Game #15
Who | Utah Tech (5-5-4, 1-2-2 WAC) vs. Tarleton State (7-5-3, 1-3-1 WAC)
When | Thursday, Oct. 19 - 7 p.m. 
Where | St. George, Utah (Greater Zion Stadium)
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

ASSIST ADEPT
Senior midfielder Kyah Le leads the Trailblazers with seven assists this season, tying for second in the WAC and 23rd nationally. Her 0.50 assists per game are second in the conference and 26th in the country. With four goals, Le's 15 points lead UT and tie for fifth in the WAC and 126th nationally. 

OLSEN RECOGNIZED BY TDS
Freshman defender Abby Olsen was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Women's Freshmen Top 100, as announced by TDS on Oct. 10. Olsen is the first Trailblazer in program history to make the prestigious list, recognizing the top 100 freshmen in the country. Olsen has played in all 14 games this season, starting in 13 matches and playing 885 minutes. She scored her first career goal at CSUN on Aug. 28 and tallied her first assist on the Trailblazers' game-winning goal at Southern Utah on Sept. 28. Olsen helped UT shut out UC Riverside on Aug. 17 and was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 23.

FRESHMAN FIREPOWER
Utah Tech's seven freshman goals lead the conference and account for three more than all five other teams' first-year goal totals combined. Southern Utah (2) and Tarleton State (2) are the only other WAC schools that have had at least one goal scored by a freshman this season. Forwards Jocelyn Wright (4) and Brooke Hendricks (2) and defender Abby Olsen (1) have each made a tally in the goal column. Wright is tied for the team lead and seventh in the WAC in total goals.

BOOTS AT THE READY
Utah Tech is outshooting its opponents 196-174 this season, including an 86-69 edge in shots on goal. UT's 14.0 shots per game are second in the WAC. Redshirt sophomore forward Lataya Brost is leading the charge, totaling 39 shots to lead the Trailblazers. Her 2.93 shots per game rank second in the WAC and 102nd in the nation. 

The Trailblazers have outshot or tied their opponents' shot total in nine of their 14 games this season. Defensively, UT has limited its opponents to 10 or fewer shots seven times this season.

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Tech women's soccer fell to California Baptist, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon at Greater Zion Stadium. For the first time this season, an opponent shut out the Trailblazers, denying their high-power offense. Lancer junior forward/midfielder Anja Jestrovic was tripped up in the box, leading to a penalty kick. She buried her chance from the mark to the right side, giving CBU a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute. California Baptist scored on the first shot of the second half in the 53rd minute. Jestrovic logged a brace on a free kick, guiding the ball over the wall to the right side of the goal, earning a 2-0 Lancer lead. In the second half, UT managed just one shot on goal. The Trailblazers struggled to maintain possession and were limited to just five shots, with two on goal in the match. Both totals were season lows for UT. The Lancers tallied 10 shots, putting six on frame. The foul count leaned heavily toward CBU, 15-8.

DÉJÀ VU
With WAC conference play in a double round robin this season, Tarleton State is the first opponent to face Utah Tech for a second time in 2025. It's the first time Utah Tech will play an opponent twice during the regular season since 2021, when UT played its West Division foes twice in WAC conference play.

Utah Tech women's soccer was outgunned by Tarleton State, 4-3, in an Old-West-style shootout on Oct. 5 at Tarleton State Soccer Complex. Sophomore midfielder Bre Koscielski achieved her first career brace, and junior defender/midfielder Nicole Choren netted her first career goal in the effort. Koscielski answered a 14th-minute TSU goal 50 seconds later. She stole the ball on a Tarleton State back pass and dribbled to the box, cut to her left and fired a left-footed shot into the back of the net for an equalizer in the 15th minute. Once again, Koscielski answered for the Trailblazers 50 seconds later. She scored her first career brace with a right-footed blast inside the box on a loose ball in the 42nd minute. The Texans took a 3-2 lead in the 59th minute and added an insurance goal in the 78th minute. Koscielski had a chance blocked out for a corner kick in the 79th minute. On a quick restart, senior forward Lacy Fox sent a ball into the box, and Choren poked in her first career goal to cut the TSU lead to 4-3. Utah Tech outshot Tarleton State 12-10, with an 8-6 advantage in shots on goal.

SCOUTING TARLETON STATE
The Texans visit St. George after drawing with Abilene Christian, 2-2, on Friday. After trailing for over 60 minutes, TSU scored two equalizers in the final 10 minutes to rescue a point at home. After starting WAC play 0-3-0, Tarleton State has picked up points in its last two matches, including its lone conference win over UT, 4-3. 

Senior forward Stevie Reynolds is tied for second in the WAC in scoring with nine goals. She is also tied for second in the conference in points (23) and is sixth in shots (32). Reynolds is in a bit of a scoring drought, having been kept off the board in five-straight games. 

Sophomore forward Gabrielle Williams has picked up the slack in her last two contests, scoring three goals in 132 minutes. Her six goals this season tie for fourth in the WAC. Tarleton State also boasts three additional Texans with at least three goals apiece.

In net, senior goalkeeper Mikayla Kendall has played the entirety of TSU's WAC slate. Kendall, the 2025 WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, has 40 saves and four combined shutouts with a 1.82 goals against average and .727 save percentage in 12 games this season.

SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's match will be the fifth all-time meeting between Utah Tech and Tarleton State. UT leads the series 2-1-1, with a 1-0-0 advantage in St. George. On Oct. 5, the Texans earned their first-ever win over UT, 4-3, in Stephenville. 

CHASING HISTORY
In Utah Tech's all-time career record book, senior forward Lacy Fox ranks sixth in game-winning goals (6), sixth in career goals (19), eighth in points (46), eighth in shots (116) and 10th in shots on goal (55). The native of Highland, Utah, recorded UT's most recent hat trick against UNLV last season.

Senior goalkeeper Brianna Frey ranks first all-time in career saves (209), first in career minutes (4,185) and tied for fifth in career shutouts (6).

THREE TRAILBLAZERS ON 2025 PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
Senior forward Lacy Fox, senior midfielder Kyah Le and junior defender Michelle Rodriguez were selected to the 2025 Preseason All-WAC Team. This trio is the first Trailblazers named to the Preseason All-WAC Team since Karli Heaton was picked in 2023. Three honorees is the most UT has ever placed on the Preseason All-WAC team, topping one selection in 2023 (Heaton) and 2021 (Whitley Griffiths). 

Fox earned Second Team All-WAC honors in 2024 after leading the Trailblazers in goals (8, second-most in the WAC), points (18, third-most in the WAC), shots (40), shots on goal (18), and game-winning goals (2). Fox started 16 of her 17 appearances, totaling 1,086 minutes on the pitch, the most by any Trailblazer forward.

Le returns after starting all 17 games and playing 1,435 minutes on the pitch in 2024. Le tallied the second-most assists (3) and fourth-most points (5) on the 2024 Utah Tech squad. A veteran leader, Le is the only senior midfielder and one of three upperclassmen in the midfield for UT.

Rodriguez also started all 17 games last season, totaling 1,427 minutes and helping the Trailblazers shut out three opponents. 

UTAH TECH PICKED THIRD IN COACHES' POLL
The Trailblazers tied for third with 15 points in the 2025 WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the highest placement UT has ever garnered, besting fifth-place nods in 2023 and 2024. Utah Tech finished sixth in the WAC regular season standings last year with a 2-4-1 mark in conference play and a 5-75 record overall. The Trailblazers made their third-straight WAC Tournament appearance, falling to Seattle U, 2-0 in the quarterfinals. 

Utah Valley (24 points and four first-place votes) is the preseason favorite, predicted by the league's coaches to repeat as regular-season champions. California Baptist, the 2024 WAC Tournament champs, came in second (22 points, two first-place votes). Tarleton State tied with UT with 15 points. Abilene Christian (fifth, eight points) and Southern Utah (sixth, six points) rounded out the poll. 

2024 RECAP
Utah Tech made its third-straight WAC Tournament appearance after finishing sixth in the conference with seven points. After four straight losses to start conference play, UT rallied to secure points in each of its last three games on the road. Overall, the Trailblazers went 5-7-5 in their second year under head coach Lexi Brown. UT garnered four all-WAC selections with senior forward Lacy Fox and sophomore Bre Koscielski returning for the 2025 campaign. 

RETURNING PRODUCTION
The Trailblazers bring back 12 letter winners and four squad members from the 2024 team. Utah Tech's returners were responsible for 83% of goals (19-of-23), 58% of assists (11-of-19) and 75% of points (49-of-65) in 2024. Two 2024 All-WAC honorees remain in senior forward Lacy Fox (Second Team) and sophomore midfielder Bre Koscielski (All-WAC Freshman Team). 

Senior goalkeeper Brianna Frey returns after leading the WAC in saves per game (5.38), posting three shutouts and earning two WAC Goalkeeper of the Week selections in 2024.

Senior Tessa Thornton returns to action after missing the 2024 season due to injury. The five-foot-six forward totaled seven points on three goals and an assist in 2023. 

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
UT welcomed 11 newcomers, including two transfers and nine true freshmen, to its 2025 roster. 

Junior midfielder Teagan Jaussi transferred from DII Ouachita (Wah-CHI-tah) Baptist, where she led the Tigers in goals (6), assists (5) and points (17) on her way to earning United Soccer Coaches All-Central Region Team, D2 Conference Commissioners Association All-Region First Team and unanimous First Team All-Great American Conference honors. 

Redshirt freshman midfielder Liv Leonard defected from Grand Canyon after redshirting the 2024 campaign in Phoenix, Arizona. Leonard helped GCU go undefeated, playing in all matches during the Lopes' spring slate this offseason.

Utah Tech's freshman class features four forwards, two midfielders, three defenders and a goalkeeper. Freshman Rachel Boren is a forward and midfielder.

REPRESENTING THE 801
Two-thirds of Utah Tech's roster hails from the Beehive State. 16 of those 18 student-athletes' hometowns are on the Wasatch Front, a long and relatively narrow strip of land to the west of the Wasatch Mountains, where approximately 80% of Utahns live. 

THE SPOKANE CONNECTION
Head coach Lexi Brown was an assistant at Gonzaga for five seasons prior to accepting the top job in St. George. While in Spokane, Washington, Brown coached senior midfielder Kyah Le (GU 2022-23) and first-year assistant coach Lauren Towne (GU goalkeeper 2020-24). Additionally, sophomore midfielder Bre Koscielski and senior forward Tessa Thornton hail from Spokane. 

BIG SKY BOUND
Utah Tech announced this offseason that it will become a full member of the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2026. The Trailblazers will join a robust women's soccer cohort that includes Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State and Southern Utah (The Thunderbirds will rejoin the Big Sky in 2026). The Big Sky has sent a team to the NCAA College Cup every season since 1999, with three squads making it as far as the second round. UT has a combined record of 12-5-6 all-time against its future conference mates, including three wins and a draw this season.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Trailblazers welcome Abilene Christian to St. George on Sunday, Oct. 19. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Greater Zion Stadium.