Utah State soccer (7-5-7, 4-3-3 MW) concludes its regular season schedule by hosting Boise State (8-4-7, 4-2-4 MW) on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. (MT) at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field. The Aggies will also be celebrating Senior Day. Both matches will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network and available at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch. 
 
vs Boise State | Watch Live | Live Stats
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Both matches will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network and available at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch. Live stats will also be made available through utahstateaggies.com.
 
SENIOR DAY
Utah State will be recognizing five seniors prior to Thursday's match in Jordan Foraker, Sammie Murdock, Marren Nielsen, Kelsey Salvesen-Harmer and Sara Taylor.
 
AGGIES VERSUS BRONCOS
This will be the 23rd all-time meeting between USU and BSU. The Aggies lead the all-time series, 12-6-4. Utah State has also won two of the past three meetings, including the most recent match in Logan, 1-0, in 2019. The Broncos did win the most recent match, 2-1, last season in Boise. Utah State is 3-2-3 all-time at home versus Boise State. 
 
WHAT'S THE SCENARIO?
Utah State currently sits in seventh place in the MW standings, one point behind both Boise State and Colorado College for the final two spots in the conference tournament. The Aggies can only reach the postseason via a win on Thursday while the Broncos would advance with either a tie or victory. Colorado College will advance with a win or tie over Air Force.
 
POINTILLISM
Utah State has 20 different players that have logged at least one point this season. The Aggies have recorded 25 goals from 12 different players and 28 assists from 18 different players so far this season. Seniors Sammie Murdock and Jordan Foraker plus junior London Miller all lead the team with four goals apiece this season. Murdock also leads the team in assists alongside junior Alex Day with three assists each. Murdock also holds the team lead in total points with 11.
 
RELATIVELY SPEAKING
Utah State currently ranks first in the Mountain West in shots on goal per game (7.00), total shots on goal (119), total shots (253) and total assists (28) and are tied for first with 80 total points scored. The Aggies also second in total shutouts (8) and are tied for second in total goals (26). Individually, freshman McKenzie Hunninghake ranks second in the MW with a 0.308 goals allowed per game average in conference play. Junior London Miller is currently tied for fourth in the conference with 42 total shots and third with 24 shots on goal.
 
DRAWING BLANKS
Utah State has registered eight shutouts this season, tied alongside the 2014 season for the most since recording 12 shutouts in 2013. Freshman McKenzie Hunninghake has recorded five shutouts and is on a streak of three consecutive shutouts, the longest by an Aggie goalkeeper since 2019 and the longest such streak in conference play since 2013.
 
BOOKENDERS
Utah State has scored six goals this season within the first 10 minutes of a match. On the other end of the spectrum, the Aggies have recorded eight goals this season in the final 17 minutes of play. 
 
MEASURING UP TO THE BEST
Utah State hosted the top team in the conference twice last week, drawing even with both. The Aggies tied, 0-0, with league-leading San Diego State on Thursday. New Mexico then leapfrogged the Aztecs for the top spot in the standings before USU also drew with the Lobos, 0-0, on Sunday.

SETTLING IN
Utah State has used the same starting lineup over the previous three matches after using a different lineup in 16 of its first 17 matches. USU has used 16 different starting lineups this season with 23 players recording at least one start. Only four players have started every game this season (juniors Alex Day, Kelsey Kaufusi and Kylie Olsen and sophomore Addy Symonds).
 
SHOOTERS SHOOT
Utah State has outshot its opponent in both shots on goal and total shots in 11 consecutive matches, including every match of Mountain West play. The Aggies have won both stats in 14 of 19 matches this season and have been outshot in both categories only twice. 
 
WHOSE HOUSE?
The Aggies have averaged 713 fans at seven home matches this season, the second-highest average home attendance among Mountain West teams. USU has gone 4-1-4 at homethis season and has gone 13-3-4 at home under head coach Manny Martins.
 
OUT OF THE GATES
Utah State has scored the opening goal in 11 matches so far on the year, the most among Mountain West teams this season, and has gone 7-1-3 in those games. Last year, Utah State captured 11 of its 13 victories last season when recording the first goal of the match. The Aggies were 11-1-0 in 2021 when putting the first lights on the board.
 
UNBEATEN STARTS
Utah State has started each of its last two years under head coach Manny Martins with an unbeaten streak. This season, the Aggies started on a five-game unbeaten streak, going 2-0-3. Last year, USU opened the year with a tie before putting together six consecutive victories. In all, Utah State is 10-3-5 (.694) in non-conference action under Martins.
 
SEEING YELLOW
The Aggies were shown four yellow cards in its 2-1 win over UNLV, the most yellow cards given to Utah State in a single match since being shown four cards versus Cal State Fullerton in 2017. In its match versus Grand Canyon, head coach Manny Martins received his first yellow card as a member of a collegiate coaching staff.
 
WEDDING BELLS
• A pair of Aggies were married during the offseason as senior defender/forward Kelsey Salvesen-Harmer tied the knot with her husband (Zachary) in May, while London Miller married her husband (Isaac Smith) in December of 2021.
 
• In all, Utah State has four married players on its roster: Sara Taylor (Jake), Kaufusi (Nathan), Miller (Isaac Smith) and Salvesen-Harmer (Zachary).
 
RETURNED MISSIONARIES
Utah State's roster includes three players that served 18-month missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nicole Hadlock (Ecuador), Salvesen-Harmer (Roseville, California) and Sid Barlow (Paraguay).
 
WHAT'S RETURNING
• Utah State returns nine players that appeared in each of the Aggies' 22 matches a season ago, including senior winger Sara Taylor, senior forward Sammie Murdock, senior forward Nicole Hadlock, Kaufusi, junior midfield/defender Alysia Butters, junior midfielder Alex Day, junior defender Kylie Olsen, sophomore defender Addy Symonds and senior goalkeeper Diera Walton.
 
• Taylor and Murdock are the top goal scorers returning for Utah State, as each logged six goals for the Aggies a season ago.
 
• Taylor is the top returner when it comes to points and assists, finishing second on the team in 2021 with 17 points and five assists.
 
BACK FOR MORE AWARDS
• Kaufusi was named third-team all-Pacific Region by the United Soccer Coaches, while also picking up Mountain West All-Tournament Team honors.
 
• Symonds was named one of the top-100 freshmen in the nation during the 2021 season by TopDrawerSoccer.com, as well as being named to the MW all-newcomer team.
 
• Walton was a second-team all-Mountain West selection in 2021.
 
MOUNTAIN WEST PICKS
Utah State was picked fifth in the preseason Mountain West coaches poll. Boise State was selected to finish third in the preseason with one first-place vote.
 
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