Who | Utah Tech (2-2) vs CSU Bakersfield (2-1-2) / Gonzaga (2-1-3)
When | Thursday, Sept. 14 – 7 p.m. / Sunday, Sept. 17 – 11 a.m.
Where | Greater Zion Stadium
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

Scouting the Competition:
CSU Bakersfield enters Thursday's contest with a 2-1-2 record after a perfect 2-0 weekend. After defeating San Francisco 1-0 in a Thursday road contest, the Roadrunners beat Division-II side Fresno Pacific 6-1 at home. Led by Bilal Mihoubi's two goals, eight different players have scored for CSU Bakersfield while goalkeeper Brandon Limes has made 11 saves across his five appearances.
 
For the Gonzaga Bulldogs, this past weekend saw games against Cal State Fullerton and Seattle U both finish as 1-1 draws, moving the team's record to 2-1-3 on the season. Stefano Campisi leads the GU attack with three goals and two assists this season while Ben Augee and Ian Silva accounted for the Zags' two goals this past weekend. GU has deployed three different goalkeepers this season, with Stuart Heringer and Wessel Sprangers each appearing in three games and playing over 250 minutes.
 
Gonzaga is set to face UNLV on Thursday before making the journey to St. George.
 
Success on the Road
Trailblazer men's soccer opened the season with four consecutive road games, coming away with two victories. It started with a convincing 2-1 victory over St. Mary's on Aug. 27 that saw Jimi Villasenor score his first goal of the 2023 campaign before Sunday's 3-0 win over Lindenwood that was fueled by the combination of a strong defensive effort and offensive firepower coming off the bench in Bryce Backlund and Austin Wallace.
 
Last season, Utah Tech won two of its first five road games after defeating CSU Bakersfield and Gonzaga on their home fields by a combined score of 2-0.
 
A Dazzling Debut
A freshman from Lehi, Utah, Austin Wallace made his Trailblazer debut on Sunday, playing 42 minutes off the bench and proving to be the spark that Utah Tech needed. After stealing a back pass from the Lindenwood defender and sliding a shot right under the goalkeeper in the game's 51^st minute, Wallace then got on the end of a Bryce Backlund cross and beat the goalkeeper to finish with two goals in his collegiate debut.
 
Backlund's Big Day
Like Wallace, Bryce Backlund had a big day off the UT bench, scoring the first points of his collegiate career. After an outswinging cross in the 75^th minute led to the team's second goal, the Gilbert, Ariz., native found an opening in the box and finished to the far post in the 79^th minute. The goal was his first as a Trailblazer and sealed the 3-0 victory. Backlund now ranks second on the team with three points after a strong 32 minutes of action against Lindenwood.

Clean Sheet
Sunday's performance against Lindenwood marked the first clean sheet of the 2023 season while also serving as the first shutout in the career of goalkeeper Stockton Short. Originally from Pleasant View, Utah, Short was named the TicketSmarter WAC Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 29 and currently leads the league in several key goalkeeping statistics.

Short's performances this season have him entering this weekend of play as the conference leader in save percentage (.824) and goals against average (.75) while his average of 3.5 saves per game is fifth-best; he's also one of just four goalkeepers in the WAC to record a shutout this season.
 
What's Next:
Trailblazer men's soccer hits the road for its next three contests, starting with two more games in California next weekend; Utah Tech is slated to face San Diego State (Sept. 21, 8 p.m.) and UC San Diego (Sept. 23, 8 p.m.).