and the novice, this was a
terrific college soccer match. It would have been hard to ask for more.
Some Personal Observations:
1. When he is on the field, Matt Gay is a BEAST, plain and
simple. When he does come off, Austin Buxton comes in with no visible drop-off on the field of play.
Buxton may be even faster than Gay. Both Wolverine forwards put great pressure
on the Gonzaga back line.
2. UVU has played a 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 formation (Four defenders in front
of the Goal Keeper, five mid-fielders in a 2 back, 3 forward configuration,
with one striker at the top). The whole of the UVU midfield, led on the flanks
by Paul Hofffmeister and Karson Payton, is fast and skilled. With Skyler Milne, Lucas Cawley, David
Adams, and a few others all playing strong roles (Milne is dominant in the
air, Cawley exhibits strong technical skill, and tenacity). They are all
beginning to gel as a team - it is fun to watch.
3. Karson Payton does not know how to play in anything but
high gear. Paul Hoffmeister is sure he can dribble the ball through any opponent and
is often correct – Houdini would be impressed by some of his near magical
escapes with the ball still at his feet.
4. The defense, through four matches, looks very solid. It is
hard not to be impressed with Alex Neff and UVU’s lone senior Cameron Kidwell
– both have size and presence. Add
Payden Pemberton and Taylor Brown who both played well Friday night and things look promising going forward. They support and cover for each other and all have a knack for being where they
need to be when things get tight. Certainly none of our defenders ever backs down.
I watch the fullbacks a lot. I think the play of the defense often reflects the mental strength and determination of an entire team. These guys have a bend a little but never break attitude. There have been three goals scored against this
group: two off of set plays, and an own goal that was an unfortunate deflection
on a hard, difficult, artificial surface.
5. There does not seem to be that much of a margin in skill, speed, or determination when the starters are subbed out. The UVU second string, if that's who they are, is a pretty talented group. I already mentioned Austin Buxton trading minutes with Matt Gay. They are more like Striker 1 and Striker 2, both with a nose for the goal. Others are playing significant minutes too, lead by Diego Serna with 55 minutes in Friday's game.
6. UVU is Extremely fortunate to have Greg Maas and Matt
Ellinger.
I had a chance to talk to both briefly after the game. Coach Maas
said, “Look at the crowd. Soccer is going to change the culture here at UVU.” I
think he is right. The crowd was clearly into this game. Perhaps most promising is an observation in the stands. There was a couple sitting behind me, one of
them obviously had a lot of soccer experience, the other was new to the game. The
novice asked a lot of questions and seemed quite interested in learning the finer points. We may be growing our own crop of soccer fans. Let's hope so.
7. Speaking of the crowd - it was great. Attendance: 3,209 for
this match, and they were really into the flow of the match. I think Orem, UT is going to be a difficult place for opponents to come and play. The crowd and the altitude played a role in the Gonzaga wilt going down the stretch of Friday’s match.
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Next Friday, September 19th, another significant test: Denver University
comes to town, and they won’t be affected by altitude. Denver will be the
Wolverine’s first ranked opponent. The game starts at 7:30.
This means the fans need to show up and bring the noise. Come early - the stands will be packed; soccer culture really can change UVU.
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