LOGAN, Utah - Must win? Consider it won.
 
In a do-or-die match, Utah State soccer led wire-to-wire for a 2-0 win over Boise State, clinching USU's spot in the Mountain West tournament on the final day of regular season action.
 
"Really happy for our team," head coach Manny Martins said. "I think over the course of the last four games, they've earned every bit of this opportunity to get into the tournament. So I'm glad that we were able to get it. I'm really happy for them. It was a great performance. I think they deserved to be there."
 
The Aggies took control in the very first minute of the match. On Senior Day, it was seniors Jordan Foraker and Sammie Murdock who combined to put USU's into the driver's seat. Foraker dispossessed a Bronco defender and slotted a pass to Murdock at the top corner of the penalty area. Murdock lifted a shot over BSU goalkeeper Genevieve Crenshaw and into the top-right corner for the goal only 23 seconds into the match.
 
"You couldn't ask for a better start," Murdock said. "We came out and scored in the first 25 seconds. It took everybody on the field out there to get the dub… That one felt good, especially on Senior Day. I have to give all the credit to Jordan (Foraker), another senior, she really came out there and helped me out."
 
Even with a one-goal lead, the Aggies remained the aggressor in the first half, outshooting the Broncos, 9-5, over the first 45 minutes of action. Senior Diera Walton recorded three of her five saves of the day in the first half, helping to carry USU into halftime with the lead intact.
 
"That first half felt like a really long half," Martins said. "But it's always great. I'd rather get a goal-for than a goal-against that early. It just showed a little bit of the energy and the mindset that the team came out with."
 
Matching that energy, USU came out of halftime with their sights again set on goal, generating a shot on target within one minute of play resuming. Later in the 54th minute, the Aggies broke through for an all-important insurance goal when sophomore Rine Yonaha took a shot off a pass from Murdock at the top of the 18-yard box, sending the ball in just below the crossbar. Junior Kelsey Kaufusi also assisted on the play.
 
"We had to win this game to make the tournament so I felt like, 'I have to score. We have to win,'" Yonaha said. "The last two games, we tied, 0-0, and we couldn't score. This week, we practiced the final third and we were prepared to score."
 
The lead proved to be insurmountable as the Aggie defense settled in to thwart any semblance of a Bronco comeback over the final 35 minutes of regulation. Even with a 2-0 lead, USU still outshot Boise State, 5-3, in the final third of the match. Utah State ended with a 16-10 advantage in total shots and a 7-5 lead in shots on goal. The Aggies completed their conference schedule having bested their opponent in both categories in every match.
 
"It shows a little bit of the character of the team," Martins said. "Since we got here, we wanted to be a team that was going to be on the front foot. This is something that we've been working on for 18 months now, and still a project that we're working on, but it's a really good sign. Now, it's trying to be a little more consistent in trying to put some of those away. Today, they did."
 
As the clock hit 90 minutes, the bench cleared as the team gathered near midfield to celebrate the team's punching of their ticket to the MW tournament.
 
"I really thought that we deserved this," Walton said. "We worked hard and in the first 24 seconds, we scored a banger so I think we actually deserved this. I'm proud of my team."
 
The shutout was Walton's 20th of her career and extends USU's shutout streak to four games, tied for the longest such streak since the team went six matches without conceding a goal in 2011. Walton also moved into second place all-time at Utah State in goalkeeper minutes played with 5,570 minutes played, moving past former Aggie Ali Griffin. Walton now trails only former Aggie Molli Merrill's mark of 5,713 minutes played.
 
"It felt amazing," Walton said. "This year has been very hard for me. I think in order to help my team out, I'm supposed to help myself first. I think the team helps me and motivates me every single day to come out here and do what I do best."
 
Utah State celebrated Senior Day prior to the match, honoring Foraker, Murdock, Marren Nielsen, Kelsey Salvesen-Harmer and Sara Taylor. The win ensures the seniors another opportunity to don the Aggie uniform.
 
"I'm so happy. I was a little bit emotional today," Martins said. "These are kids that when we got here about 18 months ago, they embraced the ideas that we brought with us and everything we're trying to do. In some ways, we made them uncomfortable. They could have resisted but instead they embraced it. They are every little bit the reason we are where we are today. It's because of leadership and them taking the step to run with what we brought. Really happy that they get to play some more soccer."
 
Utah State (8-5-7, 5-3-3 MW) will play in the first round of the MW tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday. USU's opponent and game time for Sunday has yet to be finalized.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie soccer program on Twitter, @USUSoccer, on Facebook at /USUSoccer and on Instagram, @USUSoccer. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
 
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