Who | No. 3 Utah Tech (8-8, 4-4 WAC) vs No. 6 San Jose State (6-7-4, 3-4-1 WAC)
When | Sunday, Nov. 5 – 5 p.m. MT
Where | Peter Johann Memorial Field – Las Vegas, Nev.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

Scouting the Competition:
San Jose State is 6-7-4 on the season and coming off a 3-2 loss to UTRGV during the final weekend of regular season play. Forward Angel Iniguez's seven goals put him in fourth place among qualified WAC goal scorers while his six assists tied with teammate Gaku Nishimura for second-most in the conference.
 
As a team, the Spartans averaged 9.4 shots per game while attempting 51 total corner kicks throughout the season and making 66 saves across the season compared to just 47 from opponents.

The First of Many
Sunday's game marks the first time in Utah Tech's Division-I history that this men's soccer program earned a berth into the conference tournament. The last time UT men's soccer played in a conference tournament was the 2019 season, when Division-II side Dixie State earned the fourth seed in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament; the Trailblazers defeated the fifth-seeded Westminster Griffins before falling to top-seeded Colorado School of Mines in the next round.

Eight
The 2023 regular season ended with the Trailblazers posting eight victories, a new program-best for its Division-I era. The win total is the most by a Utah Tech program since that 2019 campaign ended with an 11-8-1 record, and it equals the win total from the previous two seasons combined.
 
Strong Seasons
Several different players had career years for the Trailblazers in 2023.
 
After making five appearances as a freshman, Stockton Short played all but 45 minutes this season, starting each of the team's 16 games. The Pleasant View, Utah, native posted a save percentage of 73.0 while stopping an average of 3.4 shots per game. He posted three shutouts in on the year, helping the Trailblazers in wins over Lindenwood (3-0), UTRGV (1-0) and Grand Canyon (1-0).
 
Julian Herrera spent a team-leading 1,427 minutes on the pitch this season, helping a Trailblazer defense that allowed 12 fewer goals in 2023 when compared to 2022. Herrera found the back of the net in a 2-1 victory over Gonzaga on Sept. 17, his third goal as a Trailblazer, and after making his 62^nd start against Seattle U last weekend, is now tied for third in program history for most starts in a career.
 
Providing service on Herrera's goal against Gonzaga was AJ Ciampini, a fourth-year sophomore who had a career season in 2023. After not appearing in 2022, Ciampini finished the 2023 campaign with one goal and three assists, and posted a one-goal, one-assist performance in a 3-2 victory over Air Force on Oct. 15. Originally from Riverdale, Utah, Ciampini started all 16 regular season games and played 1,120 minutes.
 
The final Trailblazer to start each of the team's 16 games, Damian Arguello finished the regular season with the fourth-most minutes played on the team, spending 1,166 minutes on the pitch this season. The Caldwell, Idaho, native was credited with an assist on the game-winning goal over UC San Diego on Sept. 23 and added another assist in that victory over Air Force, finishing the year with two.
 
Heading Home
With the 2023 WAC Men's Soccer Tournament set to be played in Las Vegas, Nev., it will serve as a homecoming of sorts for several members of the program. Herrera along with Jimi Villasenor, Abigay Gomez and Bubu Medina all call Las Vegas their home town, and Medina even played two seasons at UNLV before transferring to Utah Tech.

Senior Night
Several Trailblazer veterans played large roles on senior night at Greater Zion Stadium; Traedon Chamberlain started and played the full 90 minutes alongside Herrera while Guglielmo Bianchi (14 minutes) and Cuba Grant (45 minutes) played roles off the Trailblazer bench. Carlos Vargas made the most of his six minutes of action, scoring mere seconds after checking into the game to notch his first of the 2023 season.
  
Youth Movement
Utah Tech's 2023 turnaround has seen several young players step up in a big way. Freshmen Austin Wallace and Sami Cuevas led the team in scoring with seven goals combined, while Miguel Regino started each of the team's final five games and made 15 total appearances on the season. Sophomores Oliver Stone (15), Jerod Allen (14) and Anthony Godinez (10) all made double-digit appearances this season, combining to produce one goal and three assists across 1,756 minutes of play.

Down the Stretch
Multiple Trailblazers earned playing time down the stretch of the season after not seeing much action early on. Gavin Coe made his season debut on Oct. 8 and played in five of the team's final six matches while Bianchi played in two of the final four games; Tyson Nguyen made four of his seven appearances this season during the month of October, playing 22 or more minutes three times.

What's Next:
Should Utah Tech defeat San Jose State on Sunday, the semifinal round of the 2023 WAC Men's Soccer Tournament is slated for Wednesday, Nov. 8, and the final is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11.