Back in Action
Utah State soccer (14-7-1, 9-2-0 MW) travels to Provo, Utah, this weekend to compete in the first round of the NCAA Championships. The Aggies will first face off against 1-seeded BYU (16-2-3, 7-0-3 MW) on Friday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m., at BYU's South Field. 
 
Follow Along
This week's match will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can follow along via live stats online, with stream and stat links available at www.utahstateaggies.com. 
 
Tournament Time
Utah State earned a bid to its third-ever NCAA Tournament by winning last week's Mountain West Championship tournament. The Cougars, currently ranked No. 6 in the nation, enter the field as a 1-seed. The winner of USU and BYU will move on to face the winner of Grand Canyon and 8-seed USC in the second round on Friday, Nov. 17. The College Cup will take place in Cary, North Carolina, on Friday, Dec. 1, and Monday, Dec. 4.
 
Tournament History
• This is the third time in program history USU has qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
• The Aggies' previous postseason appearances came in 2011 and 2012, when they played at Auburn and at 2-seed BYU, respectively.  
• USU has never advanced past the first round, falling 2-1 in both previous attempts. 
 
Scouting the Cougars
• BYU enters the tournament with a 16-2-3 record, and went 7-0-3 in Big 12 play, finishing second in the league and falling to Texas in the Big 12 Tournament championship match.
• The Cougars have been led in both scoring and assists this season by senior forward/midfielder Brecken Mozingo, who ranks ninth nationally with 34 points on 11 goals and 12 assists. 
 
A Look back
In the first meeting between USU and BYU this season on Sept. 16, the Aggies came out on top with a 1-0 win over the then-No. 1 ranked Cougars in Logan. USU used a 51st minute goal by freshman midfielder Summer Diamond to capture its highest-ranked win in program history, while holding BYU to its only scoreless result of the season. 
 
Series History
• While BYU has largely controlled the all-time series against USU with a 13-2-1 advantage, since the hiring of head coach Manny Martins, Utah State is undefeated vs the Cougars. 
• In 2021, the Aggies posted a 2-1 win in Provo over then-No. 18 BYU. Last season, it was a 1-1 draw between the sides in Logan. 
 
Riding High
Utah State is playing its best soccer of the year entering the tournament, currently riding a seven-game winning streak and having won 11 of its past 12 outings. In the past seven games, the Aggies have out-scored their opponents a combined 12-1 with six shutouts. 
Mountain West Champs
• Utah State earned its first-ever Mountain West title last week, as the 2-seeded Aggies took down 3-seeded Boise State and 4-seeded Colorado State to win the MW Championship. 
• The Aggies didn't allow a single goal in the tournament, winning both matches 1-0. 
• Senior midfielder Whitney Lopez earned Tournament MVP honors after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against CSU. She was one of four Aggies named to the all-tournament team, along with graduate keeper Diera Walton, sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Richins and junior defender Addy Symonds-Weichers. 
 
Making History
• This year's Aggie squad set a new high mark for conference wins in a season with nine. The team is also just one win shy of tying the program record of 15 wins, set in 2011. 
• Individually, a few Aggies have made or are near making program history. Sophomore forward Kaylie Chambers is tied for second for game-winning goals in a season with four, just one shy of the all-time mark. Diera Walton is currently third for goalkeeper minutes played in a season with 1881, and ranks third all-time with nine shutouts. 
 
Defense Wins Championships
• The Utah State defense has proven itself as one of the best in the nation, holding opponents to a league-best 0.7 goals per game. The Aggies have held 19 of their 22 opponents to a goal or less, including 16 of the previous 17 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. 
• In 13 matches against Mountain West opponents, the Aggies allowed just six total goals with eight shutouts.
• The team's 0.72 GAA is on pace for the third-best in program history. 
 
Clutch Genes
• After not scoring a goal in the first 19 games of the season, freshman forward Kate Christian has scored game-winners for the Aggies in two of the past three matches. 
• In the regular-season finale at Boise State, Christian scored the first goal of her collegiate career with just three seconds remaining in the first half to help secure a first-round bye.
• Christian was once again the game's lone goal-scorer when USU faced Colorado State in the MW title game, striking in the 78th minute. 
 
Coach of the Year
• In his third season at the helm of the program, Manny Martins was honored as the Mountain West Coach of the Year. 
• 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. Kelsey Kaufusi and sophomore midfielder Kaylie Chambers were each named to the first team, while senior defender Kylie Olsen and Diera Walton were named to the second team. 
• Additionally, freshman midfielder Summer Diamond earned a spot on the Mountain West all-Newcomer Team. 
 
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 7,614. She also ranks fourth in the NCAA this season in minutes played with 1,933. 
 
That's The Goal
The Aggies are a near-perfect 14-1 this season when scoring at least one goal, and they've scored first in each of their 14 wins. Under Martins, when scoring at least one goal USU is 35-9-5.
 
Reppin' the Beehive State
• Friday's match will feature 45 players from the state of Utah, as Utah State and BYU rank first and second, respectively, in rostered players from the Beehive State. 
• There will be 25 Utah high schools represented between the two sides, while American Fork HS (9) and Lone Peak HS (4) have the most alumni in the match. 
 
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 win.