Steady improvement has been the hallmark of BYU's soccer program since it jumped head first into the Premier Development League four years ago.
Not content with winning collegiate club championships year after year, the Cougars boldly decided to move to a much higher level. Coach Chris Watkins helped BYU create a PDL franchise, and — following a two-win season in its inaugural 2003 campaign — the team has steadily improved.
Now, it appears BYU is on the verge of seeing the first trophy-winning fruits of its decision of four years ago.
With four games remaining in its 2007 regular-season schedule, the Cougars are within touching distance of winning the Northwest Division crown in the PDL's Western Conference. Through 12 games, BYU sports a flashy 10-1-1 record, good enough for an eight-point lead over second-place Tacoma in the division race.
BYU lost 2-0 to Tacoma on the opening weekend of the season, and it drew 1-1 with rival Ogden two weeks later.
Since then, however, the Cougars have been perfect. Possessing a very solid squad — from top to bottom — BYU rides into its home meeting against Ogden tonight on a six-game winning streak.
The Cougars would inch within two points of winning the division outright by beating the Outlaws, a team BYU drilled 6-2 seven days ago.
However, don't think that anyone in blue is celebrating just yet. BYU found itself on the verge of a division title a year ago, but it lost three of its final four regular-season games to cough up the crown.
Assuming it wraps up the division championship, though, BYU will look to expand on its playoff success of a year ago. After finishing second in the regular season in 2006, BYU nonetheless turned heads with its play in the postseason.
Duplicating that success — if not expanding on it — will be the goal of the Cougars when the PDL playoffs commence shortly.
OGDEN OUTLAWS: Good but not great.
That about sums up Ogden's season to this point. With four games remaining, the Outlaws still have an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs. (The top two teams from the Northwest Division earn postseason spots.)
Through 12 games, Ogden sits six points behind second-place Tacoma.
However, with two of its final four games coming against local rival BYU, as well as a tilt with the Colorado Rapids U-23 team, Ogden's playoff chances are probably pretty slim.
For Ogden, it's taken time to get its full team on the field. For example, the Ogden squad that lost 1-0 to Tacoma in its season-opener is vastly different from the one that beat the Yakima Reds 2-1 last Saturday.
Two faces that have lent significant help to Ogden have been brothers Kyle and Kellen Christensen, who formerly starred at Layton High. Kyle, the 2003 Deseret Morning News MVP, and Kellen, a first-team All-State recipient in 2006, have added badly needed punch to the Outlaws' attack since joining in the second month of the season.
PDL on the air
Ogden at BYU
Today, 7 p.m.
South Field in Provo
TV: KBYU and BYU-TV
E-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com