How a Utah semipro soccer team went from tryouts to league final in less than a year
From tryouts in the spring to the mid-summer final, the group has come together from varied collegiate backgrounds like BYU, Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley, TCU, Memphis and North Carolina.
This article first appeared at KSL.com. Get your tickets for the USL W Final hosted by Utah United at South Field in Provo here.
OREM — Taylor Rath moved to Utah to play her final season of college soccer at Utah State almost sight unseen.
After the Aggies' spring season, the Pepperdine graduate transfer tried out for the local semipro club to maintain fitness and prepare for the fall while knowing few others than the half-dozen or so teammates who were with her.
By mid-July, she found a family in Utah.
Rath earned the starting goalkeeper job with Utah United, the first-year USL W League franchise made up of some of the top college soccer talent in the state that competes in the 4-year-old, 93-club pre-professional league made up of mostly college soccer stars that played home games at Clyde Field at Utah Valley University.
And compete they have, with a 9-1 regular-season record, a Mountain division, and three straight playoff wins en route to hosting the USL W final Saturday at BYU's South Field. Tickets are on sale through the BYU ticket office.
From tryouts in the spring to the mid-summer final, the group has come together from varied collegiate backgrounds like BYU, Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley, TCU, Memphis and North Carolina toward a championship nucleus.
Read the full story at KSL.com here.
