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The Team
New head coach Hideki Nakada, who helped Stanford win two NCAA titles in seven years as an assistant coach, welcomes an experienced team for his first season at Utah.
Junior midfielder Courtney Talbot led the Utes with eight points last season, getting a team-high six assists and one goal. Senior forward Anna Escobedo had a team-high three goals on nine shots and was second with seven points.
Anna Escobedo
Junior midfielder Hanna Olsen and graduate student midfielder Eden Jacobsen were both third on the team with two goals. Olsen also added an assist.
A pair of midfielders, senior Haley Farrar and sophomore midfielder Kaylee Coatney, both contributed a goal and an assist. Junior midfielders Kylee Geis, Brianna Person and Ali Schinko played in all 16 matches last season. Sophomore midfielder Avery Brady played in 15 matches and fired 15 shots.
Up front, senior Makayla Christensen played in all 16 matches and sophomore Erin Bridges appeared in 13 in 2020. Sophomore Ragan Fuller brings experience to the back row after playing in 15 matches last season.
The Story of Us
Tradition
Eight NCAA Tournament appearances ('02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '13, '16, ‘19)
Top-five finish in the Pac-12 Conference in 2011, '13, '16 and '18
Consistently top three in the Pac-12 and top 25 in the NCAA in home attendance since 2011
Four regular-season conference championships (1999, 2003, '05, '06)
Two conference tournament titles (2003, '04)
Utah knocked off No. 9 UCLA 2-0 at Ute Field in 2016 enroute to recording the best Pac-12 point total (22) in the program's history.
The Utes battled No. 4 Stanford to a 1-1 draw in 2014, pushing its home unbeaten streak to 18 matches.
The Utes play in front of some of the biggest crowds in the nation, annually ranking in the top 15 in the nation in attendance. Utah set the Ute Field record by drawing 2,552 for its victory over BYU in 2014.
The Utes traveled to Texas A&M for the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Utah locked up third place in the Pac-12 in 2013 with a dramatic overtime win over Colorado at Ute Field.
Utah made a trip to Italy in 2012, visiting places like Rome, Siena, Florence and Milan.
Utah made a trip to Italy in 2012, visiting places like Rome, Siena, Florence and Milan.
Utah began the Pac-12 Conference era with a 2-0 win at Oregon in 2011.
The 2006 Utes defeated BYU 1-0 at Ute Field, which proved to be a pivotal win on the way to its fourth regular-season MWC title.
The first night game at renovated Ute Field, complete with a grandstand on the south side, took place on Sept. 9, 2005.
Utah captured its second straight Mountain West Tournament title in 2004, defeating San Diego State.
The Utes won both the Mountain West Conference regular-season and post-season titles in 2003. Utah hosted the league tournament at Rice-Eccles Stadium and defeated BYU in the championship game
The Utes won both the Mountain West Conference regular-season and post-season titles in 2003. Utah hosted the league tournament at Rice-Eccles Stadium and defeated BYU in the championship game
Utah made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002, defeating BYU on its home field in the first round.
Utah made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002, defeating BYU on its home field in the first round.
Utah soccer has been a fan favorite dating back to the program's early years.
The Utah soccer program fielded its first team in 1995.
Utah's Greatest
15 Pac-12 All-Conference Team and Honorable Mention selections since 2011.
7 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honorees.
111 Pac-12 Academic All-Conference and Honorable Mention selections, including 14 in 2019.
33 First-Team All-Conference selections all time.
30 NSCAA All-Region selections, including two in 2019.
5 Conference Players of the Year.
5 NSCAA Scholar All-Americans.
18 NSCAA Team Academic Awards, including 11 in a row dating back to 2009 to pace the Pac-12.
Received a Public Recognition Award for an APR among the top 10 percent of NCAA Division I teams in 2020.
Hailey Skolmoski
was the first Ute to earn first team All-Pac-12 honors in 2016 after leading the conference with 13 goals. She also made the All-Pac-12 third team in 2018. Skolmoski finished fifth in Utah history with 26 career goals.
Paola van der Veen
was a second team All-Pac-12 pick in both 2017 and ‘18. She is one of six Utes to lead the team in goals and points in consecutive years.
Erin Dalley
became the first Ute to earn All-Pac-12 Conference honors in 2011.
Kelly Isleib, a three-time first team All-MWC performer, is Utah's all-time leader in assists (28). She was a fifth round draft pick by Women's Professional Soccer's Sky Blue FC in 2009.
Adele Letro
became Utah's first All-American in 2006, garnering second team honors from the NSCAA.
Ashley Mason, Utah's career leader in goals against average (.733) and shutouts (28), was the 2006 MWC Defensive Player of the Year.
Amanda Feigt, the only four-time first team all-conference selection in school history, was the 2005 MWC Offensive Player of the Year. She ranks second in career assists (22).After graduating, Amanda played for Berlin in the Frauen Bundesliga.
Melissa Wayman
was the 2005 MWC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time first team all-conference pick. After graduating, Melissa played for SK Trondheim-Orn in the Norwegian 1st Division.
Amber Brower
earned 2003 MWC Offensive Player of the Year and first team all-region honors.
Amy Kofoed, a three-time first team all-WAC pick, remains Utah's all-time leader in goals (46) and points (108). She was the program's first inductee into the Crimson Club Athletic Fund Hall of Fame. Kofoed was drafted by the WUSA's San Diego Spirit in the first round in 2002.
Staci Burt was a three-time first team all-WAC selection. She played professionally for the WUSA's Carolina Courage for three seasons after being drafted in the eighth round in 2001. Burt became the first Utah player to earn a call-up to the U.S. National Team.
Head Coach
Hideki Nakada
First Year
Hideki Nakada was named the third head coach in Utah women’s soccer history on May 27, 2021, and will take the helm of his own program for the first time after spending the last seven seasons at powerhouse Stanford. The former goalkeeper also spent the last three seasons as the associate head coach.
In his seven years on The Farm, Nakada helped guide the Cardinal to two National Championships (2017, 2019) and five-consecutive Pac-12 Championships. During his seven seasons, Stanford compiled a 132-15-10 overall record with a dominating 66-6-4 mark in the Conference of Champions with four College Cup appearances.
The Cardinal won their third national title in 2019 thanks to their goalkeeper Katie Meyer, who saved two penalty kicks in the title-deciding shootout against No. 2 North Carolina. Stanford also set a school record that year with 102 goals while finishing with a 24-1-0 record.
During Stanford’s second national title run, goalie Alison Jahansouz allowed just seven goals under the direction of Nakada. The 2017 squad also outscored opponents 91-8 while the Cardinal trailed a total of 8:59 minutes that season. Jahansouz’s seven goals allowed in 2017 ranked fifth in program history while the Cardinal’s .360 goals against average ranked fifth in the country that year.
While on staff, Nakada helped Stanford earn NSCAA Pacific Region Staff of the Year in 2016 and was named the 2015 NSCAA Pacific Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Prior to his time on The Farm, Nakada spent the 2013 season at Oregon as an assistant, serving as the team’s defensive coach and recruiting coordinator. Nakada started his collegiate career at Idaho State (2006-08), where he spent three seasons, and led the Bengals to the 2006 Big Sky regular-season and tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearance. Prior to his stint at Idaho State, Nakada served as an assistant coach for the George Washington High School soccer team in San Francisco. He then went on to Marquette for four seasons (2009-12) and helped guide the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Tournament each year he was there.
His experience extends outside of the college coaching ranks as well. Nakada has been a member of the Region II ODP coaching staff since 2010. Beginning in 2012, Nakada was named to the US Club Soccer id2 National Camp coaching staff. He also joined the goalkeeping coaching staff at Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Player Development Program in 2012.
Nakada played soccer at the University of San Francisco for two season (2001-02) and earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2005.
Staff
Scott Halasz
Associate Head Coach
Fourth season as associate head coach and ninth overall with the Utes. Has helped lead the Utes to three NCAA Tournaments, including the best finish in program history by making the Sweet 16 in 2016.
Has worked with 10 All-Pac-12 performers and seven United Soccer Coaches All-Region honorees, including at least one selection from 2015-19.
The Seattle native joined the Utes after serving as an assistant at Pacific Lutheran University. Over 20 years of coaching experience and also served as a coach with the Washington Premier soccer club. Was the Washington Premier ECNL Director and coached numerous Washington state ODP and EDP teams. Men’s soccer assistant coach at Tacoma Community College from 2005-07. Graduated from Seattle University in 2003.
Christine McBeath
Assistant Coach
First season as an assistant coach after joining head coach Hideki Nakada from Stanford. Spent the 2020 season on The Farm as a volunteer assistant.
A former standout from St. John’s, she started in 55 of 66 games and was a mainstay for the Red Storm backline. Team captain her senior year and served on the executive board of St John’s’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Involved in the Big East Conference’s “It’s on Us” campaign for sexual assault prevention awareness and served for Community Mayors in New York City, an organization dedicated hosting events for special needs children in the area.
Graduated from St. John’s with a degree in finance from the Tobin College of Business in December of 2019.
Joe Jackson
Director of Operations
First season as the director of operations. Comes to Utah after spending the past three seasons in a similar role at Stanford with both the men’s and women’s soccer programs, and was integral shaping the game day experience at Maloney Field.
Prior to his time on The Farm, spent two years laying the groundwork for Atlanta United FC’s highly successful 2017 debut season. Worked in the marketing and social media department before transitioning into growing the youth soccer movement in the state of Georgia. Closed out his tenure as a senior premium sales account executive. Spent the final five months of 2015 as a sales trainee with the Major League Soccer (MLS) National Sales Center.
A 2015 graduate from the University of Oregon, he served as the president and captain of the Oregon club soccer team. Marketing intern with the athletics department, working with the baseball program specifically in 2013 season.
Cody Lockling
Associate Director of Sports Performance for Olympic Sports
Tom Iriye
Associate Athletics Trainer
Team Facilities
Utah Soccer utilizes some of the finest facilities in the nation.
Here's a closer look.
