Game #13
Who | Utah Tech (3-5-4, 2-0-1 WAC) vs. San Diego State (5-7-1, 1-1-1 WAC)
When | Saturday, Oct. 18 - 8 p.m. (MT)
Where | SDSU Sports Deck - San Diego, Calif.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

TOP OF THE WAC
Utah Tech is at the top of the table through two weeks of WAC play. At 2-0-1, the Trailblazers are the only undefeated team in league play. The three-game stretch is UT's best start to WAC play in program history, and its best conference start since winning three straight to begin Pacific West play in 2017. 

ROGERS, CAMPOLI EARN WEEKLY HONORS
Sophomore forward Taylor Rogers was selected to the TopDrawerSoccer Men's Team of the Week on Tuesday.  He led the WAC in scoring, totaling two goals and two assists to help UT to wins over San José State (3-1) and Air Force (4-0) last week.

Against the Spartans, he assisted on the opening goal, dishing a through ball to sophomore midfielder Dunes Nielsen inside the box. Rogers scored the eventual game-winner in the 62nd minute, putting a left-footed shot past the Spartan goalie on the right side of the goal. It was his second game-winning goal of the season. 

Facing the Falcons, he assisted on the Trailblazers' third goal, setting up fifth-year defender Colby Lee in the middle of the box. Rogers netted Utah Tech's fourth goal in the 89th minute. Freshman midfielder Jacob Cinelli dealt a ball near the spot, and Rogers turned and blasted a right–footer into the back of the net. 

Rogers was also named WAC Offensive Player of the Week, and freshman goalkeeper Luca Campoli was tabbed WAC Goalkeeper of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday. The awards are UT's fourth and fifth WAC men's soccer weekly honors this season, and Rogers' second career selection and Campoli's first career nod.

Campoli recorded eight saves over the two matches, allowing just one goal on a combined 34 shots faced. He tallied a career-high five saves against SJSU and logged his second career solo clean sheet, shutting out Air Force with three saves. 

RELIABLE ROGERS
Sophomore forward Taylor Rogers leads the Trailblazers with 13 points and five goals, while tying for second on the team with three assists. His 13 points rank fifth in the WAC and 66th in the nation. Rogers's five goals are fourth in the WAC and tie for 63rd in the nation. His two game-winning goals are tied for fourth in the conference and 44th nationally.

ASSIST AGENT
Fifth-year defender Colby Lee leads Utah Tech with four assists, tying for fifth in the WAC and 77th in the nation. He assisted on the game-winner against San José State last week, tallying his first helper since August.

LAST TIME OUT
Fifth-year defender Colby Lee scored a brace on senior day to lead Utah Tech men's soccer past Air Force, 4-0, and to a dominant conference win on Sunday at Greater Zion Stadium. The victory put Utah Tech in first place in the WAC. The Trailblazers scored on their first shot in the 29th minute. After a corner kick, Air Force headed the ball out of the box right to Lee, who volleyed a one-timer into the back of the net. It was the first Division I goal for the Hawai'i-Hilo transfer. While going after a rebound in the 34th minute, sophomore midfielder Dunes Nielsen was fouled in the box. Although not initially called on the field, UT was awarded a penalty kick after a VAR review. Nielsen buried the Trailblazers' first penalty kick of the year to the bottom left of the net to give Utah Tech a 2-0 lead. Lee recorded the Trailblazers' second brace of the season in the 77th minute. Sophomore forward Taylor Rogers dribbled to the edge of the box and centered the ball to Lee, who once again shot on the first touch, getting enough power on the ball to get it past the goal line, despite the goalkeeper getting a leg on it. Rogers put the game on ice with a goal in the 89th minute. Freshman midfielder Jacob Cinelli set him up near the spot, and Rogers turned and blasted a right–footer into the back of the net. Utah Tech outshot Air Force 18-16 with an impressive 12-4 edge in shots on goal. It was a chippy game, with each team drawing three yellow cards and the foul count ending at 18-17 with the Trailblazers committing one more than the Falcons. 

SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE
The Aztecs take on the Trailblazers after drawing with UNLV, 1-1, at home on Sunday. SDSU is tied for fourth in the WAC with four points, entering Saturday's contest. All of San Diego State's conference matches have been decided by a goal or less this season.

Sophomore forward Juan Zepeda leads SDSU with eight points (10th in the WAC) and four goals (T-5th in the WAC). The Temple transfer was a 2023 American Conference Second Team and All-Rookie Team selection.

Junior midfielder Carson Ballagh and senior midfielder Lleyton Imparato tie for the team lead in assists with three apiece, ranking eighth in the WAC.

In net, senior goalkeeper Eddy Vargas has posted 37 saves (fifth in the WAC) and two shutouts in 11 starts. He has a 1.30 goals against average with a .725 save percentage in 967 minutes this season. 

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's match is the third all-time meeting between Utah Tech and San Diego State. The Aztecs hold a 2-0-0 series lead, with a 1-0-0 advantage in San Diego. SDSU took last season's meeting 1-0 in St. George. The teams' first-ever meeting in 2023 featured a No. 21-ranked Aztec squad, which earned a 3-0 win.

CHASING HISTORY
Among Utah Tech's career records, junior Stockton Short is third in saves (210), third in minutes played (4,120), third in goals against average (1.45) and fourth in shutouts (7).

SHORT NAMED WAC PRESEASON GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Senior goalkeeper Stockton Short is the 2025 WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, as announced on Aug. 15, based on voting by WAC head coaches. Short was also named to the Preseason All-WAC Team with teammate Samir Cuevas. The pair are the first Trailblazers in program history to earn preseason honors from the WAC. 

Short led the nation in saves with 105 stops last season, setting the Utah Tech single-season record. He played all 1,620 minutes of last season, starting 18 matches in goal in 2024. Short logged two shutouts and was named WAC Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 14 after setting the UT Division I era single-game record for saves with 11 at Seattle U.

2024 RECAP
Utah Tech made its second-straight WAC Tournament appearance after finishing sixth in the regular season with 1.22 points per conference game. The Trailblazers surged in the latter half of the season, totaling 10 points in their final five matches with three wins and a draw to clinch the final tournament spot. Overall, UT went 4-10-4 with a 3-4-2 mark in league play. Utah Tech received three all-WAC selections with junior forward Samir Cuevas (Second Team) and redshirt sophomore defender Tanner Dutra (Freshman Team) returning for this season. 

RETURNING PRODUCTION
The Trailblazers bring back 11 letter winners and three squad members from the 2024 team. UT's returners were responsible for 53% of goals (9-of-17), 23% of assists (3-of-13) and 45% of points (21-of-47) in 2024. 

Senior goalkeeper Stockton Short returns after leading the WAC in saves (105) and saves per game (5.83), while ranking second in save percentage (.784). His 105 saves last season tied for the national lead.

Previous letter winners sophomore forward Taylor Rogers (2022), sophomore midfielder Dunes Nielsen (2022) and senior forward Andre Saucedo (2023) return for the Trailblazers. Rogers led the 2022 squad in points (5) with two goals and an assist in 18 appearances with 10 starts. Nielsen led the team in shots (18) and tied with Rogers for the most shots on goal (7), while adding three assists in 18 appearances with six starts. In 2023, Saucedo recorded an assist across eight appearances with three starts.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
UT welcomed 10 newcomers, including four transfers and six freshmen, for its 2025 season.

Junior defender Cihan Caliskan joins the Trailblazers after winning an NJCAA national championship with Iowa Western Community College in 2024. Caliskan has totaled 33 appearances with 21 starts, logging seven goals and 14 assists through two seasons. He is the first Trailblazer men's soccer player from Germany. 

Junior midfielder Landon Huebner came to St. George after earning First Team All-American and First Team All-Region honors at Salt Lake Community College (NJCAA) in 2024. Huebner started 19 of his 20 appearances and tallied his career-first assist on a game-winning goal against Snow College. 

Fifth-year defender Colby Lee transferred from Hawai'i-Hilo (DII) this offseason. He started 30 of his 32 appearances over two seasons in the Aloha State, totaling seven goals (with two game-winners) and eight assists for 22 points. The 2023 All-PacWest Second Team honoree left Hawai'i-Hilo ranking fifth all-time in points (22) and sixth all-time in assists (8). 

Redshirt freshman midfielder/defender Mitch Williams left Cal State Fullerton for Utah Tech. Williams redshirted 2024, but was a three-time First Team all-district pick at Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas.

Utah Tech's freshman class consists of two defenders, two goalkeepers and two midfielders. 

WHAT'S NEXT
Utah Tech continues its road trip by visiting RV Grand Canyon on Thursday, Oct. 23. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. (MDT) at GCU Stadium, and the match will be streamed on ESPN+.