Game #13
Who | Utah Tech (5-4-3, 1-1-1 WAC) vs. Utah Valley (7-4-1, 3-0-0 WAC)
When | Thursday, Oct. 9 - 7:30 p.m. 
Where | St. George, Utah (Greater Zion Stadium)
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

Utah Tech hosts Utah Valley for its WAC home opener on Thursday, Oct. 9, at Greater Zion Stadium. This will be the 10th all-time match up of the Old Hammer Rivalry as the Trailblazers seek their first Division I-era win over the top-of-the-table Wolverines. On Think Pink night, fans are encouraged to wear pink to raise awareness and support those affected by breast cancer. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m., following the conclusion of the UT men's soccer match against San José State.

TRAILBLAZERS IN CONFERENCE HOME OPENERS
Utah Tech is 10-6-2 in conference home openers all-time with a 1-3-1 mark in WAC home openers. Thursday is the first time UT will host UVU for its conference home opener.

UT VERSUS THE BEEHIVE STATE
Utah Tech is 1-1-0 against in-state opponents this season. That mark includes a loss at Utah (2-1) and a conference win over Southern Utah (2-1). The Trailblazers also tied BYU, 1-1, in a preseason exhibition. 

ASSIST ADEPT
Senior midfielder Kyah Le leads the Trailblazers with six assists this season, ranking third in the WAC and tied for 32nd in the nation. Her 0.50 assists per game are third in the conference and 35th in the country. With three goals, Le has the sixth-most points (12) in the WAC.

FRESHMAN FIREPOWER
Utah Tech's six freshman goals lead the conference and account for two 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 (3) and Brooke Hendricks (2) and defender Abby Olsen (1) have each made a tally in the goal column. Wright is tied for ninth in the WAC in total goals.

BOOTS AT THE READY
Utah Tech is outshooting its opponents 178-137 this season, including a 75-51 edge in shots on goal. UT's 14.8 shots per game are second in the WAC and 84th in the nation. Redshirt sophomore forward Lataya Brost is leading the charge, totaling 37 shots to lead the Trailblazers. Her 3.08 shots per game rank second in the WAC and 78th in the nation. 

The Trailblazers have outshot or tied their opponents' shot total in nine of their 12 games this season. Defensively, UT has limited its opponents to 10 or fewer shots six times this season.

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Tech women's soccer was outgunned by Tarleton State, 4-3, in an Old-West-style shootout on Sunday afternoon 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 after a Texan goal. She scored her 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. On a quick corner kick in the 79th minute, senior forward Lacy Fox sent a ball into the box, and Choren poked it in 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 UTAH VALLEY
UVU comes to St. George on a three-game win streak, having opened WAC play a perfect 3-0 by outscoring their opponents 17-2. The Wolverines are just 1-3-0 on the road this season, with their lone away win at Weber State (4-3). In in-state games, Utah Valley is 2-2 with wins over Utah (2-0) and WSU, while getting shut out at BYU (2-0) and Utah State (2-0). 

Graduate forward Faith Webber has totaled nine goals this season, leading the WAC and pushing her career total to 57. Webber also leads the nation in shots (68) and is tied for seventh in game-winning goals (4), 

Junior forward Nixan Jackson is another Wolverine to watch. She leads the WAC in points (23) and ranks 11th in the nation. Her eight goals are second in the conference and 29th nationally, while her seven assists tie with teammate senior midfielder Ruby Hladek for the WAC lead and 13th nationally. 

In net, senior goalkeeper Leah Wolf is tied for the conference lead and ranks 69th nationally in saves (53). Through 12 starts, Wolf has a 1.51 goals against average with a .757 save percentage. She has one shutout and one combined shutout.

SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's renewal of the Old Hammer Rivalry will be the 10th all-time meeting between Utah Tech and Utah Valley. UVU holds a 7-1-1 lead all-time with a 3-1-0 mark in St. George. Last season's meeting was a 4-3 Wolverine win at Greater Zion Stadium (10/3/24). UT is seeking its first victory over Utah Valley since a 2-1 win in St. George on Oct. 5, 2007.

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), tied for eighth in points (45), tied for ninth in shots (111) and 10th in shots on goal (52). 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 (196), first all-time in career minutes (4,005) and tied for fifth all-time 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. Sophomore forward Ella Cotter is Utah Tech's homegrown product, claiming St. George as her hometown and graduating from Crimson Cliffs High School in Washington, Utah. Freshman defender Macie Burton hails from the small, unincorporated town of Mountain Green, Utah, in the Wasatch Back.

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 California Baptist to St. George on Sunday, Oct. 12. As the second game in a doubleheader with UT men's soccer, kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Greater Zion Stadium.