Last Sunday’s result was difficult. The Wolverines continue
to play well against programs with much deeper experience – certainly nobody has overwhelmed them, but goals have been
hard to find. Against UMKC, a couple of very good chances went awry and the
Roos put one through the pipes in the 88th minute to take the full
three points 1-0.
Despite that setback, the weekend did bring the first WAC
road win, and this young program is still in the thick of the conference race.
More importantly, the attitude of the coaches and players is
upbeat and very positive. Many of the soccer team players attended the UVU
Basketball Preview – they were loose and when asked, say they are ready to take on the weekend’s
opponents. And, these upcoming matches against the Incarnate Word Cardinals and
the Houston Baptist Huskies are very important to the standings, and
positioning for the WAC post-season tournament.
IWU has played well in the WAC, much improved over
their non-conference performance. They currently sit second in the WAC standings. HBU got a win over the Bakersfield Roadrunners
and managed to score twice against the UNLV Rebels in a 2-3 loss.
These two matches close the men’s home season. The UVU women
play their final home match on Saturday against Seattle University. Start times
for the men’s team are a challenge – Friday’s game (on Oct 31st)
kicks off at 4:00 p.m., the early start will mean a smaller crowd as many of the
community members that have been very supportive of this team will be getting
off work after the game has already begun. The many family and community
activities that will be scheduled for Halloween will also cut into attendance. Sunday’s game will also be challenging. None of the professional
sports franchises in the region schedule Sunday games; they are generally not
well attended. That does not diminish the interest in this team. They have
fielded crowds of 250% to 300% of stadium capacity, and despite lower numbers
in a few matches with schedule issues, will probably still finish in the top 20 in attendance in the
NCAA.
It has been a great first year. This last weekend’s matches
will conclude an amazing inaugural home season.
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