USL W LEAGUE: Offensively charged Utah United looking to make postseason run
- Dan Stickradt
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
OREM, Utah – It is often said in sports that defense wins championships.
Well, if that is true then Utah United FC is in great shape.
An incredible offense is not too bad, either.
Utah United has both.
In its first season in the USL W League, Utah United has put up some gaudy numbers. Check that – some really impressive numbers.
United, the champions of the USL W League-Montain Division, will face off with FC Olympia in the USL W League Round of 16 on July 4 in Stockton, California. This will be in the West Conference semifinals at 4 p.m. PT at St. Mary’s High School-Academica Fields.
Stockton Cargo SC and the SC Blue Heat will meet in the 7 p.m. match at the same facility.
Defensively, the 9-1-0 Utah United collected 27 points to win the Mountain Division. United conceded only five goals in 10 games and has a paltry 0.50 goal-against-average as a team with six shutouts to boot. The Colorado Storm finished second in the league at 8-2-0 (24 points) and were the only team to defeat this side during the regular season.
Utah United has a plus-56 in the offensive category after registering USL W League-high 61 goals in 10 games, bolstered by an 18-0 victory over Colorado Internationals Soccer Club and three other 8-0 wins in divisional play.
The team is very deep with close to 30 NCAA Division I players rotating on its roster. Throw in the fact that 20 different players scored at least one goal and 15 others registered at least one assist proves that this is no one-trick pony.
While Seven Castain (Texas Christian University) leads the team with 15 goals and three assists for 33 points, there’s several others that have contributed offensively. Even several center backs and outside backs have gained goals and assists this season.
Kaylee Chambers (Utah Valley University) has seven goals and five assists, Ruby Hladek (Utah Valley) has six goals and three assists, Lilliah Blue (University of Utah) followed with five goals and an assist, Elle Walbruch (Brigham Young University) has added four goals and three assists and both Kennedy Heavrin (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga) and Anna McKenzie Evans-Tostado have three goals apiece.
Haven Empey (Southern Methodist University) and Taylor Rath (Utah State) are two of the goalkeepers that have shined in goal, while a host of backs have limited the opposition to the aforementioned five goals. Only four teams have even scored on Utah United’s stingy defense and only one squad, Colorado Storm, scored two goals in a game against this talented side.
The five goals conceded finishes in a four-way tie for third in the 93-team USL W League in terms of fewest goals allowed. Salmon Bay FC led the league with only two goals allowed while Minnesota Aurora conceded four goals this season. A total of 13 teams allowed nine or fewer goals this summer.
Utah United will put its lineup up against FC Olympia on Friday. Olympia finished the regular season 7-2-1 overall and collected 22 points, one point ahead of runner-up and aforementioned Salmon Bay FC (6-1-3, 22-2 scoring edge). Olympia outscored its opposition 31-5 and tied Utah United for third in fewest goals allowed category.
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