Back in Action
Utah State soccer (7-7-1, 4-2-0 MW) begins a four-match homestand with a pair of games this week at Chuck and Gloria Bell Field. The Aggies first host the Fresno State Bulldogs on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 3 p.m., before taking on the San José State Spartans on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 12 p.m.
Follow Along
Both of this week's matches will be streamed free on the Mountain West Network. Fans can follow along via live stats online, with stream and stat links available at www.utahstateaggies.com.
Series History
• Utah State and Fresno State have met up 21 times in a series that dates back to 1999.
• The Aggies are 8-9-4 in the series, with wins in five of the past eight meetings. When the teams faced off last year in Fresno, USU came out on top with a 2-0 win.
• Utah State and SJSU have met up 18 times in a series dating back to 2005.
• The Aggies lead the series 10-5-3, but have just one win in the past five meetings. The teams played in San Jose last year, with the Spartans earning a 2-1 win.
Scouting the Bulldogs
• Fresno State enters Thursday's contest with a 2-6-6 record, and is 1-2-3 in MW play with a win over Wyoming and losses to Colorado State and San Diego State.
• The Bulldogs have been led in scoring this season by sophomore forward Ciara Wilson and senior forward Megan Galvan, who each have two goals. Wilson also leads the squad with a pair of assists.
Scouting the Spartans
• San José State enters the week 3-5-6 overall, holding a 1-2-3 conference record with a win over UNLV and losses to Nevada and Wyoming.
• The Spartans have been led in scoring this season by junior forward Bella Flocchini, who has six goals on the year. Flocchini and junior forward Kennedy Mayo each lead the squad with three assists apiece.
That's Werts Up
• Sophomore forward Tess Werts has found her groove in recent games for Utah State, playing a crucial offensive role and recording a goal or an assist in four of the team's past five games.
• In USU's 2-0 win over New Mexico, Werts had solo assists on each of the team's goals. She followed that performance up by scoring Utah State's lone goal and recording a career-high five shots in the next game against San Diego State.
Brick Wall
Utah State's Diera Walton has set nearly every program career keeper record in the book during her five-year stint as an Aggie, and currently ranks fifth among active DI keepers in career minutes played with 6,988. She also ranks 18th in the NCAA this season in minutes played with 1,306.
Locking it Down
• Utah State has become known for its strong defenses under head coach Manny Martins. In each of Martins' first two seasons, USU held opponents under one goal per game.
• This season, USU opponents are averaging exactly 1.00 goals per game, second in the MW. The Aggies have held 12 of their 15 opponents to a goal or less, including nine of the previous 10 entering this week.
That's The Goal
The Aggies are a near-perfect 7-1 this season when scoring at least one goal, and they've scored first in each of their seven wins. Under coach Martins, when scoring at least one goal USU is 28-9-5.
Last-Minute Magic
Utah State's win over Colorado State on Sept. 28 included some late drama. After playing the entire second half up a player and out-shooting the Rams 15-5, it wasn't until there were just 28 second left on the clock that the Aggies pulled ahead on a goal from senior defender Kylie Olsen.
She's on Fire
• Olsen has long been a staple on USU's defensive backline, but it wasn't until her game-winner against Colorado State that she scored the first goal of her 67-game career. She then followed that up with a goal just 11 minutes into the match against Wyoming on Sunday.
• Her goal against the Rams, a right-footed laser into the top left corner of the net from 20 yards out, was credited as ESPN's top college soccer goal of the week, and earned the No. 4 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10.
Dishing it Out
After entering the season as USU's second-leading returning scorer from 2022, sophomore midfielder Kaylie Chambers has emerged as the squad's top facilitator this season with a team-best three assists. She has already surpassed her assist total from last season (2).
Freshman Phenom
• Utah State freshman midfielder Summer Diamond is off to a strong start to her collegiate career, currently leading the Aggies with three goals. The native of Uintah, Utah, also leads the team with 22 shots, including six in the team's most recent contest vs Wyoming.
• She now looks to become the first USU freshman with more than three goals in a season since Sara Taylor had four in 2018.
