(St. George, Utah – Nov. 10, 2023) Utah Tech women's soccer welcomed nine new faces to the program, Head Coach Lexi Brown announced on Friday. With nine new players, Brown has officially completed her first class at the helm of the program.
 
"We are so excited to welcome our first incoming class to Utah Tech! This is a class who will continue to push this program forward on the field, in the classroom, and in the community," Brown said. "These nine players have played at high levels of club and high school soccer and will be ready to contribute to the building on the success of our program.
 
"Each brings unique attributes to our team and will continue to push us forward for the 2024 season."
 
Emily Blanchard – Forward – South Jordan, Utah
The 2022 Utah 3A High School Player of the year, Emily Blanchard was selected to the 2022/23 Utah ODP Region Camp and was a Region IV U-16 Champion. With her club team, Utah Avalanche ECNL-RL, Blanchard was a 2022 Utah State finalist and the team was named 2023 Elite 64 Northwest Champions while attending the 2023 UYSA National Championship series.
 
Blanchard finished her high school career with 44 goals and 23 assists across 46 appearances at Real Salt Lake High School.
 
Bre Koscielski – Midfielder – Colbert, Wash.
A two-year captain on her high school team, Bre Koscielski had a successful high school career in the Pacific Northwest. Named First Team All-League each of her four seasons, she was the team's Defensive MVP as a sophomore and finished the 2022 season as a league and district champion.
 
Ella Cotter – Forward – St. George, Utah
Ella Cotter joins the program Crimson Cliffs High School, where she earned All-Region and All-State honors after winning region championships in 2022 and 2023. The 2022-23 season saw the St. George native get selected to the Southern Utah ODP final 18 and earn a spot as an ODSP Region IV finalist, translating that into a 2023 ODP Far West Region Team selection.
 
Ali Warner – Defender – Fort Collins, Colo.
Playing at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Ali Warner was a 5A First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Academic selection who also served as team captain. Playing for Broomfield Blast GA team, her success on the pitch also includes multiple Varsity Awards and a US Soccer Girls Youth National League (YNL) invite. Away from soccer, Warner has a perfect 4.0 GPA, earning a spot on the Principal's List and Honor Roll every year since 2019.
 
Lexi Nelson – Defender – West Jordan, Utah
A three-sport athlete who also maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, Lexi Nelson was a three-year captain for her high school team while earning Team MVP honors as a sophomore and junior. As a senior, she won the team's Golden Boot after scoring 14 goals, finishing her career with 35 goals and 11 assists. Nelson also found success playing basketball and as a sprinter/long jumper, placing in the Top-10 during her sophomore season doing the long jump.
 
Jenna McDonnell – Midfielder – Fremont, Calif.
Jenna McDonnell was a three-time All-District selection and earned Team MVP honors during high school, also serving as a team captain for two seasons, and helped the team with the 2021 Surf Cup Championship. She captained her club team, earning ECNL Second Team All-Conference honors, while also training for three seasons under Brandi Chastain. McDonnell also brings experience from the USL W League, having played for the Pleasanton Rage.
 
Adele Faller – Defender – Orem, Utah
Having captained both her club team  (Utah Celtic) and high school team (Timpanogos High School), Adele Faller helped her the THS defense finish with 11 shutouts across 14 games in 2023, setting a new school record. Having been selected to participate in the Utah ODP Region Camp for five seasons, Faller was part of an ODP West Championship team in 2021 while earning Utah All-State Academic honors in 2023.
 
Emma McIff – Goalkeeper – Pleasant Grove, Utah
A First Team All-Region selection as a senior, Emma McKiff's senior season accolades also include an All-Region Outstanding Keeper award, 4A All-State award and All-State Academic recognition after leading Timpanagos HS with 11 shutouts. Having also earned First Team All-Region honors as a sophomore and junior, McIff was named Utah Valley 'Keeper of the Year by the Daily Herald as a junior while being named the Region Eight MVP as a sophomore.
 
A four-year starter while also maintaining a 4.0 GPA on a team that won three region championships, McIff chose Utah Tech over interest from schools such as Santa Clara, UCSB, Gonzaga, Utah State, Utah Valley, UNLV and Wyoming.
 
Allison Flies – Defender – Apple valley, Minn.
Rounding out the Trailblazers' first signing class under Head Coach Lexi Brown is Allison Flies, who was a four-year First Team All-Conference selection at Eastview High School. A two-time team MVP who also was named First Team All-State and First Team All-Metro Minneapolis/St. Paul, Flies is playing for the West team in the 2023 Girls All-American Game. Flies also found success playing for the Minnesota Thunder Academy ECNL, earning All-Midwest Conference honors three times while also being named Academy Player of the Year and Team MVP.
 
Trailblazer women's soccer is coming off its second-consecutive WAC Women's Soccer Tournament appearance after posting an 8-6-5 record during the regular season. With two All-WAC Second Team selections, an All-WAC Freshman selection, and three players also receiving votes, Utah Tech improved its goalscoring output in 2023 with a young team that had 24 underclassmen out of 37 total players.