BACK IN ACTION
No. 20 Utah State soccer (13-3-3, 6-1-1 Pac-12) enters postseason play this week as it hosts the Pac-12 Women's Soccer Championship Nov. 11-14 at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field.
FOLLOW ALONG
Every match of the tournament will be streamed free on the Pac-12 YouTube page. Fans can also follow along via StatBroadcast, with stream and stat links available on the team's schedule page at www.utahstateaggies.com.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS (AGAIN)!
Utah State earned some championship hardware for the fourth-straight season, securing the Pac-12 regular season title and the top seed in this week's tournament with its 2-0 win over San Diego State in the season finale on Nov. 5.
This was the team's fifth regular-season championships in program history, all coming when it played in the WAC (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012). The Aggies have, however, won postseason titles each of the past three years in the Mountain West. All-time, USU has won five conference tournament championships (2011, 2012, 2023, 2024, 2025).
POSTSEASON AT THE BELL
This is just the second time in program history that Utah State has hosted a conference tournament at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field, previously hosting (and winning) the WAC Tournament in 2012. The Aggies also hosted the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, and hope to be able to host a tournament game this season as well.
A BRICK WALL
• USU sophomore goalkeeper Ivy Nystrom has been one of the nation's top goalkeepers this season, and is having one of the best seasons between the sticks in program history.
• In 17 appearances, she has 11 clean sheets to her name, second-most in the nation.
• Her 11 shutouts rank tied for the most in program history, tied with Cora Brendle (2024) and Molli Merrill (2011).
• Nystrom also ranks 12th nationally in goals against average at 0.478, a mark which ranks second in program history, only behind McKenzie Hunninghake's 0.27 (2022).
AMONG THE BEST
Utah State ranks among the nation's best on both sides of the pitch in several major statistical categories this season, currently ranking in the top 15 in: shots per game (5th - 18.95), assists (6th - 52), shutout percentage (6th - 0.632), goal differential (8th - +32), points (9th - 140) and goals (14th - 44).
ICYMI
Utah State closed out the regular season with a 2-0 victory over San Diego State on Nov. 5, to clinch the Pac-12 regular season title. The Aggies out-shot the Aztecs 19-8, using a 68th minute game-winner from senior forward Kate Christian followed by an 82nd minute insurance goal from junior midfielder Kei Yoneda to secure the win. This was the first goal of the season for Christian, who also scored the game-winner in the Mountain West Tournament championship game against Colorado State as a freshman in 2023.
AGGIES IN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS
All-time in conference tournament matches, Utah State is 15-10-3. Under head coach Manny Martins, the Aggies are 7-1-2, including a 6-0-1 mark the past three seasons.
AGGIES VS THE FIELD
• Against Gonzaga, Utah State is 2-6-1 all-time. The teams have met just once since 2016, facing off in Spokane earlier this year on Oct. 25 when the Zags handed USU a 3-1 loss, its only loss of Pac-12 play. In Logan, the Aggies are 2-1-0 against Gonzaga.
• Against Boise State, Utah State is 18-7-4 all-time. The Aggies are 6-2-1 against the Broncos under coach Manny Martins, including a 1-0 win in Boise this season on Oct. 11. The teams met in the MW Tournament title game last season in Boise, USU winning in PKs after a 2-2 draw. In Logan, the Aggies are 5-2-3 against Boise State.
• Against San Diego State, Utah State is 3-9-4 all-time. Under Martins, however, USU is 3-2-2, with wins in three-straight including a 2-0 win in Logan just last week on Nov. 5. In Logan, the Aggies are 2-4-0 against San Diego State.
IN THE POLLS
• Utah State is ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the ninth-straight week, climbing two spots to No. 20 after last week's 2-0 win vs San Diego State. The Aggies have climbed as high as No. 16 this season.
• This is just the second season in which USU has ever been ranked. Previously, it made its Top 25 debut in 2024, when the Aggies climbed all the way to No. 7.
• This is the ninth overall week Utah State has been ranked this year, a new program record.
• USU is the highest ranked team in the country outside of a P4 conference.
ROAD WARRIORS
This season, Utah State has earned its two most dominant road wins in program history with a 6-0 win at Idaho State on Sept. 17 and a 5-0 win at Oregon State on Oct. 30. The 6-0 win at Idaho State is the largest margin of victory on the road ever by a USU team, while the 5-0 win at Oregon State is tied for the second-largest, along with a 6-1 win at Boise State on Oct. 18, 2016.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For her performance in Utah State's 2-0 win over San Diego State last week, senior forward Kate Christian was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week. Christian scored the game-winning goal in the 68th minute to help the Aggies secure the regular season Pac-12 title. She propelled the Aggie offense throughout the contest, leading all players with a season-high six shots in the match while starting and playing 62 minutes.
This was the first conference weekly honor of Christian's career, while she is the fourth Aggie to earn Pac-12 OPTW accolades this year, joining Ellie Hendrix (Sept. 1), Solena Sellers (Sept. 15) and Kunie Hirai (Nov. 3).
SHUT 'EM DOWN
• Utah State boasts one of the nation's top defenses this season, allowing just 12 goals through 19 games.
• The Aggies have shut out 12 opponents this year, including six of their eight Pac-12 foes. The team's 12 shutouts rank tied for second in a season in program history (record is 15 in 2024).
• The team's 0.632 shutout percentage ranks sixth in the nation.
WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITION
Three members of the Utah State back line were recognized by TopDrawerSoccer on Oct. 21, as the publication announced its Midseason Top 100 Players and Top 100 Freshmen lists. The sophomore defensive duo of Summer Sofonia (No. 83) and Capriel Winder (No. 99) were named among the top 100 players in the country, while defender Lila Emmetsberger checked in at No. 55 on the top 100 freshmen list.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Not only does Utah State have one of the top scoring offenses in the country this season, the team's goals have come from all across the field. USU's 44 goals have come from 15 different players, with eight players scoring three or more goals and nobody scoring more than five. Additionally, 18 different players have recorded at least one assist this season.
NO SHOT
• While offensively the Aggies rank in the top 10 nationally in both shots and shots on goal per game, defensively, USU has been suffocating as well.
• Utah State is averaging 18.9 shots per game while limiting opponents to just 7.4. The Aggies also average 8.4 shots on goal per game while facing just 2.7.
• 16 of the Aggies' 19 opponents this year have been held to four or fewer shots on goal, while 13 have been limited to two or fewer.
A TIP OF THE CAP
• USU sophomore defender Capriel Winder has tallied a team-best eight assists this season. This leads the Pac-12 and ranks 32nd in the nation.
• Winder ranks tied for fifth all-time for assists in a season at USU, and is the only defender ranked in the top-10. The program record is 11, held by Ashley Cardozo (2021) and Jessica Brooksby (2016).
WELCOME TO BELL
• Chuck & Gloria Bell Field is home to the nation's longest unbeaten streak, as Utah State has gone undefeated in 37-straight games, a streak of longer than three calendar years. The team's last loss in Logan came Aug. 24, 2023 against Utah.
• In the past six years under Manny Martins, Utah State holds a 43-5-12 home record. During those games, the Aggies have out-scored opponents by a combined 139-39.
• Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, USU went 13-0-5 at home and out-scored opponents by a combined 58-10.
• All-time, Utah State is 138-49-36 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 every year. The past five seasons combined, the Aggies have limited opponents to 0.81 goals per game. Four of the top seven seasons for goals allowed average in program history have come under Martins. This year, the Aggies are limiting opponents to 0.63 goals per game, which ranks third in team history.
THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN
Helping Utah State to one of the best home field advantages in the country is one of the best crowds in the country at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field. Through 10 home games this season, the Aggies are averaging 1,355 fans per game, a mark which ranks 15th in the nation. USU set a program record attendance with its first-ever Bell Field sell-out this season against BYU, playing in front of 3,181 fans.
MARTINS MAGIC
• Utah State head coach Manny Martins, the two-time Mountain West Coach of the Year (2023, 24) and three-time Pacific Region Coach of the Year (2023, 24, 25) has led the most successful stretch of Aggie soccer in program history.
• As the head coach at USU, he has a 76-28-27 (.683) record, including a 37-16-12 (.662) mark in conference games. In the three years prior to his arrival, the team won just 16 total games.
UP NEXT
Utah State will await its postseason fate in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The selection show will take place Monday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m., with opening round games played Friday-Sunday, Nov. 20-22.
