Utah State soccer (0-0-0, 0-0-0 MW) opens its 2023 season this week with a pair of home contests, first playing Weber State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big Sky) on Thursday, Aug. 17, at 5 p.m., before hosting Saint Louis (0-0-0, 0-0-0 A-10) on Sunday, Aug. 20, at 1 p.m.
Follow Along
Fans can follow along with both matches via live stats online at www.utahstateaggies.com, and both matches will be streamed for free on Mountain West Network, available at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch.
Aggies in Season Openers
This will be the team's first time opening a season at home since 2015. Utah State is a combined 11-13-3 all-time in season openers. However, USU is winless in each of its last five season openers on the road, going 0-3-2 over the last five years including a 2-2 draw at Northern Arizona last season.
A Familiar Foe and a First-Time Opponent
Utah State has faced Weber State 18 times, the sixth-most faced opponent in program history. Against the Wildcats, USU holds an 11-6-1 record including wins in six of the past seven meetings. Sunday's game will be the first-ever meeting between Utah State and Saint Louis.
Early Success
• Utah State head coach Manny Martins' 21 combined victories in 2021 and 2022 were the most in the first two seasons by any head coach in USU soccer history.
• Martins has a combined record of 21-11-11. His .616 winning percentage ranks second among active Mountain West coaches, narrowly behind New Mexico's Heather Dyche (.626).
Early Success
• Utah State boasts one of the league's most experienced squads, with 15 letterwinners and seven starters returning from last year's team including All-Mountain West honorees Kelsey Kaufusi, Alex Day and Kaylie Chambers.
What's Returning
• Utah State returns seven players that appeared in each of the Aggies' 21 matches a season ago, including senior midfielder London Miller-Smith, senior midfielder Alex Day, senior defender Kelsey Kaufusi, senior defender Kylie Olsen, junior forward Bizzy Arevalo, junior defender Addy Symonds-Weichers and sophomore forward Tess Werts.
• Miller-Smith is the top returner for Utah State in both points and goals, logging 10 points and four goals for the Aggies a season ago.
• Day is the top returning facilitator for USU, ranking second on the team last season with three assists.
New Faces
• Utah State welcomes 11 newcomers to this year's squad, with 10 freshmen and one transfer.
• Incoming freshmen include Shay Kercher-Pratt (Broomfield, Colorado), Solena Sellers (Highland, Utah), Brooklyn Smith (South Jordan, Utah), Summer Diamond (Uintah, Utah), Presley Ray (Highland, Utah), Abby Schofield (West Point, Utah), Kayla Sato (Mililani, Hawaii), Kasie Vigil (Gilbert, Arizona), Kate Christian (Kennewick, Washington) and Gracie East (South Ogden, Utah).
• Jocelyn Bybee is the team's lone transfer, joining the Aggies after four years at UVU.
Chasing Records
Graduate keeper Diera Walton is on the precipice of breaking several major career records in net for Utah State.
Drawing Blanks
Utah State registered 10 shutouts in 2022, the most by a USU team since 2013. The Aggies held their final five opponents scoreless, tied for the longest shutout streak since 2011. McKenzie Hunninghake recorded five shutouts and is on a streak of three consecutive shutouts, the longest by an Aggie goalkeeper since 2019. Diera Walton tallied three shutouts last season, giving her 20 in her career.
Out of the Gates
Utah State scored the opening goal in 12 matches in 2022, the most among Mountain West teams, and went 8-1-3 in those games. In 2021, Utah State captured 11 of its 13 victories when recording the first goal of the match. The Aggies were 11-1-0 in 2021 when putting the first lights on the board.
She's Going the Distance
Through three years at USU, senior defender Kelsey Kaufusi has played 2,937 of a possible 2,941 minutes, playing and starting in all 53 career games.
First From Abroad
Sophomore midfielder Rine Yonaha is the first international soccer player in USU history.
Mountain West Picks
Utah State was picked fifth in the preseason Mountain West coaches poll for the second-straight season.
Shooters Shoot
Utah State outshot its opponent in both shots on goal and total shots in 12 consecutive matches last season, including every match of regular season Mountain West play. The Aggies won both stats in 16 of 21 matches in 2022.
