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You can bet that if at first she doesn't succeed, Hailey Skolmoski will try again.
Arizona learned the hard way after the senior forward's penalty kick ricocheted off the arms of the Wildcats' goaltender. But after the easy way failed for Skolmoski, she found a way to finish with difficulty: The ball bounced her way in the box, and she put her left foot on it to deflect it off a defender in the goal.
It's that doggedness that has led her to score a team-best nine goals for the Utes (8-2-2, 3-0-1) this season — more than any other player in the program has scored in any season since 2009. And there's still seven games left.
"She has a scorer's mentality," coach Rich Manning said. "She believes that if she gets in the right spot, she's going to get it in. If she misses, no sweat off her back. She just gets ready for the next one."
The strength of Utah's undefeated start to Pac-12 play has been its ability to defend: The Utes are third in the league with only 8 goals allowed this season, and points have been hard-won on a young defense.
But the Utes also have the luxury of a go-to scorer in Skolmoski, a former Utah Gatorade player of the year and Riverton native who has already scored five game-winning goals, including the deciding score Thursday in a 1-0 win against Oregon State. Her nine goals this year is tied for the lead in the Pac-12, and accounts for almost half of Utah's goals (19) this season.
She hasn't even played forward in every game this year: Skolmoski's first two games were spent at center back where she had 14 starts last year. Since Manning has moved her up front, she's been too good to move back.
Easily recognizable by the headband she's worn since the fifth grade — decorated with black-and-white soccer balls — Skolmoski has excelled at the role she played at Riverton High, where she scored 59 career goals. A short player, Manning said her low center of gravity has made it hard for defenders to take the ball away, and that she has a knack for getting to spots on the field.
Lately, she's worked on her back-to-the-goal game, when defenders try to play physical on her.
"I kind of invite the physicality," she said. "I dish it as well as take it."
Skolmoski was recruited as a defender/forward combo player, but Utah's injuries last season convinced Manning she should man the back end as a freshman. Skolmoski was one of the team's stronger defensive players before an ACL tear ended her season just over a year ago.
Throughout the offseason, the Utes worked on converting her to playing up front. Mentally she was prepared. But when the Utes began practicing this summer, getting back in the flow with her surgically repaired knee took a little time.
"Our first day of practice was my first real practice in 9 or 10 months," she said. "It was frustrating because I wasn't being as technical or playing as fast as I was before the injury at first. But I think what got me through it is just loving the game, and just letting myself get back into my groove."
The groove has been found: Skolmoski has scored three goals in her past two games, and five goals in her past seven. Teammates are looking for her more and more, and as the team's midfield gets healthier, Manning anticipates that Utah's attack could be even more potent.
Skolmoski is the sophomore on Utah's five-member leadership committee, helping set the tone with her play and her voice. It drives Utah's hopes that it will be able to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.
"Hailey is a very scrappy player," senior Taylor Slattery "It's that extra grit, that extra work, she can get on the end of the ball and finish."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Hailey Skolmoski at a glance
• Tied for Pac-12 lead at nine goals in 12 games
• Most goals by individual Ute in a season since 2009
• As a freshman had 14 starts at center back before tearing her ACL
• Riverton High grad, scored 59 career goals for Silverwolves
• 2014 Utah Gatorade player of the year
Oregon at Utah
P Ute Field
Kickoff • 2 p.m.
TV • Pac-12 Networks