womens soccer 2019

[BlueK]

#12 ranked, 3-0 BYU looks great so far with two road wins to start the season at Alabama and at Mississippi State, followed by beating up SUU at home last week, 7-0. Alabama went on in their next game after losing to us to beat Utah 3-0. We host the Utes this week. BYU should be very good this year after only losing two players from last year's team and adding a top 15 recruiting class that is already making a difference.


https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/coll...rankings/women

[LiveCoug]

Ranked 10 in the real poll..
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer...soccer-coaches

[BlueK]

Ranked 10 in the real poll..
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer...soccer-coaches

The other poll had us ranked before the season and before the coaches did. Moving up that quickly in the rankings on both of them has even surprised me.

[Topper]

#12 ranked, 3-0 BYU looks great so far with two road wins to start the season at Alabama and at Mississippi State, followed by beating up SUU at home last week, 7-0. Alabama went on in their next game after losing to us to beat Utah 3-0. We host the Utes this week. BYU should be very good this year after only losing two players from last year's team and adding a top 15 recruiting class that is already making a difference.


https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/coll...rankings/women

The three pivotal games this year are Utah, the next game, Texas A&M who defeated BYU last year and is ranked and Santa Clara away, who is also or at least was ranked and is always tough for BYU.

[BlueK]

The three pivotal games this year are Utah, the next game, Texas A&M who defeated BYU last year and is ranked and Santa Clara away, who is also or at least was ranked and is always tough for BYU.

Santa Clara is currently 1-3 with all of those losses against top 25 teams. They will be tough. I don't think Utah is going to be a problem for this team, but in this sport you never know. A&M is a huge game given that there aren't a lot of opportunities on the schedule to make a lot of noise, but it is winnable. Kansas on the road is another challenge, as they seem to be off to a good start. And Long Beach St. on the road is also a good team. I would have preferred the SCU game not to be the first conference game.

[Topper]

Santa Clara is currently 1-3 with all of those losses against top 25 teams. They will be tough. I don't think Utah is going to be a problem for this team, but in this sport you never know. A&M is a huge game given that there aren't a lot of opportunities on the schedule to make a lot of noise, but it is winnable. Kansas on the road is another challenge, as they seem to be off to a good start. And Long Beach St. on the road is also a good team. I would have preferred the SCU game not to be the first conference game.

You've analyzed the important games of the season. Even though Utah shouldn't be a problem, the rivalry makes it harder even when BYU has the better team.

[BlueK]

You've analyzed the important games of the season. Even though Utah shouldn't be a problem, the rivalry makes it harder even when BYU has the better team.

It's a little harder, but BYU leads the all time series with them, 21-7-2. Historically Utah wasn't very good, but the last decade or so they've usually been decent to good most years. In the last 10 games it's still 7-2-1 for BYU.

[Topper]

It's a little harder, but BYU leads the all time series with them, 21-7-2. Historically Utah wasn't very good, but the last decade or so they've usually been decent to good most years. In the last 10 games it's still 7-2-1 for BYU.

On paper, BYU should be much better. But given recent developments I am always anxious about playing Utah teams.

[BlueK]

On paper, BYU should be much better. But given recent developments I am always anxious about playing Utah teams.

well, on the field in womens soccer BYU almost always takes care of business against Utah, maybe even better than womens volleyball does. Those would be the two sports where Utah has had the most trouble with us over the years. But yes, every game against a halfway decent opponent will make fans nervous.

[Topper]

well, on the field in womens soccer BYU almost always takes care of business against Utah, maybe even better than womens volleyball does. Those would be the two sports where Utah has had the most trouble with us over the years. But yes, every game against a halfway decent opponent will make fans nervous.

You're correct that BYU has faltered more often against Utah in volleyball, despite fielding inferior teams. Plus, soccer is a cruel sport where an inferior team can defeat the superior team if one lapse occurs. You've seen the attacking team possess the ball but the defending team plays in a such a compact manner to prevent the score and to score on a counter-attack. If BYU can get up 2-0 or score early then I'll fee better.

[Pelado]

You're correct that BYU has faltered more often against Utah in volleyball, despite fielding inferior teams. Plus, soccer is a cruel sport where an inferior team can defeat the superior team if one lapse occurs. You've seen the attacking team possess the ball but the defending team plays in a such a compact manner to prevent the score and to score on a counter-attack. If BYU can get up 2-0 or score early then I'll fee better.

Will you be double-billing the rest of the game?

[BlueK]

You're correct that BYU has faltered more often against Utah in volleyball, despite fielding inferior teams. Plus, soccer is a cruel sport where an inferior team can defeat the superior team if one lapse occurs. You've seen the attacking team possess the ball but the defending team plays in a such a compact manner to prevent the score and to score on a counter-attack. If BYU can get up 2-0 or score early then I'll fee better.

I'm more confident than usual going into the Utah game this year because of BYU's play so far and because of Utah having lost some very key players from last year and being picked for 8th in the Pac 12. They are 2-2 with losses to Clemson and Alabama and wins at home of 3-0 over USU and 1-0 over Cal-Poly. But you're right that soccer is a crazy game where the more talented team doesn't always win -- sort of like baseball.

[Topper]

I'm more confident than usual going into the Utah game this year because of BYU's play so far and because of Utah having lost some very key players from last year and being picked for 8th in the Pac 12. They are 2-2 with losses to Clemson and Alabama and wins at home of 3-0 over USU and 1-0 over Cal-Poly. But you're right that soccer is a crazy game where the more talented team doesn't always win -- sort of like baseball.

Baseball is a good analogy. If a crappy team wins one third of its games, sometimes against good teams. I hope your optimism bears fruit. I'd like to see a four or five goal differential.

[BlueK]

Baseball is a good analogy. If a crappy team wins one third of its games, sometimes against good teams. I hope your optimism bears fruit. I'd like to see a four or five goal differential.

To me so far this team has a similar feel to the 2016 and 2015 teams that went 18-3-1 and 16-3-2. Both of those were very good teams that advanced in the NCAA tournament, although neither was perfect in their non-conference games against top competition. But they took care of business in all the games they needed to, plus some good wins also. I think A&M at home is a game we can win given that we actually played them pretty well at their place last year despite the loss, and we did it with the same players as this year minus Gates and Wade. So as a team they will probably have a decent idea of what to expect. Also, I'm not sure I remember a freshman class that has contributed as much this early. I'm pretty bullish on this team so far. FWIW, A&M was tied by Brown, 0-0 in their last game.

[Topper]

TAM was either tired, or BYU played extremely well as BYU dominated in all phases of the game. But for the keeper, and BYU would have had a five to nothing or six to nothing game.