Women's Soccer | 9/10/2024 11:30:00 AM

Who | Utah Tech (3-1-2) at Boise State (4-1)
When | Thursday, Sept. 12 – 7 p.m. MT
Where | Boas Soccer Complex - Boise, Idaho
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

Who | Utah Tech (3-1-2) at Idaho (4-3)
When | Sunday, Sept. 15 – 2 p.m. MT
Where | P1FCU Kibbie Dome - Moscow, Idaho
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

Getting Ready for Kickoff
Utah Tech enters this week's action with a 3-1-2 overall record and is coming off a 1-1 week in Arizona last week.

The Trailblazers got action started on Thursday with a 2-1 win at Northern Arizona thanks to a pair of second half goals. UT found themselves in an early 1-0 hole just three minutes in when Lumberjack midfielder Joey Lujan netted her first goal of the year on the match's first shot. 

Utah Tech remained a goal down until late in the 50^th-minute when Brooke Taylor fired a ball deep into the NAU 18-yard box. Lacy Fox got behind the defense for a one-on-one chance against Lumberjack keeper Trinity Corcoran, who made a sprawling point-blank save on the junior's first shot. 

However, Fox managed to corral the rebound and fired a left-footed bender past both Corcoran and an NAU defender, and just inside the far post into the net for her team-leading fourth goal of the season to knot the score at 1-1.

The score stayed deadlocked until the 82:32 mark when after Utah Tech drew a foul just outside the NAU 18, freshman Lataya Brost blasted a free kick over the outstretched mitt of Corcoran into the top left corner of the frame for her first collegiate goal. 

The Trailblazers then held off NAU over the final seven-plus minutes to claim their first road result of the season. 

Utah Tech won the match despite being outshot 13-12, though the Blazers held a 9-6 edge in shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Brianna Frey stopped five NAU shots on her way to her third win in goal on the year.

The weekend wrapped up on Sunday afternoon at Big 12 opponent Arizona State suffering their first loss of the season, falling to the Sun Devils, 2-1.

The two sides were locked in a scoreless duel through the first 50-plus minutes until Arizona State broke through with the match's first goal at the 51:05 mark of the second half.

The Trailblazers got on the scoreboard with a goal from Emily Garbett was finally able to sneak in a goal with 4:45 remaining in regulation to square the match at 1-1. 

The senior midfielder lined up a free kick from nearly 40-yards out near the far sideline, which she drilled over the outstretched mitt of the Sun Devil keeper into the back of the net for her first goal of the season.

Unfortunately for the Trailblazers, the tie would be short-lived as Arizona State's Cameron Valladares rebounded her own deflected shot and punched through the game-winning goal from near point-blank range with just 25 seconds remaining.  

Utah Tech wound up with seven total shots on the day, with Garbett accounting for all three attempts on frame. Meanwhile, Frey finished with four saves in goal.

Historic Start in NCAA era
Getting off to a 3-0-2 start to the season, the Trailblazers suffered their first loss of 2024 in their sixth match, the longest into the season the Trailblazers had gone into a season before being handed their first loss of the season.

It took until the fifth match of the season in both 2006 (start of NCAA era) and 2018 to suffer their first loss.

Coach Brown vs. Mountain West/Big Sky
Head coach Lexi Brown, who is 11-8-7 overall in her two years at Utah Tech, is 3-0 against the Mountain West with a win over UNLV (3-2) this season and victories against Nevada (2-1) and Colorado State (3-2) in 2023.

Brown is 3-3-1 against the Big Sky with a 2-1 win over Northern Arizona and a 1-1 tie against Weber State this season as well as wins over Portland State (1-0) & Idaho State (4-3) in 2023. 

WAC Rankings
As a team, the Trailblazers check in fifth in the WAC in goals (8) and assists per game (1.17).

Fox enters the week tied for third in the WAC in points (9) and third in goals (4).

Freshman defender Adele Faller is tied for eighth in assists (2) while Frey ranks second in saves per game (4.50), third in saves (27) and ninth in save percentage (.818).

RANKED!: A week after dropping out of the United Soccer Coaches Pacific Region poll, the Trailblazers returned to the poll on Tuesday checking in No. 9.

With six Mountain West teams in the poll, the WAC has four representatives with Seattle U at No. 2, Grand Canyon at No. 7 and Utah Valley at No. 8.

Aug. 27: No. 9
Sept. 3: NR
Sept. 10: No. 9

Glance at Boise State
Boise State is off to a hot start to the season entering Thursday's contest with a 4-1 record.

Earning wins over Portland State, Idaho State, UC Riverside and Idaho, the Broncos lone setback has come to BYU with a 2-0 loss to the Cougars.

Picked to finish third in the Mountain West alongside Colorado State, Boise State went 11-4-6 overall in 2023 with an 8-2-1 mark in the MW to finish third in the conference.

The Broncos rank second in the Mountain West in goals (12), shots per game (18.00) and goal differential (+7).

Individually, BSU is led in scoring with three goals apiece from senior forward Carly Cross and fifth-year senior midfielder Morgan Padour. Cross has a team-leading 27 shots and ranks third in the nation in shots per game (5.40).

In goal, fifth-year senior Genevieve Crenshaw has played in all five matches making 10 saves while only allowing five goals.

Series vs. Boise State
Utah Tech and Boise State have met once in program history with their lone meeting coming in Boise in 2021.

The Broncos topped the Trailblazers, 4-0 with a pair of goals in each half.

Glance at Idaho
Idaho comes into the week with a 4-3 record with wins over UC Riverside, CSUN, IU Indianapolis and UC San Diego. The Vandals visit Nevada on Thursday before returning home to host the Trailblazers.

The Vandals posted a 12-5-2 overall record in 2023 finishing second in the Big Sky with a 5-2-1 mark.

Idaho defeated Northern Colorado, 2-1 in the Big Sky Tournament final to advance to the NCAA Tournament where they fell to Gonzaga, 1-0.

Picked third in the Big Sky preseason poll, the Vandals earned a pair of first-place votes. Idaho leads the Big Sky in goals (12) and ranks second in scoring offense (1.71).

Midfielder Margo Schoesler has scored nearly half of the Vandals' goal with five to sit atop the Big Sky. Junior defender Kate Sprink also leads the Big Sky in assists with three.

Redshirt freshman Paula Flores has seen time in goal starting all seven matches racking up 35 saves and has a .761 save percentage.

Series vs. Idaho
This will be also be the second meeting all-time against Idaho after the two teams met last season in St. George.

The Vandals came out ahead, 1-0 with a goal in the 77th minute at Greater Zion Stadium.

New and Familiar Faces
Along with adding 14 new players to the roster during the offseason, the Trailblazer squad will also see 23 returning players from last season. The new class in St. George includes Gonzaga transfer Kyah Le, Colorado Northwestern Community College transfer Cadie Young, Utah State transfer Heidi Wilstead, Abilene Christian transfer Lox Neves, and 10 true freshmen.

The class includes six forwards (Wilstead, Neves along with Emily Blanchard, Ella Cotter, Lataya Brost and Lexi Nelson), four midfielders (Le and Young along with Bre Koscielski and Jenna McDonnell), three defenders (Ali Warner, Adele Faller, Allison Flies), and one goalkeeper (Emma McIff).

Exhibition Play
Utah Tech went undefeated in their two exhibition matches against USU-Eastern and Snow College at home prior to the start of the regular season. The Trailblazers notched a 6-0 victory over the Eagles on Aug. 8 and a 2-0 win over the Badgers on Aug. 10.

Up Next
Utah Tech wraps up non-conference play at Portland State (1-4) on Sept. 20.