Tim Castaneda, Sports Writer, @xTIMBOxSLICEx
They said they didn’t stand a chance.
They said they were too young.
They said they were just another first year program
Those things stood as motivation to the UVU men’s soccer team as it kicked off the program for its inaugural season in 2014 as it was chosen to finish last place, 10th overall, in Western Athletic Conference preseason polls.
“The boys have embraced our 10th place preseason ranking and have always utilized that to motivate us each day, to get better on the field,” said UVU head coach Greg Maas. “We took this season game by game and thankfully we’ve started playing well and peaking at the right times.”
Now after finishing the season with an unbeaten streak of four games, including three huge wins, to secure a No. 3 seed the Wolverines look to defy the odds in the WAC tournament with motivation and momentum.
“For us to have garnered a third-ranked seed into the tournament this year is nothing short of special,” said Coach Maas. ““Going into the WAC tournament having achieved that goal, we’re in a position where now anything we do there is icing on the cake. But I’m not going to sell these guys short. They’re going into it to win it.”
With Air Force beating Incarnate Word on the road as the season wound down, the Wolverines needed two road victories to earn a spot and a high seed in the WAC tournament.
The Wolverines took care of business the final week of the season as they swept both Bakersfield and San Jose State while outscoring their opponents 4-1 in the process on the road.
Previously, the Wolverines held a 1-4 record in away games, but received a momentum boost as with their two road wins as they solidified a spot in their first ever conference tournament.
Throughout the year, UVU men’s soccer went through many tests and growing pains, just as any first year program would, with eleven games decided by just one goal.
Those games included big wins against No. 21 in the nation Denver, at the time, and a late finish against Air Force on a goal from Karson Payton in the closing minutes.
Also, the team experienced the heartbreak of losing such close matches including two double overtime losses to Seattle and UC Irvine, who previously ranked No. 6 in the nation.
UVU men’s soccer looks at those experiences as preparation for the road that lies ahead at the WAC tournament taking place in Seattle.
“We’ve responded really well after the tough losses, double overtime ties, losses in the last minute two times,” said UVU forward Matt Gay. “The way we’ve come together after those losses as a team, joined together and responded in the next games. That has prepared us a lot for this weekend.”
Gay, who finished an outstanding year for the Wolverines leading the team in goals with seven, looks to give the Wolverines a boost in the tournament with the help of his teammates.
“I trust that Karson (Payton) or Lucas (Cawley) or anybody else on the field is going to do their thing and do their part and get us in the right position to do well, compete and win games,” said Gay. “It’s going to be a tough weekend, with three games in a short time period. We’re going to need everyone up there.”
In addition to great teamwork, the Wolverines’ defensive unit hopes to lead the team to success in stopping opponents from scoring as they fight for a championship. They only allowed 13 goals during the regular season and rank No. 19 in the nation in goals against average at .73.
As a team led by a group of freshmen that everyone counted out at the beginning of the season, coming off a successful inaugural season, UVU heads into the tournament with confidence to defy all odds and bring the school a championship.
“We think we can keep up with anyone and play our game,” said Gay. “We want to come home as WAC champions and think we can do so if we play our game.”
UVU men’s soccer opens up tournament play Thursday in the WAC quarterfinals versus Bakersfield at Championship Field in Seattle at 8:30 p.m. MT.
