(MATCH NOTES - PDF)

OPENING TOUCH: Dixie State (4-5-0/2-2-0 PacWest) embarks on its final road trip of the 2016 regular season this week as the Trailblazers head out for an eight-day, four-match swing through the Hawaiian Islands. DSU will open the trip with its final match ever vs. BYU-Hawaii this Saturday, Oct. 8, followed by games at Hawai'i Pacific (Oct. 10), Hawai'i Hilo (Oct. 13) and Chaminade (Oct. 15).  
  
DIXIE STATE VS. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: Dixie State is 6-6-1 all-time vs. BYU-Hawai'i, 11-2-0 vs. Hawai'i Pacific, 11-1-0 vs. Hawai'i Hilo, and 13-0-0 against Chaminade.

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach Kacey Bingham (Arizona State, 2006) is in her fourth season on the Trailblazers bench as Dixie State enters its second decade of NCAA competition. Bingham has compiled a 31-24-3 overall record at DSU, including a 25-14-1 mark in Pacific West Conference play. Last season Bingham led DSU to an 11-6-0 overall record, the most wins in her brief tenure as head coach, which included a 9-4-0 PacWest mark and a fourth-place league finish.
    Bingham is joined on the sideline by fourth-year assistant Rielee Reed, third-year assistant Abby Johnson and former DSU men's soccer player Nyle Ortiz, who is assisting both the DSU men's and women's programs.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED FIFTH IN PACWEST: Dixie State was picked to finish fifth in the annual Pacific West Conference preseason coaches' poll released on August 18. Azusa Pacific and defending champion Point Loma each collected six first-place votes, but APU edged PLNU by two points, 184-182, to claim the top spot on the poll. Concordia University Irvine was tabbed for third place with 162 points, while California Baptist received one first place vote to finish fourth with 157 points, followed by DSU (141 points) in fifth, Fresno Pacific (125) in sixth and Hawai'i Pacific (108) in seventh to round out the top-half of the poll.
    Dixie State did not land a player on the PacWest preseason team or on either of the preseason position player of the year lists.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State evened its PacWest record won and its second-straight overall after posting a 3-2 home result over conference leader Fresno Pacific last Saturday night at Legend Solar Stadium. The Trailblazers scored three goals, including two off the boot of junior forward Darian McCloy (Herriman, Utah/Herriman HS), which were sandwiched around two FPU penalty kicks. DSU held a 20-12 edge in shots, 13-8 on frame.

McCLOY NAMED PACWEST CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: McCloy was named PacWest Women's Soccer co-Offensive Player of the Week Monday for her performance in the Trailblazers' 3-2 victory over FPU last Saturday night.
    McCloy posted her first multi-goal match of the season to lead DSU to the win. She scored just before halftime to give DSU a 2-1 lead, then added an insurance goal, her team-leading and PacWest leading sixth of the season overall and eventual third game-winning goal of the year, with 18:15 left in the match.
    In addition to her league lead in goals scored, McCloy also leads the PacWest in points (13) and shots (32).

QUICK KICKS: Three Dixie State four victories on the season have come via shutout, including a 2-0 home result vs. Humboldt State (Sept. 8), a road 1-0 triumph at Westminster College (Sept. 13), and a 1-0 home win vs. Holy Names (9/27) ... senior D/MF Aubri Detmer (Austin, Texas/Lake Travis HS) scored her third-career goal (first GWG) in the win over HNU ... Detmer took a centering free kick from freshman defender Kilee Lamb (Smithfield, Utah/Sky View HS) and fired home a shot from 25-yards out to give the Trailblazers their winning margin ... junior forward Darian McCloy (Herriman, Utah/Herriman HS) has scored a goal in five of her last seven matches overall and has six of DSU's nine goals on the year ... three of McCloy's six goals in this current stretch have been game winners, including DSU's first goal vs. Humboldt State and the lone tally at Westminster, to go along with her GWG vs. FPU (10/1) ... dating back to last season, McCloy has scored a goal in eight of DSU's last 12 matches overall, including the final three matches of the 2015 campaign, and the Trailblazers are 12-3-0 all-time when McCloy scores at least one goal in her two-plus seasons in a DSU kit ... McCloy's current stretch has vaulted her into solo fifth on DSU's career goals (17) list and eighth all-time in points (39) ... senior forward Erica Gonzalez (Avondale, Ariz./Westview HS) and senior MF Megan Spencer (Provo, Utah/Springville HS) have accounted for DSU's other two goals on the year ... Gonzalez now has five career goals to her credit, including four tallies in 2014, while Spencer scored her 11th-career goal in the first half vs. FPU, which moved her into t-10th on DSU's career goals scored list ... junior defender Montana Hadley (Bountiful, Utah/Viewmont HS) and sophomore defender Nichole Mertz (Springville, Utah/Springville HS) co-lead the team with two assists apiece, while eight other players have collected one dime apiece ... freshman keeper Felicity Tarr (Tucson, Ariz./Mountain View Marana HS) has won her last two decisions, including her first career win after a scoreless second half at Westminster College, followed by her first collegiate shutout win in the HNU victory this past Tuesday ... senior GK Angelica Ciucci (Stockholm, Sweden/Thorildsplans Gymnasium) also won her second game of the year in goal with a six-save effort vs. FPU (10/1) ... entering this week's matches, Dixie State is averaging 12.2 shots/6.1 SOG per outing.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will close the 2016 regular season with five-straight PacWest home matches, beginning with a date vs. Academy of Art on DSU's Homecoming Saturday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m., at Legend Solar Stadium.