After a six game home stand, the Cougars head to Las Vegas this weekend with one goal in mind: move up in the standings.
A 3-1 loss Saturday to FC Tucson brings the BYU Cougars’ record for the season to 0-4-4. The Cougars are in last place in the Mountain division, which they hope to change.
Two wins this weekend could move the Cougars to fourth place. The Las Vegas Mobsters are four points ahead of the Cougars in the standings with nine points this season, while BYU has five.
“Hopefully tonight [Saturday] was just an off night,” head coach Chris Watkins said. “We learned a really important lesson tonight to be a little bit more accountable and responsible for ourselves. We hope to apply that in Vegas this next weekend."
BYU hopes to take this focus and finish the season strong. The Cougars play four of the remaining five games on the road and are attempting to move up the charts.
However, the Cougars are trying to break down the games one at a time. Watkins knows no game can be overlooked.
"It’s a tough environment down in Vegas,” Watkins said. "There are no easy games for us here on out.”
BYU competes in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The Cougars have competed in the league since May 2003. BYU’s team is the first university sponsored soccer program to purchase a franchise and compete at a higher level.
BYU was one of 19 PDL teams to be selected to participate in the 2015 US Open Cup.
The next home game for the Cougars is July 4, against Burlingame. Ticket prices for the BYU men’s soccer home games are $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for students and youth, and children until 4 years old get in free.
Michelle Wood is a public relations student at Brigham Young University with a dream of making it to the Super Bowl one day. While she isn't studying for tests and classes, you can find her in the offices of BYU Athletics, working on media relations.