One example fully illustrates Kelly Isleib's will to compete.
Exactly six months "right on the dot" before taking the soccer field for her first game as a Utah Ute, Isleib tore an ACL in her knee. By season's end she was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman Of the Year.
"I was not back fully for a full year," the senior midfielder said.
Right now, Isleib's best asset continues to be her positive attitude, which has been severely tested of late as the Utes are riding a run of poor results.
As Utah prepares to play at UNLV on Thursday in hopes of righting a 1-7-1 stretch, it seems that anything that can go wrong has, including a pair of gut-turning overtime losses to Utah State and BYU. Utah's strong, physical midfielder, and two-time All-MWC selection, burns to return to the NCAA Cup, where she hasn't been since that freshman year.
"It's been a rough one," she said. "[The problems] are small, little things that are easy to fix. We're a little jinxed or something.
"We're making smaller goals: Make it to the [MWC] tournament; then win the tournament. After that just win one game at a time."
As Utah coach Rich Manning works to keep his team focused, he has no doubts about his star player.
"There are two things for me," he said. "Kelly is the best passer I've ever worked with. Short passes, long passes, passing in traffic. She can look one way and pass in the other direction.
"She is also comfortable on the ball with any kind of pressure on her."
That's high praise coming from someone who has worked with the likes of U.S. National Team member Allie Wagner while coaching at Santa Clara. But Manning believes that Isleib is good enough to be on that level. She has already trained with the Under-20 and U-23 national teams.
"The midfield is fun because I get to play more balls, become more of a passer," she said.
Training with the national team "is pretty intense," Isleib said. "The U23 is a step or two faster. College is a lot more fun."
Isleib has brought that experience to the Utes, where, from her midfield position, her five goals and three assists lead the team in scoring. Isleib entered 2009 already the school's assist leader.
Prior to Utah, Isleib, the 3A MVP in 2004 and 2005, led Park City High School to consecutive state titles. Her club teams, the Celtic Storm and Avalanche, also captured state titles.
"I just like to play," Isleib said. "Losing is not as fun as winning, but playing is always fun."
Manning points to that attitude as the key to Isleib's position as Utah's go-to player.
"She is super positive," he said. "She also has the least amount of ego from who I would call a star player I've ever worked with. She makes it easy for her teammates to work with her and not get jealous of the attention she gets."
Ultimately, Isleib wants to play professionally, something her father, Bob, did, including a short stint with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.
Whenever Manning gets the opportunity, he promotes Isleib to those in power with the national team.
"She's very unique," he said. "She has that extra dimension. The skills she has, they'll show up more as she plays with better players. Her game will translate to the next level.
"The challenge for her is confidence. It is in her, it just needs to come out."
Manning wants Isleib to assert herself even more. So, it is not a surprise that Isleib's favorite memory as a Ute involves a teammate's goal that tied a game late during the first round of the 2006 NCAA Cup.
"It proved anything can happen," she said.
That philosophy fuels the 2009 season
