Game #16
Who | Utah Tech (6-5-4, 2-2-2 WAC) vs. Abilene Christian (5-8-2, 1-3-2 WAC)
When | Sunday, Oct. 19 - 1 p.m. 
Where | St. George, Utah (Greater Zion Stadium)
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OLSEN RECOGNIZED BY TDS
Freshman defender Abby Olsen was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Women's Freshmen Top 100, as announced 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 15 games this season, starting in 14 matches and playing 975 minutes. She scored her first career goal at CSUN on Aug. 28 and tallied her first career assist on the Trailblazers' game-winning goal at Southern Utah on Sept. 28. Olsen was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 23.

ASSIST ADEPT
Senior midfielder Kyah Le leads the Trailblazers with seven assists this season, tying for second in the WAC and 23rd nationally. Her 0.47 assists per game are third in the conference and 37th in the country. With four goals, Le's 15 points lead UT and rank fifth in the WAC.

Senior forward Lacy Fox has logged five assists, the most in a single season in her career, to tie for fifth in the WAC and 99th nationally. 

FRESHMAN FIREPOWER
Utah Tech's seven freshman goals lead the conference and account for two more than all five other teams' first-year goal totals combined. Southern Utah (3) 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 210-188 this season, including a 95-74 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 43 shots to lead the Trailblazers. Her 2.87 shots per game rank second in the WAC.

The Trailblazers have outshot or tied their opponents' shot total in 10 of their 15 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 shut out Tarleton State, 1-0, on Thursday night at Greater Zion Stadium. The Trailblazers picked up their second WAC win and eighth point of conference play with their second shutout of the season. Redshirt sophomore forward Lataya Brost scored the game-winner off an assist by senior forward Lacy Fox in the 54th minute. It was Brost's second goal of the season and second career game-winning goal. On a counterattack, Fox dealt the ball to Brost on the right side of the box. She dribbled inside the 18 and hit a left-footer past the outstretched Texan GK and into the back of the net. It was Fox's fifth assist of the year. With five saves, senior goalkeeper Brianna Frey posted her second shutout of the season and her seventh career clean sheet, tying her for fourth all-time in Utah Tech history. Both teams totaled 14 shots, but Utah Tech held a 9-5 edge in shots on goal. With the win, UT sits in third place in the WAC.

DÉJÀ VU
With WAC conference play in a double round robin this season, Abilene Christian is the second opponent to rematch Utah Tech in 2025. It's the first year Utah Tech will play opponents twice during the regular season since 2021, when UT played its West Division foes twice in WAC conference play.

Utah Tech tied Abilene Christian, 1-1, on Oct. 2 at Elmer Gray Stadium. Senior forward Lacy Fox scored her third goal of the season to help the Trailblazers remain undefeated in WAC play. Fox found pay dirt roughly 30 yards from goal to give Utah Tech a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute. Senior midfielder Kyah Le stole the ball from a Wildcat, giving it to Fox, who played a pass to redshirt sophomore forward Lataya Brost. She quickly sent it to Le, who set up Fox from distance. The senior took one touch and blasted a right-footed shot over the ACU GK and under the crossbar for the Trailblazers' third goal of conference play. In the 90th minute, the referee awarded Abilene Christian a penalty kick. ACU graduate midfielder Abby Smith scored from the spot to tie the game. Utah Tech outshot Abilene Christian 12-10, with a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal. The foul count was even at 11-11. UT was called offside four times.

SCOUTING ABILENE CHRISTIAN
The Wildcats visit Greater Zion Stadium after falling at Southern Utah, 1-0, on Thursday night. That loss ended a three-match unbeaten streak, including a 4-0 win at home against the Thunderbirds. 

Graduate midfielder Abby Smith leads ACU with four goals and nine points. She hasn't scored since putting in the equalizer against Utah Tech on Oct. 2. 

Redshirt junior forward Peyton Hill has four assists to lead the Wildcats, including two in WAC play. Hill is tied for the sixth-most shots in the conference with 36. 

Freshman goalkeeper Bella Medrano has been impressive in net for Abilene Christian. She leads the WAC with 70 saves, ranking 41st nationally. Her .833 save percentage leads the conference and comes in 46th in the nation. With a 1.28 goals against average and three shutouts, Medrano is one of the toughest keepers to score on in the WAC. 

SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's match will be the fifth all-time meeting between Utah Tech and Abilene Christian. UT is undefeated against ACU with an all-time mark of 2-0-2, and a 1-0-0 advantage in St. George. On Oct. 2, the Trailblazers tied the Wildcats 1-1 in Abilene. 

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 (47), eighth in shots (119) and ninth in shots on goal (57). 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 (214), first in career minutes (4,275) and tied for fourth in career shutouts (7).

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 head to the Golden State to rematch California Baptist on Thursday, Oct. 23. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. (MT) at CBU Soccer Stadium in Riverside, California.