(MATCH NOTES)

OPENING TOUCH: After opening the 2016 season with four matches on the road, Dixie State (1-3-0/0-0-0 PacWest) finally begins the home portion of its schedule this Saturday night as the Trailblazers play host to Northwest Nazarene (3-1-1). The match will kick-off at 7:30 p.m. (MT), inside Legend Solar Stadium. 

DIXIE STATE VS. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: Dixie State is 4-1-1 all-time vs. Northwest Nazarene, including a 2-0-0 mark inside Legend Solar Stadium. The Trailblazers won the first four meetings overall in the series, while the 2013 match-up ended in a 2-2 draw on the road in Nampa, Idaho, and the Crusaders broke through with a 3-1 result the last time the two teams met in 2014 in a match played in Salt Lake City.

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach Tim Busen (Spring Arbor, 1994, 1-3-0 at DSU) is in his first season at the helm of the Trailblazer men's soccer program. Prior to his arrival to St. George, Busen served as head coach at Adams State for six seasons from 2010-15. He coached several All-RMAC selections and numerous RMAC All-Academic honorees during his tenure.
    Busen is joined on the sideline by assistant coach and former DSU player Nyle Ortiz, who will assist both the men's and women's programs this season.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SEVENTH IN PACWEST: Dixie State was picked to finish seventh in the Pacific West Conference preseason coaches' poll released on August 17. Defending conference champion Fresno Pacific was tabbed the 2016 preseason favorite as the Sunbirds collected eight first-place votes and 188 points to headline the poll, while Point Loma (163 points) was selected to finish second, Hawai'i Pacific (154) received two first-place nods in placing third and Notre Dame de Namur (146) got one first-place vote to claim fourth. Azusa Pacific (131), California Baptist (one first-place vote, 131) and DSU (one first-place vote, 128) rounded out the top-half of the poll.
    The Trailblazers also landed two players on the preseason all-PacWest team. Senior netminder Bradley Trella (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler HS) was named PacWest Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, while he and junior defender Bryan Baugh (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley HS) were voted onto the preseason all-conference team.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State split a pair of games at the Montana State Billing Rimrock Classic last weekend. The Trailblazers held an edge in shots and shots on goal in the opener against the host Yellowjackets last Friday, but it was MSUB which scored the game's lone goal early in the 23rd-minute to claim a 1-0 result.
     Then on Sunday, DSU erupted for a school-record tying five goals - all scored by freshmen - as the Trailblazers picked up their first win of the season by a 5-0 count over the University of Mary.

PORTA EARNS PACWEST FRESHMAN HONOR: Midfielder Jandir Porta (West Valley City, Utah/Hunter HS) was named PacWest Freshman of the Week this past Monday for his performances at the MSUB Rimrock Classic.
    Porta (5-6; West Valley City, Utah/Hunter HS) earned Offensive MVP honors at the Classic after he scored his first two collegiate goals in DSU's 5-0 win over the University of Mary on Sunday. He tallied his first score just before halftime when he sent home a rebound from the top of the box, then capped the Trailblazers' victory in the 67th-minute when he took a half volley and scored on a bicycle kick from 15-yards out. On the weekend, Porta was credited with three total shot attempts in two matches – all of which were on frame, including one shot attempt at MSUB last Friday.

QUICK KICKS: All five goals scored in last Sunday's win vs. UOM were scored by freshmen ... including Porta's two goals, freshman Christian Hall (Layton, Utah/Northridge HS) netted his first collegiate goal from 5-yards out on a two-touch set from senior Sean Jenne (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial HS) and sophomore Gabby Medina (Mesquite, Nev./Virgin Valley HS) ... freshman Angel Estrada (Pasadena, Calif./Pasadena HS) followed suit with his first career goal 10 minutes into the second half, and freshman Michael Cardenas (St. George, Utah/Pine View HS) took a cross from junior Ather Dawood (Tucson, Ariz.) for his first collegiate score early in the 66th-minute.
    Jenne picked up his third point of the year with the dime on Hall's GWG vs. UOM ... the senior scored his sixth-career goal at Metropolitan State-Denver (Sept. 4), which moved him into a three-way tie for sixth on DSU's career goals scored list ... Jenne's assist also vaulted him into solo seventh on the program's career points list with 15 (6G/3A).
    Dixie State's five goals tied a school-record for most goals in a match, but it was the first time the Trailblazers scored five goals away from home ... DSU also scored five goals last season vs. Metro State-Denver, and vs. Chaminade in 2013 ... Trella started in both matches in goal at the MSUB Classic, surrendering just the one goal with five saves in 137-plus minutes of play.

ABOUT THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: Northwest Nazarene enters Saturday's match having won three of its first five outings - all at home, with two of those three wins coming against PacWest opponents, a pair of 4-2 results against both Dominican (9/3) and Hawai'i Hilo (9/12). The Crusaders have scored 15 goals in five matches, with senior forward Ebu Camara and freshman forward Rafael Junqueira leading the way with three goals apiece.

UP NEXT: Dixie State heads to southern California for two matches to open PacWest play next weekend, beginning with a date at Azusa Pacific on Thursday, Sept. 22, and a match at Point Loma on Saturday, Sept. 24.