Whether it was the warm sun and the hint of spring in the air, or the fact that this was their first home game, the UVU women’s cacrosse team definitely brought their A-game as they defeated Utah State 14-12 on Saturday.
Within the first few minutes of the game, both teams had scored and the pace was set – fast and competitive. As soon as one team scored, the other was eager to retaliate and the lead bounced back and forth between the two teams for the entire game.
By the end of the first half Utah State was ahead by one point, but the UVU players and UVU head coach, David Williams, were determined to win.
“Our strategy was to win, and start playing as a team,” Williams said.
According to UVU attackman Nikki Ballou, who was the team’s top scorer with four goals, one of the main focuses coming into this game was their transitions – the series of passes between players.
“Our transitions were amazing this game. They were really smooth,” Ballou said.
One transition toward the end of the game between Ballou and fellow teammate Christy Jones seemed to be the favorite for both the players and the fans. Jones passed the ball quickly and accurately to Ballou who scooped it out of the sky and sent it whizzing passed the goalie’s head to make an exciting goal.
Minutes later, the game ended with a strong victory for UVU.
The girls have come a long way since their season began in February, and have high hopes of getting stronger as the season continues.
“We want to continue to play as a team. Instead of having twelve individuals on the field, we want a unified team,” Williams said.
On April 7, at 5:00 p.m., UVU will play their second home game when they face Weber State.
