Injuries are always difficult obstacles for teams to overcome. It is up to the coach to make the hard decision on how to make up for injured talent, which is easier said than done.
That said, there is also a flipside to injuries — when a player is able to come back. That is the current case with sophomore Taylor Slattery.
“It feels so good, it’s unbelievable, I missed it so much,” Slattery said. “They are slowly transitioning me in, and I can’t wait to get more minutes. I love being on the field with those girls.”
Slattery has been out due to migraine issues she has been dealing with. She was barely cleared to play last Thursday before Utah’s game against UNLV and saw playing time in both games over the weekend.
As a freshman, Slattery played in every game where she scored some vital goals at the forward position for Utah. Two of her three conference goals last season were game winners against Oregon State and Arizona. Her third goal came in the Utes’ win against Washington State, which was an NCAA-qualifying game.
“[She] was one of our leading scorers last year,” said head coach Rich Manning. “We are excited to get her back on the field.”
On the negative side of injury, Manning announced Friday that senior Ashton Hall will be out for the rest of the season after an injury suffered in the first home game against Boise State. Hall led Utah in assists last season, while also finishing second on the team in points, even though she missed three games.
 
World Class Support
Over the summer, the entire world watched as each country competed for soccer dominance in the World Cup. This coming summer, however, it will be the women’s turn to play for their respective countries in Canada. With the USWNT in town last week, the Utes got a chance to meet some of the women who will be representing the United States.
As there were controversies leading up to the men’s World Cup, there is also controversy with the women. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association has decided to have the WWC be played on artificial turf instead of grass. This decision has come with a lot of backlash from players because the playing surfaces behave in a different way.
“It’s just a more natural feel,” Slattery said. “When it’s a nice grass field, the ball just rolls better. The turf, the ball always rolls quick. There is just something about grass that makes it ten times better.”
Another concern is the issue of safety. Many players are refusing to play on turf because the injuries sustained from sliding on the surface. A slide tackle on grass is easier to perform. The grass doesn’t cause much damage to the skin. On turf, however, the surface acts like a carpet, or even sand paper, and peals away skin as a player slides on it.
Manning said he disliked the playing surface, but he feels it will become more common in the future.
 
Blackout Game
The annual blackout game is always a fan favorite for the football team, but football isn’t the only sport that does it. The men’s and women’s basketball teams as well as the baseball team all have a blackout game.
After last Friday’s game against UNLV, the soccer team now joins the list. Utah held its first-ever blackout game against the Rebels, and the players had nothing but positive remarks for the new gear.
“Oh my gosh, I love it,” Seymour said. “I wish we did this sooner!”
With the idea being that the team will only wear the black jerseys once a year, Seymour and teammates are trying to push for another chance to rock the stylish uniforms.
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