(Fort Collins, Colo. - Aug. 14, 2025) – Utah Tech women's soccer came up short in its season opener, falling to Colorado State 2-1 on Thursday night at CSU Soccer Field. Freshman forward
Brooke Hendricks tallied her first collegiate goal in the effort.
The Trailblazer defense was tested early in the match, facing three shots in the first 14 minutes, but UT blocked two and kept the Rams off balance to keep the opening shots off frame.
Colorado State opened the scoring in the 16th minute. Ram sophomore forward Kaja Dionne buried a cross-goal shot into the top of the net after a low cross from senior forward Olivia Fout made its way through traffic to Dionne's right foot. Junior midfielder/forward Michaela McGowan also assisted on the goal.
Fout hammered a long shot into the top right corner of the net to extend CSU's lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute.
Freshman forward
Jocelyn Wright put up the Trailblazers' first shot on net in the 22nd minute. Ram sophomore goalkeeper Gray Wilson picked up her first save, diving in front of the shot.
Fresh off a substitution, sophomore forward
Ella Cotter ripped a powerful shot on goal that was blocked near the goal box in the 35th minute. Fellow substitute redshirt sophomore forward
Lataya Brost followed that up with a long-range drive that Wilson stopped at the right post, also in the 35th minute.
Just before the break, senior goalkeeper
Brianna Frey made her first save on a header from CSU junior forward Taite DeLange off a Colorado State corner kick in the 44th minute.
After halftime, senior forward
Lacy Fox smashed an early shot above the crossbar in the 46th minute.
In the 61st minute, senior forward
Tessa Thornton led a breakaway, cutting from the near sideline to the top of the box and finding Fox across the way, who just got under the ball on a shot over the crossbar.
Frey single-handedly defused a tricky counterattack with a save in the 78th minute, stopping a long shot by DeLange down the middle.
Cotter just missed the goal on a promising header in the 80th minute, sending the ball over the crossbar.
Off a corner kick from Thornton, junior defender
Nicole Choren blasted a shot just to the right of the far post in the 84th minute.
Senior midfielder
Kyah Le brought down a ball from Wilson and found Hendricks at the top of the box in the 87th minute. The freshman took a touch and launched a shot into the upper 90 for her first collegiate goal, cutting the Ram lead to 2-1.
The Trailblazers went on a final push for an equalizer in the closing minute and got the ball inside the box to Thornton, who got off two strong shots at the left post, but couldn't beat Wilson.
UT finished the match with a 19-9 advantage in shots, leading 7-4 in shots on goal. The Trailblazers got off an astounding 16 shots in the second half.
Utah Tech returns to St. George to host UC Riverside for the Trailblazers' home opener on Sunday, Aug. 17. Kick off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Greater Zion Stadium.
