Utah State soccer (8-5-7, 5-3-3 MW) begins its run in the Mountain West tournament as the No. 4-seed against fifth-seeded San Diego State (7-5-7, 5-3-3 MW) on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 4 p.m. (MT) at the UNM Soccer Complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Both matches will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network and the MW app. 
 
MW Quarterfinals vs San Diego State | Watch Live 
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Both matches will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network and available at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch.
 
AGGIES VERSUS AZTECS
Utah State has never beaten San Diego State in any of the past 11 meetings as the Aztecs lead the all-time series, 8-0-3. In the teams' matchup earlier this season, USU tied with SDSU, 0-0, in Logan on Oct. 20. This is the second time the two sides will meet in the MW tournament, as SDSU won, 3-2, over Utah State in the semifinal round in 2013.
 
TOURNAMENT TIME
Utah State will play in the Mountain West tournament for the second consecutive season after reaching the semifinals last year. It is the first time USU has reached the conference tournament in back-to-back years since the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Utah State is 3-4-1 all-time at the MW tournament (USU advanced past New Mexico in quarterfinals in 2013 via penalties (4-2) after tying, 0-0, through 2OT). The Aggies have reached the semifinal round three times in 2013, 2016 and most recently in 2021. Utah State has never made the MW championship match. USU's most recent conference championship appearance came in 2012 when the Aggies defeated Denver for the team's second consecutive WAC crown.
 
POINTILLISM
Utah State has 20 different players that have logged at least one point this season. The Aggies have recorded 27 goals from 13 different players and 31 assists from 19 different players so far this season. Senior Sammie Murdock leads the team with five goals while senior Jordan Foraker plus junior London Miller have each recorded four goals this season. Murdock also leads the team in assists and total points with four and 14, respectively.
 
RELATIVELY SPEAKING
Utah State finishes the regular season ranked first in the Mountain West in shots on goal per game (7.05), total shots on goal (141), total shots (300) and total assists (31), total points scored (87) and are tied for first with 28 goals scored. The Aggies also second in total shutouts with nine. Individually, senior Sammie Murdock is tied for eighth in the conference with five goals on the season, tied for fourth with four assists and eighth in the conference with 14 total points. Freshman McKenzie Hunninghake ranks first in the MW with a 0.308 goals allowed per game average in conference play and is second with a .867 save percentage. Junior London Miller is currently fourth in the conference with 47 total shots and third with 25 shots on goal.
 
DRAWING BLANKS
Utah State has registered nine shutouts this season, the most by the team in one season since recording 12 shutouts in 2013. The Aggies are currently on a four-match shutout streak, tied for the longest such streak by the team since going six games without conceding a goal in 2011. USU has had three individual goalkeeprs register a shutout this season. Freshman McKenzie Hunninghake has recorded five shutouts and is on a streak of three consecutive shutouts, the longest by an Aggie goalkeeper since 2019. Senior Diera Walton has three shutouts this season, giving her 20 shutouts in her career. Senior Marren Nielsen also has one shutout on the year.
 
BOOKENDERS
Utah State has scored seven goals this season within the first 10 minutes of a match with their fastest goal coming in only 23 seconds off the foot of Sammie Murdock versus Boise State, USU's quickest opening goal since 2009. On the other end of the spectrum, the Aggies have recorded eight goals this season in the final 17 minutes of play. 
 
SETTLING IN
Utah State has used the same starting lineup over three of the previous four matches after using a different lineup in 16 of its first 17 games. 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).
 
MEASURING UP TO THE BEST
Utah State closed out its regular season facing off versus the top three teams in the conference from the preseason poll in New Mexico, San Diego State and Boise State. The Aggies went 1-0-2 in that stretch, earning two scoreless draws against the Lobos and Aztecs and notching a 2-0 win over the Broncos in the regular season finale.
 
SHOOTERS SHOOT
Utah State has outshot its opponent in both shots on goal and total shots in 12 consecutive matches, including every match of Mountain West play. The Aggies have won both stats in 15 of 20 matches this season and have been outshot in both categories only twice. 
 
WHOSE HOUSE?
The Aggies have averaged 716 fans at seven home matches this season, the third-highest average home attendance among Mountain West teams. USU has gone 5-1-4 at homethis season and has gone 14-3-4 at home under head coach Manny Martins.
 
OUT OF THE GATES
Utah State has scored the opening goal in 12 matches so far on the year, the most among Mountain West teams this season, and has gone 8-1-3 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.
 
CHASING RECORDS
Utah State senior keeper Diera Walton is in pursuit of several career records this season.
 
    USU Career Minutes (GK)
    1.         Molli Merrill                              2008-11           5713
    2.         Diera Walton                          2019-pres.      5570
    3.         Ali Griffin                                 2005-08           5526
    4.         Megan Mills                            2001-04           5211
 
    USU Career Saves
    1.         Megan Mills                             2001-04           273
    2.         Diera Walton                          2019-pres.      260
    3.         Michaela (Miller) Hawes         1997-2000       249
    4.         Jeannie Woller                        2012-15           246
 
    USU Career GAA
    1.         Ashlyn Mulford                         2009-12           0.69
    2.         Natalie Stoven                         2013-16           0.79
    3.         Molli Merrill                              2008-11           0.90
    4.         Diera Walton                          2019-pres.      0.95
 
    USU Career Shutouts
    1.         Ali Griffin                                  2005-08           22
    2.         Molli Merrill                              2008-11           21
    3.         Diera Walton                          2019-pres.      20
    4.         Jeannie Woller                        2012-15           17
 
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 went 2-0-3 before suffering their first loss. 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 while San Diego State was slotted second.
 
 - USU -