Who | Utah Tech (5-4-1) vs Southern Utah (0-5-4)
When | Friday, Sept. 8 – 5 p.m. / Sunday, Sept. 10 – 12 p.m.
Where | Greater Zion Stadium – St. George, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers
 
Scouting the Competition:
The Southern Utah Thunderbirds are 0-5-4 as conference play gets underway, falling to Idaho State, 3-2, in their last game on Thursday. Sammie Sofonia (three goals, two assists) and Whitney Gardner (two goals, four assists) lead the Thunderbirds in total points while Julia Ortega has made 61 saves across nine appearances this season. As a team SUU is averaging 1.11 goals scored per game.
 
Player of the Week
Lacy Fox was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, her first time winning player of the week honors. Fox, a sophomore forward, appeared in both games over the weekend, playing 127 minutes in an attack that produced seven goals across two games.
 
Against Colorado State on Thursday, the Highland, Utah, native started and played 72 minutes, breaking the game wide open with two goals less than 15 seconds apart to put UT ahead, 2-0, in the 18^th minute. Against Idaho State the Highland, Utah native played 55 minutes off the bench and finished with four shots, including the most important shot of the game: a game-winner in the 86^th minute.
 
A Successful Weekend
Entering this past weekend with a .438 winning percentage thanks to a 3-3-1 record, Utah Tech was in the hunt for results and delivered, winning both games over Colorado State and Idaho State. Now back above .500 with a 5-3-1 record, the Trailblazers have won three-consecutive games dating back to a 1-0 victory over Portland State last weekend.

Late-Game Heroics
Both of those weekend victories came with some fireworks, as the Trailblazers scored game-winning goals within the final five minutes of both games. Against Colorado State, Ella Rusick headed in a Brynlee Rider corner kick with just 32 seconds remaining to secure the 3-2 victory. Just two days later, it would be Lacy Fox who finished from the edge of the box in the 86^th minute to claim a 4-3 victory over Idaho State. 
 
Fox, who also scored game-winning goals in the 80^th minute of a 2-1 victory over Nevada earlier in the season and in the 65^th minute of that 1-0 victory over Portland State, is now up to five goals on the season, while Thursday's goal was the first of Rusick's collegiate career.

On the Scoresheet
A familiar face found her way back on the score sheet against Idaho State on Sunday, with Karli Heaton scoring her first goal of the 2023 season thanks to a 75^th minute header. Heaton, who was a Second Team All-WAC selection after finishing with five goals and two assists last season, finished with three shots – all on goal – in 41 minutes of action against the Bengals.
 
Joining Heaton on the score sheet was Tessa Thornton, who has started nine games this season and ranks third on the team with 13 shots. Her goal, which came off a Heaton feed, put Utah Tech ahead in the 71^st minute, and she would later be credited with an assist on Fox's game-winning goal.

Offense, Offense, Offense
Sunday's 4-3 victory marked the highest goal tally for the Trailblazer women's soccer program this season, and with seven goals in two games, it marked just the second time in UT's Division-I era that a Trailblazer team has scored seven or more goals in a two-game stretch. Utah Tech's offensive numbers are up across the board this season, averaging more shots and converting those shots into goals at a higher rate when compared to last season.
 
Ratings Power Index (RPI)
With their recent success, Utah Tech has seen a surge in the RPI rankings, currently sitting at No. 106, which is tied for the highest in the program's Division-I era. At 106, Utah Tech ranks third in the WAC, sitting behind Grand Canyon (80) and Utah Valley (90) while the next closest WAC teams are California Baptist (169) and Abilene Christian (212).

How They Rank
Fox's five goals and 26 shots are both tied for fourth-highest in the conference… Rider is up to second in the WAC with four assists… Brianna Frey's ranks third in total saves (45) and saves per game (4.5).

What's Next:
Utah Tech is at home next weekend, hosting California Baptist (Sept. 28, 7 p.m.) and Grand Canyon (Oct. 1, 1 p.m.).