BYU Men’s Soccer to Host Stiff California Competition
Brittany Eads
(310) 804-7245
britteads@gmail.com
Drew VanWagenen
Provo, Utah (May 20, 2009) — Coming off of a disappointing 2-0 loss last Saturday against the Los Angeles Legends, the BYU men’s soccer team will have to rebound this week against two of the toughest foes on its schedule.
Thursday, the Cougars host the Ventura County Fusion, which is fresh off of a 2-0 win against the Fresno Fuego and will field a player currently signed with the Everton English Premier team.
On Saturday in Provo, BYU will face the Hollywood United Hitmen, a squad featuring a player on loan from Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy and populated with players native to countries ranging from Iran to Nigeria.
“We’re facing many teams for the first time this season, being new to the PDL Southwest Division,” head coach Chris Watkins explains. “These games will be a major challenge for us but huge wins if we can secure them.”
The Cougar coach says they’re excited to face such elite opponents, but knows there’s a slim margin for error if they want to win.
“These are some of the best players in Southern California,” Watkins adds. “Since we haven’t played these teams before, we will have to focus on ourselves and fixing our mistakes.”
According to Watkins, the team must continue to improve defensively to keep opponents from getting the ball behind them.
“We’ve got to push forward, and be ambitious,” he continues. “But they haven’t seen us play yet either. It’s a unique position, and we’re hoping to take advantage of it.”
BYU Men's Soccer will host the Ventura County Fusion and the Hollywood Hitmen this week.
Thursday, May 21st
BYU vs. Ventura
7:30 PM
Tickets are available at the gate or by going to www.BYUtickets.com
Saturday, May 23rd
BYU vs. Hollywood Hitmen
7:30 PM
Tickets are available at the gate or by going to www.BYUtickets.com
Reserved seating is $10
General Admission is $6
Students and Children $5
For more information on the BYU men’s soccer team, visit the website: http://www.byusoccer.com
