Soccer team picks up first loss of season

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Winning streak comes to an end against Utah State

Consecutive wins over Weber State and Southern Utah showed how far the Wolverines can go this season. A 4-0 loss to Utah State two days later, ending their seven-game winning streak, showed just how far they have to get there.

The good, bad and ugly were intermixed within a weekend’s span, leaving both coach Brent Anderson and the Wolverines (2-1-0) grateful the season is a marathon in which improvements can be made and bad habits left behind.

“Those types of mistakes will happen early in the season,” Anderson said. “I don’t expect they’ll happen going forward, because now we recognize that.”

Anderson stressed the need for UVU to make adjustments to avoid repeat letdowns.

“We let ourselves down a little bit in not figuring them out,” Anderson said. “The same girl scored two goals and got an assist on a third. The same player. That’s happening during the game. The players need to recognize the [other team’s] dangerous players.”

The transition from shutout-victor to hapless victim can be attributed to the brand of soccer the Wolverines played, a brand which went from team-oriented against the Thunderbirds to self-centered versus the Aggies.

“I think we came out a little bit flat on Sunday,” Anderson said. “We just really didn’t get going as a team. We weren’t working together well, and we played a very individual game.”

A bright spot early on in the team’s campaign has been senior forward Nicole Archibald Spencer. Spencer scored one of the Wolverines’ two goals against the Aggies, and had two of the Wolverines’ six shots on goal in their loss at Utah State.

“Nicole is a team leader for us,” Anderson said. “She’s always been a contributor. Even as a freshman, she got in and played.”
The Wolverines return home to Mstar Field Sept. 12 when they host Northern Colorado at noon.