Thursday, May 28, 2009

A Truly Inspiring Story


Well, this is a fantastic story...Manhattan College announced that it has signed Kevin Laue to a letter of intent to play basketball next year. Let's see...6 foot 11 inches tall young man is going to play basketball at a D1 school...nothing unusual about that.

However, Laue was born with a birth defect that left him without a left arm from just below the elbow. Incredibly, Laue averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds at the Fork Union Military Academy last year!

Click here for more on this inspiring story

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

"Kick Like A Girl" Movie on HBO This Thursday!


If you follow our blog at all, you have heard about our great admiration for the documentary, Kick Like A Girl...well, GREAT news...it will make its premiere on HBO this Thursday, May 28 at 6 P.M. ET/PT. This is a MUST-SEE!

The documentary is about the Mighty Cheetahs, a girls' soccer team here in Salt Lake City. After going undefeated for 2 years in league play, they moved to a boys' league to get better competition. And what happened next is funny, heart-warming and educational all at the same time.

Jenny Mckenzie, the film maker, is a friend of the program and a big soccer fan. The film was shown in its early form at our Utah Women's Soccer Academy camps and was a huge favorite.

We have a couple of links for you on the film...

For a trailer preview, check out the official web site for Kick Like A Girl

For the official HBO Synopsis, click here

For more about movies from Jenny Mackenzie, click here for her official web site


We encourage you to check it out...if you don't have HBO, find a friend that does. If you can't watch it live...tape it or set your DVR.

Monday, May 25, 2009

U.S. Defeat Canada to Highlight Big Soccer Weekend

It was a big weekend for soccer as the Utah State Cup Finals were held in Orem on Friday and Saturday...on Friday night, the Utah Avalanche led by Ute Lauren Porter, defeated the Utah Rush which were led by Mallory Mitamura in the under-19 division.

And in the under-18 bracket, the Black Diamond of Park City defeated the Utah Rush, 2-0, to win their very first state cup after several close calls. Incoming Ute freshmen Hanna Terry and Zoe Van Gorder played vital roles in the victory.

Both teams will join the other winners in the West Region Finals to be held in Lancaster, California during the last week of June....Good luck!

Also, tonight the U.S. Women defeated Canada before 10,000 fans in Toronto, Ontario by a 4-0 score. Former University of Portland star Megan Rapinoe scored on a fantastic bending shot right before the half for a 2-0 lead. And UCLA forward Lauren Cheney scored on a great header late for the 4th goal.

For more information, click here for more news at ussoccer.com

Friday, May 22, 2009

State Cup Finals Approaching in Utah!




It's been a competitive couple of weeks here in Utah at the State Cup being held at Lakeside Park in Orem, Utah. It's down to the finals and some current and future Utes are in contention still...

In the Under 19 age group it will be Lauren Porter's Avanlanche team taking on Mallory Mitamura's Utah Rush today at 5 PM. The two teams faced off in group play on Wednesday with Rush taking a 1-0 win...today's final should be another good one.

The under 18 final will be contested tomorrow morning at 8 AM when Black Diamond faces Utah Rush. Incoming Utes Hanna Terry and Zoe Van Gorder play for Black Diamond and will be looking for their first state cup championship.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Let's Race! Ute Incoming Players Tear it Up on the Track

Well, next year's conditioning and relay races should be interesting...we have some speedsters coming in for this fall...Two of them were on full display last weekend...

Down in Las Vegas, Ashley Mosley (left) ran a 55.25 (!) seconds for the 400 meters in her region meet for Centennial High School. Ashley also runs the 800 and relays for her track team, which is a power house in Nevada.

Ashley will be running in the state track meet this weekend.
Good Luck!









Meanwhile, back here in Utah, Natalie Young, was winning the 4A title in the 400 meters for her Springville team. Her time of 56. 45 was also outstanding! Natalie also came in 4th in the 100 meters with a time of 12.7....and she helped in the relays as Springville came in 2nd place as a team...





So, we will have some great battles in our fall training...who will be fastest? Ashley, Natalie, Erin Dalley, Lauren Hair, Nicole Cardon...Monica Okapal, Hanna Terry....Sounds like a topic for a future blog reader's poll...

Thursday, May 14, 2009

2009 Schedule...Finalized and Announced Soon!

Okay...you asked for more entertaining matches and great soccer...? you want nationally prominent programs...? you want local rivalries? you want great theater? Well, we are stoked about our schedule for this fall!

We have a young and growing team with some exciting new players to come in... And we will be challenging some of the top teams in the nation...and many of them right here at Ute Field!


Our home schedule:

Aug 21 Utah Valley
Aug 28 Santa Clara
Aug 30 Cal Poly
Sept. 3 Weber State
Sept. 6 William & Mary
Sept. 9 Princeton
Sept. 27 Pepperdine
Oct. 15 TCU
Oct. 17 New Mexico
Oct. 31 Air Force

We will also have away games at Cal State Fullerton, UCLA, LMU, Colorado, BYU, UNLV, San Diego State, Wyoming and Oklahoma State. The Mountain West Conference Tournament will be held at in Provo, Utah on November 4-7.

The complete schedule will be released at www. utahutes.com








You can find ticket information at www.utahtickets.com

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

It's Official... U.S. Trip Cancelled

Well, sad but true...U.S. Soccer has confirmed that the U.S. women's national team has canceled its game with Japan. The Japanese decided not to travel with the Swine Flu issue being so prominent in the news lately...

Never fear, we are confident that they will be back!









Here is the Official Release:

CHICAGO (May 12, 2009) – The first two domestic matches of 2009 for the U.S. Women’s National Team have been cancelled after Japan decided not to travel to the United States or Canada, citing concerns with the H1N1 virus.

The U.S. team was to face the Japanese in two games, one at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas on May 20 and another at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, on May 23. Japan was also scheduled to play Canada on May 25 at BMO Field in Toronto.

“This is an unfortunate situation, but one that we had absolutely no control over,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “We have been assured that the risk to the participating teams is exceptionally low, but we accept the Japanese Federation’s decision not to travel.”

Fans that already purchased tickets to either game will be refunded in full from the original point of purchase.

For the May 20 game in Frisco, all internet and phone orders will be automatically refunded with a confirmation sent via e-mail. Fans that purchased at Ticketmaster outlets or ticket centers will need to return their tickets to location where purchased in order to obtain a refund. Orders processed at Pizza Hut Park or U.S. Soccer will be refunded by the respective offices. Fans with questions about their refund can contact Ticketmaster at 214-373-8000, Pizza Hut Park at 888-323-4625 or U.S. Soccer at 312-528-1290 or tickets@ussoccer.org.

For the May 23 game in Sandy, fans may either receive a full refund or apply the value of their purchase toward tickets to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game on July 29 or any future Real Salt Lake home game at Rio Tinto Stadium. Those fans who elect not to exchange for upcoming games will have their refund applied in full to the credit card used in the original purchase of tickets. If tickets were purchased with cash, the buyer must present the tickets at the stadium box office for either an exchange or refund. The Rio Tinto Stadium box office is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on the east (State Street) side of the building. Questions can be directed to the Rio Tinto Box office at 801-727-2700.

The U.S. team will be playing matches later in the summer against Canada on July 19 in Rochester, N.Y., and on July 22 in Charleston, S.C. Tickets are available for both games through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Rochester and Charleston areas. Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.


U.S. vs. Japan game in doubt

Well, this could be some very bad news....it looks like Japan is canceling its tour of the U.S. this month due to the Swine Flu crisis that has hit its borders...Certainly understandable...we'll have to see if it is going to be re-scheduled or if the U.S. will try to find another opponent...

Here is the report we saw on Sports Illustrated.com.

We will try to find out more and pass it along as soon as possible...
Stay tuned...

Monday, May 11, 2009

U.S. Team Named for Utah Visit


U.S. women's national team coach, Pia Sundhage named the 21 players that will be suiting up and playing for the team in its 2 game series with Japan...The team will face the Japanese in Dallas on Wednesday May 20 and then fly to Salt Lake City for a game on May 23 at Rio Tinto Stadium. The U.S. and Japan will both practice at Ute Field on Thursday, May 21...the U.S. at 5:30 P.M. and Japan at 7:00 P.M.

Here's what Pia had to say about the roster...


“Now is the time to start investing in 2011. We are bringing in an interesting mix of some newer players and players with experience, as well as some college players. The WPS has given us the chance to look at some new players, and it’s fantastic that Abby is back in business.”



Here are the 21 players:

U.S. Women’s National Team Roster vs. Japan
Frisco, Texas; May 20
Sandy, Utah; May 23


GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Kelsey Davis (Portland), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)
DEFENDERS (7): Brittany Bock (Los Angeles Sol), Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Marian Dalmy (Chicago Red Stars), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Boston Breakers), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Angela Hucles (Boston Breakers), Carli Lloyd (Chicago Red Stars), Christine Nairn (Penn State), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsay Tarpley (Chicago Red Stars)
FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (UCLA), Casey Nogueira (North Carolina), Amy Rodriguez (Boston Breakers), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

Some notes about the rosters:

  • Four of the players are still in college...Kelsey Davis, Christine Nairn, Lauren Cheney and Casey Nogueira
  • The matches will mark the return of Abby Wambach to international play...Abby missed the Olympics with a broken leg.
Tickets for the May 23 match at Rio Tinto Stadium, home to Real Salt Lake of MLS, start at $18 and can be purchased through ussoccer.com, by phone at 801-727-2700 (Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and at the Rio Tinto Stadium ticket office (open Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Graduation Day is Finally Here!

The Huntsman Arena was being prepared Thursday for graduation ceremonies that will take place today...so the chairs and stage and flowers were all in place and the Utah orchestra was rehearsing for the big day.
















We have four players that will be walking through the ceremony and accepting hard-earned diplomas...Addie Hair (Communication), Katy Reineke (Finance), Danielle Sample (Anthropology) and Amy Edman (Nursing)... (Amanda Sanchez finished in December)...way to go!

We are very proud...

Great Night at Rio Tinto


We are almost embarrassed to admit it, but we finally made our way out to Rio Tinto Stadium last night for the first time...we got a chance to see ReAL Salt Lake take on the Los Angeles Galaxy. It was a fantastic night of soccer in a tremendous environment.

The stadium is gorgeous and provides great sights and sounds. The crowd (over 16,000) was very good for a weeknight and very enthusiastic.




The game was a very controlled affair until deep into injury time, when things got crazy...RSL went up 1-0 in the first half on an acrobatic header from a corner kick by Robbie Findley. The match stayed that way until 2nd half injury time. Then the Galaxy were awarded a PK...Landon Donovan squeaked it by RSL 'keeper Chris Seitz...1-1...just one minute later RSL gets a PK...Will Johnson drills it past LA goalie...Donovan Ricketts...2-1...then after a scramble in the box, Mike Magee hits a shot between Seitz' legs for the 2-2...VERY dramatic (and maddening for RSL supporters).

We loved the stadium...and we loved watching Greg Berhalter (smart center back) and Landon Donovan (got into some great spots on offense)...we also noticed that the Galaxy goal keeper, Donovan Ricketts is a GIANT of a man. Mostly we loved the Real team...Robbie Findley is FAST and dangerous. Kyle Beckerman holds down the middle of the field...and the outside backs, Tony Beltran and Chris Wingert fly up and down the flanks.




We look forward to seeing RSL again. And we will be back at Rio Tinto on May 23 to watch the USA vs. Japan women's game....also, we may have some exciting news in the fall about Rio Tinto...stay tuned!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

New Ute: Allie Wisner Brings Creative Energy

Okay, we alluded to this the other day... We've added another talented player to the Ute team for next fall...Allie Wisner is coming to Salt Lake City from Bozeman, Montana. She is a talented attacking player with good skill and fantastic vision. She works extremely hard on and off the ball. And she has a competitive spirit that is contagious.

We are excited about Allie's decision to join our team and we're looking forward to great things from her. For more, check out the article at www.utahutes.com by clicking here.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

15-14 Win in PK's?!!! Talk about drama...

Let's see....Cup Final...2 red cards... 8 goals including a last-minute equalizer...and a 15-14 penalty shootout? Well that would be a recipe for a classic...

And it happened at the highest level as Olympiakos beat AEK Athens in the Greek Cup Final lasLinkt weekend. The match ended in a 4-4 tie and had an incredible 29 shots in the shootout.

Read more about it, Courtesy of Goal.com.

And check out the highlights, courtesy of You Tube

Monday, May 4, 2009

2009 Schedule Coming Into Focus - Utes vs. UVU to Open

Usually by now we are done with our fall schedule and making preparations for preseason training as well as the travel. However, this spring was quite unusual...The NCAA had a proposal on the table to "extend" the women's soccer season to 12 weeks from its current 11. We are allowed to play a maximum of 20 games (not counting the MWC tournament or the NCAA's)...and it has gotten to be a grind to try to squish those 20 games into 11 weekends...By stretching to an extra weekend, we can allow for better rested players and possibly reduce class time missed for away games.

Well, the proposal was finally voted on and passed last week. So, many schools are scrambling to move things around. We are now allowed to start playing games on August 21...instead of August 28. The Utes are busy finalizing the schedule and it should be done soon.

For those of you on the blog, here is a sneak preview: We will open the season with a home match against Utah Valley University on Friday, August 21 at 7:30 PM at Ute Field! It will be great to play an in-state rival to start the season. Other home games are scheduled with Santa Clara, Cal Poly, William & Mary, Princeton, Pepperdine, Weber State as well as Mountain West Conference foes TCU, New Mexico and Air Force.

Friday, May 1, 2009

May to Bring Lots of Soccer Excitement

May is here and, along with the great weather, lots of fantastic things will be happening. Headlining the month will be a visit to Utah by the United States and Japanese Women's National Teams. The U.S. will play Japan on Saturday, May 23 at Rio Tinto Stadium (home of ReAL Salt Lake) at 4:00 P.M.

By the way, if you are looking for tickets, clickLink here for more information!

During the trip, the U.S. and Japan teams will train at our own Ute Field on Thursday, May 21. The U.S. team will train at 5:30 P.M. and Japan will train at 7:00 P.M. We have been told that both training sessions will be open to the public...We'll keep you posted. What a fantastic opportunity to see some great players...We guess we'll get a chance to watch the likes of Abby Wambach and Hope Solo for the U.S. As well as Homare Sawa and Aya Miyama. Sawa is Japan's all-time player and currently is on the Washington Freedom. Miyama has been a true revelation in the midfield for the L.A. Sol in the new WPS and we can't wait to watch her in person.

In preparation for the training, we added a new wind screen to the East Fence at Ute Field. And it looks great! Facing out to Mario Capecchi drive, it will stand out to all the drivers headed to and from the school as well as the hospital complex on campus...wow!








May is also many other things...final exams and the end of the 2nd semester for the players. And starting today (May 1), NCAA rules allow players to play with outside teams. Many of our younger players will return to their youth clubs to play... So, people like Lauren Porter (Avalanche), Anne Shallenberger and Kellie Woodfield (Celtic Storm), Shay Kennedy (Impact), will be competing in the under 19 State Cup. Hannah Turpen (So. Cal Blues) and Lauren Dudley (FC Las Vegas) will be playing in the Cal South and Nevada State Cups.

And we have two WPSL teams in Utah...the Sparta team and the Utah Starzz...on which many of our players will participate.

Lots going on....stay tuned!