BACK IN ACTION
No. 7 Utah State soccer (8-0-0, 0-0-0 MW) continues its 2024 campaign as it wraps up non-conference play with a pair of matches this week. The Aggies will first host Washington State (3-3-2, 0-0-0 WCC) on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 4 p.m., at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field. The team then hits the road as it travels to Phoenix, Arizona, to take on Grand Canyon (6-2-1, 0-0-0 WAC) on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. (MT). 
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Thursday's match can be streamed for free on the Mountain West Network, while Sunday's match will be available with a subscription on ESPN+. Fans can also follow along with statistics via Statbroadcast, with stream and stat links available at www.utahstateaggies.com. 
 
MAKING HISTORY
At a perfect 8-0 this year, Utah State has now matched its best start in program history, joining the 2011 squad as the only Aggie team to ever open with eight-straight wins. The team has also matched the longest winning streak in program history, becoming the fourth Aggie team to ever win eight-straight. 
 
IN THE POLLS
• Utah State has made an astronomical climb in the United Soccer Coaches poll this year, reaching as high as No. 7 this week. Prior to this season, USU had never received a single vote in the poll.
• This is tied for the highest a USU team in any sport has ever been ranked, equaling the men's basketball team's No. 7 ranking in 1960. This is also the third-highest ranking ever by a Mountain West team, and the highest since 2012. 
 • In the first official RPI rankings of the season, released on Monday, Utah State checked in at No. 13. The next highest Mountain West team was Boise State at No. 90. 
 
AGGIE DOMINATION
Not only has Utah State won each of its eight matches this year, the Aggies have out-scored opponents by a combined score of 29-6 with five shutouts. According to Massey Ratings, Utah State has played the 17th toughest schedule in the nation. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
Utah State wrapped up its tour of the Beehive State last weekend with a 4-2 win over Weber State. The Aggies were tasked with overcoming a deficit for the first time this season after going down 2-1 in the 58th minute, but responded with three goals in the next 15 minutes to retake control and secure the win. Sophomore midfielder Summer Diamond was responsible for a pair of assists, along with the 63rd minute go-ahead goal. 
 
SCORING SPARK
After scoring 28 total goals during last year's Mountain West championship season, it's taken Utah State just eight games to surpass that mark this year, already with 29 goals before the start of conference play. USU has scored multiple goals in all eight games, the longest multi-goal streak in program history. The team's 3.63 goals per game rank fifth in the NCAA this season. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS
• As a team, Utah State ranks nationally in the top 10 in several major statistical categories, including: winning percentage (1st - 1.000), points per game (4th - 11.00), goal differential (4th - +23), assists per game (5th - 3.75), scoring offense (5th - 3.63) and shots on goal per game (7th - 10.88). 
• Individually several Aggies are among the nation's leaders as well. Junior forward Tess Werts ranks ninth nationally with a 0.733 shot accuracy this year. Senior forward Bizzy Arevalo ranks 13th nationally in assists with 5. Sophomore keeper Shay Kercher-Pratt ranks 18th in shutouts with 4. 
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH
While the Aggies are currently on a historic scoring pace, the goals have been distributed throughout the roster with no player scoring more than four goals. 15 different USU players have already made their way into the scoring column, with seven players netting multiple goals. This surpasses last year's total number of scorers (14). 
 
SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS
Through seven games, Utah State is out-shooting its opponents by a combined 146-70, with an 87-28 advantage in shots on goal. In just the first half of games, USU has 79 shots to its opponents' 25.
 
CHASING HISTORY
Utah State graduate defender Kylie Olsen is well on track to become the most tenured Aggie player in program history. Olsen has played 83 matches, just one appearance away from breaking into the top-10 all-time, and five appearances away from matching Kami Warner's (2017-21) program record of 88 matches played. Graduate defender Alysia Butters is not far off either, with 81 appearances to her name. 
 
WELCOME TO BELL
• In the past four years under Manny Martins, Utah State holds a 25-5-5 home record at Chuck and Gloria Bell Field. During those games, the Aggies have out-scored opponents by a combined 67-27.
• Dating back to 2022, 11 of the past 18 USU opponents at Bell Field have been shut out.
• All-time, Utah State is 120-49-29 at home.  
 
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Under coach Manny Martins, USU has established a reputation as one of the nation's top defenses, allowing less than a goal per game all four seasons. Last year, the Aggies posted 10 shutouts and allowed multiple goals on just three occasions all season. In 13 games against Mountain West opponents, Utah State allowed just a combined six goals. 
 
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS - PT. II
• This year, Utah State has allowed just six goals while posting five shutouts. USU has limited opponents to just 28 total shots on goal this year, an average of 3.5 per contest.
• Going back to last season, 10 of the past 14 games have been shutout wins for the Aggies.
 
STATE CHAMPS?
Utah State faced off against opponents from the Beehive State this year, all on the road, and all resulting in Aggie victories. USU first took down Utah 2-0, before earning wins over then-No. 16 BYU (2-1), Utah Valley (3-0) and Weber State (4-2). Under head coach Manny Martins, USU is now 9-4-1 against in-state foes. 
 
BIG 12 CHAMPS? 
Utah State is a perfect 3-0 this season against Big 12 opponents, including wins against 2023 Big 12 regular champion Texas Tech and runner-up BYU, teams that went a combined 15-0-5 in conference play last year. 
 
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
• Washington State is off to a 3-3-2 start to the season, earning wins over Montana, Idaho and Georgia Southern, drawing versus UC Irvine and UC San Diego, and losing to Purdue, Stanford and Georgia.
• The Cougars have scored nine goals this season while surrendering 10. Jenna Studer leads the squad with a pair of goals, while Reagan Kotschau has recorded a team-best three assists. 
 
SERIES HISTORY 
Thursday's contest will be the third all-time between Utah State and Washington State, with the Cougars winning each of the previous meetings. WSU earned a 2-0 win in the first ever showdown in 1997, then a 1-0 win in 2006. This will be the first meeting between the sides played in Logan. All-time against WCC opponents, USU is 7-15-2. 
 
SCOUTING THE LOPES
• Grand Canyon is off to a 6-2-1 start to the season, earning wins over Charleston Southern, Little Rock, North Dakota State, Air Force, Northern Arizona and Nevada, drawing versus Utah and losing to Arizona and LMU.
• The Lopes have scored 13 goals this season while surrendering just four. Ellie Crisler leads the squad this year in points with seven, coming on three goals and an assist.
 
SERIES HISTORY 
Sunday's contest will be the first-ever meeting between Utah State and Grand Canyon. All-time against WAC opponents, USU is 9-2-1.  
 
UP NEXT 
Utah State will begin Mountain West play when it travels to face San José State on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 p.m (MT), before playing at Fresno State on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 1 p.m. (MT).