Who | Utah Tech (6-4-5, 1-0-4) vs Tarleton State (4-8-3, 1-3-1) / Abilene Christian (7-6-1, 2-3)
When | Thursday, Oct. 12 – 7 p.m. / Sunday, Oct. 15 – 10 a.m.
Where | Greater Zion Stadium
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers
 
Scouting the Competition:
Tarleton State and Utah Tech have only played once in program history, a scoreless draw on Sept. 23, 2022 that saw UT out-shoot the Texans 12-11 (6-4 SOG). McKinley Barney, Ella Carmody and Gracie Knutzen all started and played the full 90 minutes as Barney and Karli Heaton tied for the team-lead with two shots apiece.
 
This season, TSU is 4-8-3 with a 1-3-1 record against WAC opponents, tying SFA 1-1 before defeating UTRGV on Sept. 24; the Texans fell in two games against Utah Valley and Seattle U this past weekend. Rylee Low's four goals leads the team while Mikayla Kendall has made a team-high 98 saves across 14 appearances this season.
 
Against Abilene Christian Utah Tech is 1-0, defeating the Wildcats on the road last season; Heaton and Emma Carver were both credited with assists in a 2-1 victory.
 
This year, ACU is one of three teams in the conference to win seven or more games but is coming off a winless weekend, falling to Seattle U and Utah Valley at home. Forward Chayse Thorn's 12 goals is tied for eighth-most in the country and third in the WAC while the Wildcats have featured three different goalkeepers this season; the trio has combined to make 43 saves across the team's 14 games.
 
Player of the Week
A redshirt freshman from Salem, Utah, Bryanna Hofheins was named the TicketSmarter WAC Goalkeeper of the Week on Tuesday. She made an instant impact in her first career start on Thursday, making 10 saves and posting a clean sheet against SFA and followed that performance up with another clean sheet on Sunday, making two saves in a scoreless draw. Across 224 minutes of action, Hofheins has not allowed a goal while stopping 16 shots this season.
 
Conference Victory
Thursday's victory over Stephen F. Austin was a big moment for the program, as it was the team's first victory over a conference opponent and the first conference win in the head coaching career of Lexi Brown. With goals from Ella Rusick (12^th minute), Emily Garbett (66^th minute) and Tessa Thornton (69^th minute), UT managed 16 shots in the game while taking 10 corner kicks and drawing 10 fouls.

Unbeaten
With the 1-0-1 weekend in Texas, Utah Tech extended its unbeaten streak to eight games. Dating back to a 1-0 victory over Portland State on Sept. 10 UT is 4-0-4 with victories over PSU, Colorado State, Idaho State and SFA while finishing tied Southern Utah (1-1), California Baptist (2-2), Grand Canyon (1-1) and UTRGV (0-0). 

On Their Own
The Trailblazers entered Thursday's game with 19 assists on 17 goals this season but saw each of their three goals go unassisted; Ella Rusick had a shot deflected in to the 'keeper's left, Emily Garbett scored directly off a corner kick and Tessa Thornton finished off a rebound to seal the 3-0 victory. UT had exactly 20 goals and 20 assists during the 2022 campaign and now enters the final four games with 20 goals and 19 assists.

Converting Their Chances
UT's offense has seen an uptick in the rate at which shots are converted into goals when compared to the 2022 season. Last year, UT converted 10.9% of its shots into goals while the team this year holds a conversion rate of 11.2%. The Trailblazer defense has also played a big role in the team's success this year as opposing attacks are converting at a rate of just 9.5%.

Opportunities
The entirety of Utah Tech's bench played a role in UT's victory on Thursday, with all 23 players appearing in the game. Ella Weathers, Savannah Hansen and Kalea Woodyatt all played 40-plus minutes off the bench while Karli Heaton (31), Emma Carver (29), Hannah Petteys (23) and Hanna Carlisle (11) played double-digit minutes; Rachel Feveryear came close with nine minutes of action.

How They Rank
Brynlee Rider and Lacy Fox are tied for fifth in the WAC with 15 points each… Tessa Thornton's 2.6 shots per game is tied for seventh… Fox's seven goals is fifth while Rider's five goals ranks sixth… Emily Garbett's three assists ranks tied for ninth… Rider ranks ninth among active WAC players for points…

What's Next:
Utah Tech hits the road for its final two regular season contests next weekend, facing Utah Valley on Thursday before playing Seattle U on Sunday. Should UT finish as one of the top-six teams in the WAC standings, the 2023 Western Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship is scheduled for Oct. 29 – Nov. 4 in Riverside, Calif.