LOGAN, Utah - The Utah State soccer team officially began its 2023 season on Tuesday, August 2, when the team gathered for its first two practices of the year.
The team will double up practice sessions each of the first three days of camp, with a morning session and an afternoon session. The Aggies will officially open the campaign with a three-game homestand beginning on Thursday, Aug. 17, when they host Weber State at 5 p.m. at Chuck and Gloria Bell Field. USU then faces Saint Louis on Sunday, Aug. 20, at 1 p.m., before taking on Utah on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 5 p.m.
Utah State looks to build on a 2022 campaign which saw it post an 8-5-8 overall record with a 5-3-3 mark in conference play to earn a bid to the Mountain West Tournament. The team returns 15 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's squad, including three all-Mountain West honorees.
Defender Kelsey Kaufusi and midfielder Alex Day each return for their senior seasons after earning spots on the all-MW second team in 2022. Kaufusi started every game for the Aggies, leading the team with 1,906 minutes on the pitch. Day also started all 21 matches, anchoring the USU midfield while recording three assists and a goal on the season. Midfielder Kaylie Chambers joined Kaufusi and Day with second team honors, while also earning a spot on the All-Newcomer Team after making seven starts in 19 appearances, totaling eight points with three goals and a pair of assists.
The Aggies boast one of the league's top defenses after allowing opponents just 0.85 goals per game in 2022. They ranked second in the Mountain West with 10 shutouts on the year and didn't allow a single goal in the final five contests of the campaign.
In net, the duo of graduate Diera Walton and sophomore McKenzie Hunninghake bring a plethora of experience after splitting time as the squad's starting goalkeepers last season. Walton ranks among USU's all-time leaders in goalkeeper minutes (2nd - 5,680), saves (2nd - 265), shutouts (2nd - 21) and goals against average (4th - 0.93), while Hunninghake allowed just 0.27 goals per game with 15 saves in eight starts last year.
The two top returning goal scorers for the Aggies both come from the midfield, as senior London Miller-Smith and Chambers found the back of the net four and three times last season, respectively. Miller-Smith led the squad in both shots (52) and shots on goal (25).
Utah State welcomes 11 newcomers to the roster, including 10 freshmen and forward Jocelyn Bybee, a graduate transfer who spent the past four seasons at Utah Valley, totaling 31 appearances and six starts with the Wolverines.
Fans can follow the Aggie soccer program on Twitter, @USUSoccer, on Facebook at /USUSoccer and on Instagram, @USUSoccer. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
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