Game #1
Who | Utah Tech (0-0-0, 0-0-0 WAC) at Colorado State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 MW)
When | Thursday, Aug. 14 - 7 p.m.
Where | CSU Soccer Field - Fort Collins, Colo.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

TRAILBLAZERS IN SEASON OPENERS
Utah Tech is 10-5-4 all-time in season openers, including a 7-3-1 mark when playing a season opener on the road. Under head coach Lexi Brown, UT is undefeated in season openers with a 1-0-1 record through two seasons. This will be the Trailblazers' third consecutive season opener on the road. 

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. 

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. The junior defender from West Valley City, Utah, is expected to anchor the Utah Tech defense, succeeding three-time Second Team All-WAC honoree Gracie Knutzen after her graduation.

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. 

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Tech earned a 1-1 draw in an exhibition at BYU. After surrendering a penalty-kick goal in the seventh minute, the Trailblazers held strong with a 2024 NCAA Tournament. Senior forward Tessa Thornton, who missed last season due to injury, equalized with a blast just outside the goal box in the 57th minute. Redshirt sophomore midfielder Lataya Brost assisted on the goal. Despite being outshot 18-13, Utah Tech held a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. BYU committed more fouls, 11-7, and was caught offside more, 2-1.

SCOUTING COLORADO STATE
The Rams kick off the 2025 season against Utah Tech after securing a 1-1 draw in an exhibition at Nebraska last Friday. Junior midfielder/forward Michaela McGowan scored the lone goal for CSU with an assist from senior forward Olivia Fout in the seventh minute. The Cornhuskers outshot Colorado State 21-5, with a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal, and held a 58-42 lead in possession total. CSU sophomore goalkeepers Gray Wilson (5 saves) and Libby Brooker (3 saves) split time in the net. Brooker conceded the tying goal in the 67th minute. 

CSU returns 12 student-athletes from the 2024 roster and welcomes 14 newcomers. Colorado State's returners were responsible for 58% of goals (18-of-31), 63% of assists (15-of-24) and 59% of points (51-of-86) in 2024.

In 2024, the Rams' season ended with a 2-0 loss to Utah State in the Mountain West Tournament semifinals. The Rams finished 12-5-4, with a 7-1-3 mark in Mountain West play, good enough for third in the MW regular season standings.

Colorado State was picked to finish third in the MW in the 2025 Mountain West Coaches Preseason Poll. Junior midfielder Mia Casey, sophomore forward Kaja Dionne and McGowan were named to the preseason watch list. Casey was also selected to the United Soccer Coaches Midfielder Watch List.

As noted with two preseason accolades, Casey is a Ram to watch, finishing 2024 with 7 goals, 7 assists and 21 points, leading CSU in all three categories. Casey's 12 career goals put her fourth all-time in Colorado State history. The native of Rialto, California, was a 2024 First Team All-MW honoree and was named Second Team All-MW and to the MW All-Newcomer Team as a true freshman in 2023.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the third all-time meeting between Utah Tech and Colorado State. The series is tied 1-1. In Fort Collins, UT holds a 1-0 advantage. The Trailblazers won the last matchup 3-2 in Fort Collins on Sept. 14, 2023. 

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. In UT's exhibition at BYU, Thornton equalized for the Trailblazers in the 57th minute, totaling three shots, two shots on goal, in 55 minutes last Saturday.

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.

CHASING HISTORY
In Utah Tech's record book, senior forward Lacy Fox ranks sixth all-time in career game-winning goals (6) and seventh all-time in career goals (16). 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 (167), third all-time in career minutes (2,925), sixth all-time in career shutouts (5) and 10th all-time in career goals against average (1.54). 

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 originates from the small, unincorporated town of Mountain Green, Utah, in the Wasatch Back.

THE SPOKANE CONNECTION
Head coach Lexi Brown was an assistant coach 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. While the Trailblazers don't face the Bulldogs this season, the Utah Tech men's soccer team's home opener is against Gonzaga on Aug. 21.

NCAA MILESTONES
The 2024 campaign marked Utah Tech's first full season as an official Division I institution after completing a four-year transition period starting in 2020. The 2024 season was UT's 19th season of NCAA-affiliated women's soccer. Since the 2006 season, the Trailblazers have totaled 659 goals, 502 assists, 1,820 points, 181 wins and played in 340 matches.

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 9-5-5 all-time against its future conference mates.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Trailblazers' home opener is on Sunday, Aug. 17, as the UC Riverside Highlanders visit St. George. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at Greater Zion Stadium, and the match will be streamed on ESPN+.