LOGAN, Utah — Utah State soccer (3-4-3, 0-0-1 MW) earned a point in the opening match of Mountain West play Thursday night at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field, playing to a 1-1 draw in a rematch of the 2024 Mountain West Tournament Championship game against Colorado State.
Everything went Utah State's way early in this one, as the Aggies controlled possession throughout the first half and held the Rams without a single shot through 45 minutes. USU struck first when in the 42nd minute, a back-and-forth between sophomore forwards Austin Miller and Ellie Hendrix led to a Miller goal to make it a 1-0 contest.
Following the halftime break, the Rams were able to connect on what was the team's first shot of the contest in the 51st minute when a corner kick found Colorado State's Olivia Fout at the top of the 18-yard box, who delivered a right-footer into the opposite bottom corner of the net.
SCORING SUMMARY
41:28 - Austin Miller (USU)
Assist: Ellie Hendrix
50:10 - Olivia Fout (CSU)
Assist: Mia Casey
UTAH STATE HEAD COACH MANNY MARTINS:
"It was definitely a tale of two halves. I'm really, really proud of our performance in the first half, and then we kind of let it get away a little bit in the second half. It's unfortunate that their goal came from something that we were prepared for, we just didn't execute. I just think after the goal, we kind of lost our way a little bit in terms of emotional control. That's definitely one area we need to improve on, being able to navigate the moments where things don't go our way and being able to still be emotionally controlled and continue to execute like we were in the first half."
MATCH NOTES
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Utah State recorded a 9-4 advantage in shots, including a 7-0 advantage in the first half.
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Utah State took seven shots on goal to Colorado State's three.
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Senior forward Kaylie Chambers and sophomore forward Austin Miller each took a team-best two shots on goal, while senior forward Tess Werts also had two shots with one on frame.
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Austin Miller's goal was her second of the season, matching the team lead. It was also the sixth of her career.
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Ellie Hendrix's assist was her first of the season and the fifth of her career.
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Freshman forward Samantha Sellers made the first start of her career, logging 47 minutes on the night.
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Graduate goalkeeper Taylor Rath played all 90 minutes in net for Utah State, recording two saves.
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Along with Rath, five other Aggies played all 90 minutes - Summer Sofonia, Rine Yonaha, Kaeda WIlson, Capriel Winder and Carli Conner.
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With the draw, Utah State moves to 10-4-3 all-time against Colorado State, including a 5-1-1 record against the Rams in Logan.
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With the draw, Utah State extends its unbeaten streak versus the Rams to nine, going 6-0-3 during that span.
UP NEXT
Utah State (3-4-3, 0-0-1 MW) will now remain at home this weekend as the Aggies host Wyoming on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m., at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field. The match will be streamed on Mountain West Network.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase season tickets now here. Adult season tickets are available for $100, while youth can gain access to all games by joining the Junior Aggie Kids Club for $40. All seating at Chuck and Gloria Bell Field is general admission. Seating in the stadium bleachers is first come, first served. Fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for grass and berm seating.
FOLLOW
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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