Back in Action
Utah State soccer (12-7-1, 9-2-0 MW) travels to Laramie, Wyoming, this week to begin postseason play at the Mountain West Championship. The 2-seed Aggies will first face off against 3-seed Boise State (11-3-6, 8-2-1 MW) in the semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 11 a.m., at Wyoming's Madrid Sports Complex.
Tournament Time
Last year's regular season champion, Wyoming, hosts this year's MW Championship. In the first round, Boise State defeated Nevada while Colorado State took down Fresno State, each winning 2-0. Both semifinal matches take place on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The winner of Utah State and Boise State will then move on to face the winner of San Diego State and Colorado State in the championship match, set for Saturday, Nov. 4, at noon.
Follow Along
This week's match 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.
Tournament History
• Utah State has qualified for five MW tournaments, going 3-4-2 in those games.
• Prior to this year, the Aggies have advanced to the semifinals three times but have never made it to the championship game.
• Last season, USU played San Diego State to a scoreless draw in the first round before falling just short in a dramatic, record-setting PK shootout 19-18.
Scouting the Broncos
• Boise State enters Thursday's contest with an 11-2-6 record, and went 8-2-1 in MW play, only losing to top-2 seeds Utah State and San Diego State.
• The Broncos have been led in scoring this season by junior forward Kenzie MacMillan, who has scored 10 goals. MacMillan also leads the squad with a league-best seven assists, and ranks first in the MW with 27 points.
Riding High
Utah State is playing its best soccer of the year entering the postseason, currently riding a five-game winning streak and having won nine of its past 10 outings. Since falling to San Diego State on Oct. 8, the Aggies have out-scored their previous five opponents a combined 10-1 with four shutouts.
Making History
• This year's Aggie squad became the first in program history to earn a top-2 seed in the MW tournament, winning a program-record nine league games. The previous high mark for conference wins by a USU team was seven, done in both 2008 and 2016.
• This is also just the sixth Aggie team in program history to reach 12 total wins in a season. Only four teams have reached 13.
Coach of the Year
• In his third season at the helm of the program, USU head coach Manny Martins was honored as the Mountain West Coach of the Year. Martins has led the Aggies to a program-record nine league victories, and helped the team earn its highest-ever finish since joining the Mountain West.
• Martins became just the second USU coach to earn COTY honors and the first to do so in the Mountain West, joining Heather Cairns (2008, 2012 WAC).
Defensive Player of the Year
• USU senior defender Kelsey Kaufusi was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year after serving as the defensive anchor on the league's top defensive team this season. She helped the Aggies hold opponents to a conference-best 0.5 goals per game in MW play, posting six shutouts in 11 matches.
•Kaufusi is just the third USU player to earn league DPOY honors, joining Natalie Norris (2010, 2011, 2012 WAC) and Taryn Rose (2014 MW).
All-Conference Accolades
• Four Aggies landed spots on All-Mountain West teams this season. Kaufusi and sophomore midfielder Kaylie Chambers were each named to the first team, while senior defender Kylie Olsen and graduate goalkeeper Diera Walton were named to the second team.
• Additionally, freshman midfielder Summer Diamond earned a spot on the Mountain West All-Newcomer Team.
LOCKING IT DOWN
• The Utah State defense has proven itself as one of the best in the Mountain West, holding opponents to a league-best 0.8 goals per game. The Aggies have held 17 of their 20 opponents to a goal or less, including 14 of the previous 15 entering the postseason.
• In each of the team's three seasons under head coach Manny Martins, USU has held opponents under one goal per game.
• The Aggies lead the Mountain West with six shutouts in conference play, allowing just six total goals to their 11 MW opponents.
• The team's 0.8 GAA is on pace for the third-best in program history.
That's Deep
The Aggies have relied on their depth this season to score, with a league-best 13 different players finding the back of the net. Additionally, 12 players have recorded at least one assist.
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 fourth among active DI keepers in career minutes played with 7,414. She also ranks third in the NCAA this season in minutes played with 1,733.
That's The Goal
The Aggies are a near-perfect 12-1 this season when scoring at least one goal, and they've scored first in each of their 12 wins. Under Martins, when scoring at least one goal USU is 33-9-5.
A Fitting Senior Sendoff
Utah State forward Nicole Hadlock-Hardy played the hero role in her final match at Chuck and Gloria Bell Field, as the team earned a 2-1 win over Nevada on Senior Day. With the match tied at 1-1, the captain knocked home a 72nd minute game-winning goal to secure the team's fourth-straight win.
