Utah Soccer Blanks Utah Valley In Season Opener 6-0

Utes score two in the first half, four in the second.

Lauren Dudley scored her first career goal, and the eventual game winner, in the first three minutes of the game,

Aug. 21, 2009

Aug. 21, 2009

SALT LAKE CITY - The University of Utah soccer team needed less than three minutes to score its first goal of the 2009 campaign, en route to shutting out Utah Valley by a 6-0 score Friday night at Ute Field.

"The first game is always exciting and there are a lot of positives to take away from tonight," said Utah head coach Rich Manning. "We had quality finishing and it was good to get a lot of new players into the game and start to get them comfortable. Overall it was a very positive performance and now we have to get ready to go on the road and face a tough team in Cal State Fullerton."

The Utes seemed determined to get off to a better offensive start than they did last year and proved in right out of the gate. It took the 2008 squad five games to tally six goals, while the 2009 version netted six in less than 85 minutes. Utah's six-goal output was its largest since 2007, when the Utes defeated Utah Valley in Orem by the same score. It was also Utah's first season-opening shutout since 2005 and its first season-opening clean sheet at home since 2002.

The first goal of the game, and the eventual game-winner, came two minutes and 20 seconds into the game as sophomore defender Lauren Dudley buried a header off of a corner kick from senior midfielder Kelly Isleib. It was the first goal of Dudley's career.

Utah's second goal came from junior forward Lauren Hair less than five minutes later, who scored from 10 yards out after Isleib slotted her into the penalty box for her second assist of the game. Senior forward Jen Christoffers was also credited with an assist.

After coming out for the second half with a 2-0 lead, Utah made it 3-0 less than three minutes later as Isleib got back on the scoresheet with a goal of her own, hitting a 20-yard shot that skipped over the outstretched goalkeeper. Christoffers had played the ball back to Isleib, earning her second assist of the game.

The Utes made it 4-0 at the 67:08 mark when sophomore forward Chelsea Forbes stung a one-time volley from just inside the penalty box after the UVU netminder had punched away a header attempt by Utah sophomore defender Lauren Porter.

Freshman defender Zoe Van Gorder pushed the scoreline to 5-0 in the 83rd minute of play as she charged in to head a corner kick by freshman forward Hanna Terry, putting the ball, the goalkeeper and herself in across the goal line.

Sophomore midfielder Kellie Woodfield capped the scoring at 6-0 as she lofted a one-time volley over the UVU keeper from approximately six yards out, finishing off the crossing pass from freshman midfielder Allie Wisner.

In total, nine different Utes found their way into the scoring summary, including four players who notched the first points of their careers. Dudley, Van Gorder, and Woodfield scored the first goals as collegiate players, while Terry and Wisner registered their first career assists. Christoffers' points are her first since 2007, after she redshirted last year with a knee injury.

Utah used 21 players in the game, including all seven freshmen, with Terry and Wisner starting the game.

Utah will now hit the road to face Cal State Fullerton on Sunday at Titan Stadium. The Utes' next home game will be Friday, Aug. 28, against No. 22-ranked Santa Clara. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. MT.

Additional Quotes

Utah Head Coach Rich Manning
More thoughts on the game:
"I thought there was good camaraderie in the group and it translated into performance. They were making adjustments out there and figuring it out on there own so I didn't have to do too much of that from the sidelines. UVU is an aggressive and physical team and this was a good game for us."

On getting all available players into the game:
"It was fantastic that everyone could come in and work together. They worked really hard and every minute out there will help us down the road."

On the performance of Kelly Isleib:
"I compare Kelly to a great running back, like Barry Sanders. The first defender means nothing to her, she is already thinking about beating the second one. And her shooting has improved so much, I think she is primed to be as much of a threat to score as she is at setting people up."

On things the team needs to work on:
"There are always plenty of things to work on after every game. There were two big things for me tonight. We needed to switch the ball better, sometimes we got locked in to an area too much at the start of the game. Secondly I think we need to stay connected more, that was an issue for the first 60 minutes of the game, but we got better at it for the last 30."

Sophomore defender Lauren Dudley
On scoring the first goal of her career:
"It feels great, all last season (Lauren) Porter and I would go up on corner kicks but I couldn't seem to connect with one. This time I got great service and was able to break the ice. I had a defender all over me but I was able to break away, jumped as high as I could, got a head on it and it went in. Hopefully there are more to come."

On the difference between this year and her freshman season:
"Everything really clicked in the preseason this year. Everyone was working hard and connecting, and it showed tonight. As a freshman I was maybe a little timid and unsure sometimes but now I am more confident. The whole defense has another year under its belt and we know how each other plays. We can always get better but the defense did very well tonight."

On the 6-0 score:
"Scoring that many goals shows that we are solid on offense and the shutout shows we are solid on defense. We are confident but now we have to make sure we move on and get ready for Cal State Fullerton on the road in the heat.

Senior midfielder Kelly Isleib
On the team's fast start:
"You could tell we were really pumped up in the locker room and ready to bring everything we had, but I didn't expect 6-0. We have been working very hard in practice for more than two weeks and we were ready to play a game. We came out sharp and it's and awesome way to start the season."

On the team's confidence gained from this game:
"This was a great first step for us and I think we can only get better. This team can score and it gives us a lot of confidence. With so many young players, it was really good to get them in and they all gave a great effort."

Junior forward Lauren Hair:
On winning the first game in convincing fashion:
"It was great to see a lot of different people score and contribute tonight, and get the first-game jitters out. We really focused on being aggressive in the preseason and trying to outwork and outplay every opponent. This was a great start. We have so much depth and everyone played well."

On her relationship with Kelly Isleib:
"It's awesome, I think after two years I finally understand exactly the runs that she wants me to make and where she wants to put the ball. I hope she can keep finding me and I will look to do the same for her as well."