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Utah State Soccer Heads To San Francisco For City By The Bay Classic
Sept. 5, 2006 LOGAN, Utah - Complete Notes in PDF Format
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IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAN FRANCISCO - Utah State soccer heads to San Francisco, Calif. this weekend to compete in the City By The Bay Classic, hosted by the University of San Francisco. The Aggies will face a pair of former Big West opponents, opening action with Long Beach State on Friday, Sept. 8 at 8:30 p.m. (MST) before returning to the pitch on Sunday, Sept. 10 to take on Cal State Northridge at 1 p.m. (MST). Both matches are at USF's Negoesco Stadium.
SERIES HISTORY - Utah State is facing a pair of familiar foes, as the Aggies were in the Big West from 1996-2004, and faced Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge regularly in conference action.
Utah State is 2-5 vs. Long Beach State all-time, winning the first meeting and the most recent in 2004, with a five-game losing skid in between.
The Aggies are 2-2 against the Matadors of Cal State Northridge, losing the first meeting in 2001 and the most recent meeting in 2004, while winning the 2002 and 2003 match-ups.
NEUTRAL SUCCESS - Utah State 9-6-1 in matches at a neutral site, losing three in a row after having a seven match unbeaten streak snapped.
HEAD COACH HEATHER CAIRNS' QUOTES -
About the portion of the schedule - "This upcoming weekend's opponents are very similar to the two teams we just played. Long Beach State is similar to Arizona in that both are ranked nationally. Cal State Northridge is comparable to Washington State in that they were both bubble teams for the NCAA tournament last season. Our schedule certainly does not get any easier."
This weekend's action - "My hope for this upcoming weekend is that we take the things we learned these past two matches and implement them from the get-go. We want to focus on competing and apply all that learning."
HOME SWEET HOME - Counting the exhibition match on Aug. 19, Utah State has nine home matches this season. The Aggies are 1-0-0 at home so far this season and are 17-12-7 overall at home since moving to the Chuck and Gloria Bell Soccer Field in 2002. In the two years prior to their move to Bell Field, the Aggies were just 6-12 at home. They have gone 8-2-1 against conference opponents since bedding down at Bell Field.
OT STRUGGLES SNAPPED - Tuesday's overtime win broke a bit of bad luck for the Aggies, who notched their first extra time victory since 2004, after going 0-2-4 in overtime matches last season. The six overtime tilts were the most by an Aggie team since the 2003 team saw a similar six overtime matches, going 2-2-2. Utah State is now 6-13-11 all-time in extra minutes.
LAST MATCH - Despite a frenzied finish, Utah State lost to Washington State, 1-0, Sunday afternoon in the University of Utah Fall Classic at Ute Field.
The majority of the final 15 minutes of the match involved action in front of Washington State's net, but the Aggies could not the get the ball in the net.
Utah State had 10 shots in the match, one fewer than Washington State, as the Aggies had eight shots on goal compared to only five for the Cougars.
The Aggies were shutout for the second match in a row, following Friday's 3-0 loss to No. 17 Arizona, and Utah State evens its record at 2-2-0, while Washington State improves to 2-1-1.
Utah State is now 0-2-0 against Washington State all-time, as well as 1-5-0 versus Pac-10 teams all-time. {Extended recap on page 4 of notes}
WAC PRESEASON POLL - Utah State was tabbed fifth in the Preseason WAC Coaches' Poll, as the Aggies garnered 29 points. Defending conference tournament champion Fresno State was the preseason favorite, getting 46 votes including five of the eight first-place votes. Hawai'i, last year's regular season champion, had two first-place votes and 42 points. San Jose State was third with 34 points, while Nevada had 31 points, including a lone first-place vote. Utah State was followed by Boise State (20), Idaho (14) and Louisiana Tech (8).
STRENGTH AND EXPERIENCE IN NUMBERS - The Aggies have 19 returning letterwinners and six starters from last season's squad that went 7-9-4 on the year, including 4-2-1 in WAC play.
Headlining the returners is senior forward Charity Weston (5-4, Layton, Utah/Layton HS/San Jose State), who was named to the all-WAC Preseason Team, as well as first-team all-WAC last season. With a repeat first-team honor can become the first player in USU history to be tabbed to the first-team all-conference list three-straight seasons. Weston led the Aggies and ranked fifth in the WAC with seven goals, as well as leading USU and ranking tied for fifth in the WAC with 18 points (seven goals, four assists).
Also returning is junior midfielder Dana Peart (5-2, Brigham City, Utah/Box Elder HS), who was second on the team with five goals, adding an assist for a total of 11 points.
Another returner to the Aggie lineup is senior forward Charlsie Harris (5-6, Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS), who missed the 2005 season with an injury. Harris was second on the squad with six goals in 2004.
Weston and fellow senior midfielder Sierra Smith (5-6, Salt Lake City, Utah/East HS) will be the 2006 team captains. Smith was tied for third on the team in points with seven on two goals and three assists.
Cairns welcomes eight newcomers to the ranks as well, the smallest freshman class under Cairns since seven in her first season in 2003.
CAIRNS CREEPING CLOSER - Entering her fourth season, Heather Cairns, already the winningest coach in USU soccer history by percentage, is just two wins shy of becoming the winningest head coach in Aggie soccer history for total victories. In her three seasons at the helm of Utah State, Cairns has compiled a 25-29-7 (.467) record in 61 matches, sitting four wins shy of Stacy Enos (1996-2000), who went 26-59 (.306) in five seasons with the Aggies.
FIRSTS - Last year Utah State matched its most conference wins in school history as it went 4-2-1... The Aggies also tallied four wins in 2003, 1999, and 1998... The .643 conference winning percentage is a new school record, while the second place tie in the WAC standings is also the best conference finish in the program's 10 seasons.
PEART POUNCES EARLY - Junior midfielder Dana Peart started off last season by netting the Aggies' lone goal in their 2-1 loss to Northern Colorado in an exhibition match and then went on to score the lone goal in each of Utah State's next three matches.
Peart has continued that hot start to a season with an assist in the Aggies' 1-0 win over Idaho State in the season-opener on Aug. 25 and scoring the game-winner in the second overtime of Utah State's 1-0 win over Weber State on Aug. 29. Peart's three points leads the team in scoring.
NOTE-ABLE - Defender Jessica Darrow was the only freshman to start all 20 matches for the Aggies in 2005, and one of six players on the roster to start all 20 matches, as well as one of seven to play in all 20 matches... So far this season, a total of 15 players have seen action in all four matches with nine Aggies starting all four contests.
All four of the goals that Utah State has allowed have come in the first half, specifically in the first 30 minutes of the opening half... USU has been outshot 31-17 in the first half, but have a 19-17 advantage in the second half... The Aggies have earned 16 corner kicks this season, including 12 in the second half.
HERE KITTY, KITTY - This past Friday was the Aggies' second match-up in a row against a team with Wildcats as their mascot, after last Tuesday's match vs. the Weber State Wildcats... Sunday's match was Utah State's fourth cat-family mascot match, after the Idaho State Bengals, the two Wildcats and the Washington State Cougars. In all, Utah State faces five cat mascots on the schedule with the BYU Cougars.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Senior captain and defender, Natalie Messina was named to SoccerBuzz.com's national Elite Team of the Week for her play in the first two matches.
Sophomore midfielder Hayley Bolt leads the 49ers with two goals, while fellow sophomore, forward Kim Silos has a goal and an assist.
Liz Ramos, a sophomore goalkeeper, has earned all three wins, making 16 saves and posting a 0.27 GAA and .941 save percentage.
Long Beach State was ranked No. 24 in SoccerBuzz.com's National Top 30 Poll and No. 9 in SoccerBuzz.com's West Regional Poll.
The 49ers are returning 14 letterwinners and six starters from last season's 12-5-3 squad that went 3-3-1 in Big West action, finishing third and losing in the first round of the Big West Tournament.
CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE - The Matadors are 2-2-0 on the young season, opening the season with a W-L-W-L pattern, posting shutouts in their two wins, 3-0 over Northern Arizona and 1-0 over Alabama-Birmingham and getting shutout in their two losses, 1-0 to both Fresno State and Northern Colorado.
Senior defender Sara Davis leads Cal State Northridge with a goal and an assist for three points, while freshman forward Farryn Townley, junior defender Julie Hauserman and junior defender Shanna Hudson all have one goal apiece.
Senior goalkeeper Chanel Weber is the Matadors' starting netminder, notching a 0.33 GAA and a .909 save percentage.
CSUN has 10 starters returning as part of 18 returning letterwinners from last year's 11-8-0 team that was 3-4-0 in the Big West, finishing in a three-way tie for fourth in the league standings.
THE COACHES
Cairns is 1-1 vs. both Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge.
Long Beach State head coach Mauricio Ingrassi (CS Fullerton, 1995) is in his third year guiding the 49ers' program, with a 21-15-6 record and a 205-39-14 overall in his 12th season overall, coming to LBSU from Long Beach City College.
Cal State Northridge is coached by Keith West (Cal State Northridge, 2003), who is in his first season as the Matadors' head coach, and third season at CSUN.
POLL POSITIONS - Utah State's 2006 schedule includes two teams ranked in the final NSCAA/adidas Top 25 Poll last season, as BYU was ranked No. 14 while Utah was No. 22. Three of the Aggies' 2006 opponents reached the NCAA Tournament last season, as BYU, Utah and Weber State all advanced.
Arizona is ranked No. 17 in the NSCAA/adidas Top 25 Poll, while four of the Aggies' 2006 opponents were recognized by Soccer Buzz Magazine's Preseason Top 30 Rankings. BYU was No. 23 and Long Beach State was No. 28. Arizona and Utah are among others receiving votes. In Soccer Buzz's West Regional Rankings, BYU was No. 7 and Long Beach State No. 9, while Utah and Arizona were 11th and 12th, respectively, and Washington State was among others receiving votes.
WAC BITS - Out of the 18 WAC matches this past week, 15 were shutouts... only Boise State's 2-1 win over Montana, Louisiana Tech's 2-1 win over Stephen F. Austin and San Jose State's 3-1 loss at San Francisco were not... Nevada and Fresno State are the only two unbeatens remaining in the league, as Louisiana Tech and Boise State suffered their first losses of the season this past weekend... San Jose State (0-2-1) and Idaho (0-4-0) are still seeking their first wins... WAC teams have a combined 16-11-2 record.
UP NEXT - The Aggies return home to Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field to host intra-state rival BYU on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. (MST).
Utah State then hits the road to face two more intra-state foes, first heading to Cedar City, Utah to face Southern Utah on Friday, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. (MST). The Aggies then return to Salt Lake City for the second time this month to tangle with Utah on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. (MST).
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