Dixie State started the 2017 regular season on the right foot as the Trailblazers posted a 2-1 result over Northwest Nazarene Thursday afternoon at Westminster College's Dumke Field.

All three goals in the match came in the first 30 minutes of play, starting with a successful penalty kick conversion by junior midfielder Gabby Medina (Mesquite, Nev./Virgin Valley HS) late in the 11^th-minute, which staked Dixie State to a quick 1-0 lead. The Crusaders (0-1-0) answered with the equalizer midway through the 24^th-minute when Linus Mansson tucked a shot past DSU netminder Zach Nielson (West Point, Utah/Northridge HS) to square the match at 1-1.

Dixie State regained the advantaged at the 30-minute mark when sophomores Blake Damato (Las Vegas, Nev./Shadow Ridge HS) and Jandir Porta (West Valley City, Utah/Hunter HS) combined to play a ball into fellow sophomore Moises Medina (Mesquite, Nev./Virgin Valley HS), who blasted home a shot from 12-yards out for the eventual game-winning goal.

NNU outshot the Trailblazers by a slim 11-10 count, though the Trailblazers held an 8-5 advantage in shots on frame. Nielson (W, 1-0-0) stopped four of the five Crusader shots on goal to collect his first decision in goal of the season.

Dixie State concludes its two-match trip to Salt Lake City with a neutral-site tilt vs. Montana State Billings this Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m.