BACK IN ACTION
Utah State soccer (6-5-5, 3-1-3 MW) returns to action this week for its final home games of the year at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field as the Aggies host Nevada on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m., then San José State on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 12 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
Both of this week's matches will be streamed for free on Mountain West Network. Fans can also follow along via StatBroadcast, with stream and stat links available on the team's schedule page at www.utahstateaggies.com.
SENIOR SALUTE
Prior to Sunday's match, Utah State will honor its 2025 senior class with a pre-game senior day ceremony. Eight Aggies will be honored, including: forwards Kaylie Chambers, Tess Werts and Hannah Roe, midfielder Rine Yonaha, defenders Carli Conner and Isabella Velazco, and goalkeepers Taylor Rath and Ava Gotchy.
ALMOST TOURNAMENT TIME
With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Mountain West Soccer Tournament is right around the corner. This year's tournament will be held in Boise, Idaho, from Nov. 2-8. The top six teams will make the field, while the top two will earn a first-round bye. Utah State currently sits tied for third in a tight MW table with 12 points.
U-S-A, U-S-A!
Utah State will be without freshman defender Capriel Winder this week, as she participates with the United States U-20 Women's National Team at its training camp in Kansas City, in preparation for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Winder is having a stellar freshman campaign for Utah State, having started all 16 matches on the defensive backline this season and playing 1,404 of a possible 1,440 minutes.
NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE...
Senior forward Tess Werts had a historic performance against Fresno State on Oct. 9, scoring a program-record four goals. These were the first four goals of the season for the team's leading scorer from 2024. She became the first Aggie to ever score four goals in a game and the first to record a hat trick since 2018. She also matched the Mountain West single-game goals record, and became just the fifth player in league history to score four goals in a MW match.
WHAT A NIGHT
Utah State had an offensive performance for the ages in the team's 7-1 win over Fresno State on Oct. 9.
• USU's seven goals are tied for the fifth-most in program history, and were the most goals ever scored in a Mountain West game by the Aggies.
• The team's +6 goal differential matches the team's best in a Mountain West game.
• Utah State's eight assists tie the program record set in 2007 against Louisiana Tech.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Utah State's 22 goals this season have come from all across the roster, with 10 different players scoring at least once. Seven different players have scored two or more goals this season, while nine different players have recorded at least one assist.
MOVING UP THE LEADERBOARD
• Several Aggie players continue to move up career leaderboards this season.
• Chambers is up to 20 career assists, ranking second in program history. Werts is right behind, tied for third with 19 career assists. Graduate midfielder Rine Yonaha also recently broke into the top-10, ranking ninth with 14 career helpers.
• Werts has 52 points in her career, good for seventh in program history. Chambers is close behind with 50 career points, eight-most in USU history.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
For the week of Oct. 12, two USU players took home Mountain West weekly accolades. Werts was named the league's offensive player of the week, while graduate defender Carli Conner earned defensive player of the week recognition. Conner played 86 minutes for the Aggie back line, helping limit the Bulldogs to just four shots with a single shot on goal. She also recorded a pair of assists in the win.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Along with being named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 12, Werts was also named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week.
SHOOT YOUR SHOT
• Utah State has taken as many or more shots than its opponent in 14 of 16 games this season. On the year, the team has a 218-125 shots advantage including a 94-45 advantage in shots on goal.
• The Aggies have limited 13 opponents to less than 10 shots and have not let a single opponent take more than five shots on goal.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
In Utah State's game against Wyoming on Sept. 28, the Aggie offense had a three-goal showing. USU scored less than a minute into the match to set the tone, then tacked on goals in the 36th and 53rd minutes. Prior to this match, Wyoming had allowed just six combined goals through 10 games.
SCOUTING THE WOLF PACK
• Nevada enters the week 2-11-2 overall, and ranks 12th in the league standings with a 1-5-1 mark in Mountain West play. In conference play, Nevada has beaten Grand Canyon, drawn with San José State, and lost to San Diego State, Fresno State, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado College and Air Force.
• The Wolf Pack have scored 12 goals this year while surrendering 33 through 15 games. Freshman forward Naima Castro leads the squad this season with five goals coming on a team-high 28 shots.
AGGIES VS WOLF PACK
• Thursday's contest will be the 25th all-time meeting between Utah State and Nevada. The Aggies lead the series at 16-7-1, with wins in six of the past eight meetings.
• USU and Nevada met last season in Reno, a 2-2 draw between the sides. The Aggies out-shot the Wolf Pack 18-9, but surrendered an 88th minute equalizer in the draw.
• Utah State is 10-0-0 all-time against Nevada at home.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
• San José State enters the week 1-11-3 overall, and is last in the league standings with an 0-4-3 mark in Mountain West play. In conference play, SJSU has earned draws against UNLV, Nevada and New Mexico, with losses to Grand Canyon, Boise State, San Diego State and Colorado State.
• The Spartans have scored 12 goals this year while surrendering 31 through 15 games. Junior forward Paige Pineda-Aliamus leads the squad with five goals this year coming on a team-high 34 shots.
AGGIES VS SPARTANS
• Sunday's contest will be the 21st all-time meeting between Utah State and San José State. The Aggies lead the series at 12-5-3, with two-straight wins and wins in in nine of the past 13 meetings.
• USU and San José State met last season in San Jose, a 4-0 win for the Aggies. Utah State out-shot SJSU 22-10 and capitalized on goals from Austin Miller ('6), Kate Christian ('7), Kaitlyn Richins ('43) and Solena Sellers ('77).
• Utah State is 7-0-3 all-time against San José State at home.
WELCOME TO BELL
• In the past four years under Manny Martins, Utah State holds a 34-5-9 home record at Chuck and Gloria Bell Field. During those games, the Aggies have out-scored opponents by a combined 101-32.
• Last season, USU went 7-0-2 at home and out-scored opponents by a combined 29-4.
• All-time, Utah State is 129-49-33 at home.
UP NEXT
Utah State will wrap up the regular season portion of its 2025 schedule next week, when the Aggies travel to face Boise State on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m.
