USU Game Notes (PDF)
 
At Texas | Watch Live | Lives Stats
At Utah | Watch Live | Live Stats
 
LOGAN, Utah --- Utah State soccer (2-0-3, 0-0-0 MW) continues its longest road trip of the 2022 season this week with two matches, starting at Texas on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. (MT), before wrapping up the three-game road trip at Utah (3-1-2) on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 5 p.m. (MT).
 
FOLLOW ALONG
The match at Texas will be broadcast on TV and online via the Longhorn Network (ESPN). The match at Utah will be streamed via the Pac-12 Network. Live stats will also be made available through utahstateaggies.com for both matches.
 
AGGIES VERSUS LONGHORNS
This will be the first meeting between the Aggies and the Longhorns. USU is 1-4 all-time versus current Big 12 teams with their lone victory coming in a 3-2 win over Texas Tech in a neutral-site match in 2009. 
 
AGGIES VERSUS UTES
This will be the 24th meeting all-time between Utah State and Utah. The Aggies trail the Utes, 5-18-0, in the series. USU's last victory over Utah came in a 2-0 road win in 2015.
 
YOU GET A POINT, YOU GET A POINT, EVERYONE GETS A POINT
• Utah State has 17 different players that have logged at least one point this season.
 
• Utah State's 12 goals this season have come from eight different players with only three players recording two on the year (Sammie Murdock, Jordan Foraker, Sara Taylor).
 
Counting Assists
Utah State has recorded 14 assists on its 12 goals from 13 different players.
 
Atop the Mountain West
Through the first five games of the season, Utah State leads the Mountain West with 2.4 goals and 15.4 shots per game. The Aggies also lead the conference in points per game (7.60) and assists per game (2.80). Furthermore, at 2-0-3, Utah State is the sole remaining unbeaten team left in the conference.
 
Glorious Goals
Utah State is averaging 2.4 goals per game, the most in school history, surpassing the previous school record of 2.18 goals per game during the 1999 season.
 
BRICK WALL
Utah State currently leads the Mountain West in goals allowed per game, conceding only 1.20 goals per match. USU's two shutouts also stand atop the MW.
 
Seeing Yellow
In its match versus Grand Canyon, Utah State was shown its most yellow cards this season as two players and the Aggie bench were cited. The match featured four yellow cards in all, the most since Utah State and BYU combined for five cards during the contest in Provo on Sept. 18, 2021. The yellow card on head coach Manny Martins against the Lopes was his first as a member of a collegiate coaching staff.
 
SHAKE IT UP
Utah State has used a different starting XI in each game this season with 18 players finding their way into the starting lineup.
Quick Responses
Utah State retook the lead a mere two minutes from when Northern Arizona tied the match at 1-1 in the season opener. The Aggies did one better and took a 2-1 lead over Grand Canyon less than one minute after the Lopes had equalized at 1-1.
 
Winning Early
• 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. 
 
• Utah State has recorded the first goal in each of its matches this season.
 
Chasing Records
Utah State senior keeper Diera Walton is in pursuit of several career records this season.
Back to its Unbeaten Ways
• Utah State has started each of its last two years under head coach Manny Martins unbeaten over the first four games of the season. Last year, USU opened the year with a tie before putting together six-straight victories. The Aggies drew in their first game this season and have since gone 2-0-2 over their last three matches. 
 
• In all, Utah State is 9-1-4 (.786) in non-conference action under Martins.
 
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.
 
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