Wolverines Aim to Finish Season On The Right Foot
The UVU women’s soccer team will take on Seattle U on Oct. 27 in the final regular season game of the year. The Wolverines currently sit with 3 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw in WAC conference play, and a win here would put them in the top half of the conference standings. These final games of the season will also go a long way in securing the seeding positions for the conference tournament, which will be held in Orem starting on Oct. 31. UVU currently sits in the middle of the standings and one more win would be crucial in setting them up for another run at a conference title championship. The Wolverines would love nothing more than to play spoiler in a game that could put Seattle U (5-1-1) into the top of the WAC conference standings. Seattle sits tied for second in the standings and a win could put them in a tie for first, barring a victory from Kansas City, who sits at the top. The Wolverines will be playing for pride as well. They have won two of their last three conference matchups played at Clyde Field. A win against Seattle U would also snap a three-game streak in which the Wolverines have failed to earn a point by either winning or a draw.
A player to watch out for will be Seattle U sophomore forward Leahi Manthei. Manthei earned WAC offensive player of the week for games played between Oct. 14-Oct. 21 after she led the Redhawk offense with one goal and one assist in a pivotal victory over Kansas City. This marks the second time she has received the player of the week honor, the first time coming a season ago after she scored four goals against Idaho.
The matchup to look forward to will be the UVU attack versus Seattle freshman keeper Ariana Romero, who recently was named the defensive player of the week in the WAC. Scoring against her will be essential to a victory, as the Wolverine offense has sputtered a bit in the last few matches. UVU senior Alexis Peterson will look to build off a good October, which saw her receive a WAC offensive player of the week honor. Peterson scored twice and assisted on two goals during Oct. 8-Oct.14. She will be key in anchoring the attack in the regular season finale.
A win against the Redhawks would also cap off a turbulent season with a winning record. After starting with a dismal 1-9-1 record before conference play, UVU has turned it around when it matters most. This will be no easy task as Seattle comes into the game having won four of their last five games, with no losses in the month of October. The Redhawks will be looking for revenge against the Wolverines. UVU ended Seattle’s season in the conference championship game on penalty kicks. The winner advanced to the NCAA tournament as the loser was sent home packing. UVU will be up to the challenge and ready to stage an upset on their home field.
UVU found themselves in a similar position last season, needing a solid finish and a great run in the conference tournament to get them to postseason play. They ended last season with a regular-season finale lost against Seattle U, which sparked them on their run to the WAC championship. The Wolverines hope a victory will ignite their run this year and they will repeat their performance from WAC tournament play.
Photo credit: UVU Athletics