TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (December 9, 2021) – It's a measure of success for an NJCAA program to play in the national semifinals twice in program history.
 
However, what's the adjective to use to describe a team that does it twice in a calendar year? There are many adjectives to describe the ongoing success of the Salt Lake Community College Women's Soccer program, which just concluded its Fall 2021 season with a berth in the NJCAA semifinals and a No. 5 overall ranking.
 
When looking back at the journey of the Fall 2021 season, Bruins coach Cassie Ulrich said the adversity her team overcame made the success that much more enjoyable.
 
"We took setbacks in stride all season long and trusted the process," he said. "'m deeply proud of what the team accomplished and also of the individual development of our players. I really believe we're doing a great job of pushing players closer to their potential."
 
Salt Lake opened the season in dominance, then suffered a pair of close losses to nationally ranked Snow College during the regular season. The Bruins rallied late in the year, closing the Scenic West schedule on a five-match winning streak entering the Region 18 tournament. From there, SLCC downed a pair of in-state rivals and earned a 1-0 win over Snow in the Region 18 championship match.
 
The Bruins eventually ran through the postseason, falling 1-0 to No. 1 Tyler in a highly-competitive NJCAA semifinal. The postseason run will always be a great memory, Ulrich said.
 
"I think the National Tournament will live in my mind for a while," she said. "We had some players perform on entirely new levels. Also, the group was so bought into playing our style and it was fun to see how we were able to build and attack against nationally dominant teams like Tyler. I was proud of how we played at the tournament."
 
Sports is an experience where there is always something next – another game, another practice, another road trip. Still, the memories of the Fall 2021 season will live forever with individuals like Ulrich and her players, particularly some of the experiences they had along the way.
 
"One of our most memorable experiences this year had to be going to Niagara Falls when we traveled to New York for a couple of non-conference games," she said. "Most of the girls had never been before and we got so close, we all got soaked. On the plus side, we also got two big time wins against Top-10 teams while we were there."
 
Now heading into a traditional offseason, the Bruins will use the time for skill development with their returning players. Besides the work players do, SLCC's coaching staff will use the spring for recruiting and evaluation.
 
"We're close to done with the Class of 2022, but the recruiting never stops," Ulrich said. "Now that we have a normal spring season and summer, I'm looking forward to getting into the Class of 2023."