(Arlington, Texas - Aug. 15, 2025) – Senior goalkeeper Stockton Short is the 2025 WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, the Western Athletic Conference announced on Friday, based on voting by WAC head coaches.

Utah Tech men's soccer placed two Trailblazers on the Preseason All-WAC Team in Short and junior forward Samir Cuevas. Short and Cuevas are the first-ever Trailblazers to earn Preseason All-WAC Team honors. 

Short led the nation in saves with 105 stops last season, setting the Utah Tech single-season record. The native of Pleasant View, Utah, 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.

A Second Team All-WAC honoree in 2024, Cuevas led Utah Tech in goals (4), points (8), shots (25) and shots on goal (12) last season. The native of Valera, Venezuela, scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over UNLV to earn UT's spot in the WAC Tournament. Cuevas also made the All-WAC Freshman Team in 2023, scoring three goals, including two game-winners. 

The Trailblazers were selected to finish eighth in the league, receiving 12 points in the WAC coaches' poll. UT was picked eighth last season as well, tying for its program-best preseason prediction in the DI era. Utah Tech beat expectations to finish sixth in the regular season and make its second-straight WAC Tournament, recording a 4-10-4 record with a 3-4-2 mark in conference play in 2024.

San Diego State (44 points and four first-place votes) is the preseason favorite, predicted by the league's coaches to repeat as regular-season champions. However, two other squads received first-place votes in second-place California Baptist (39 points, three first-place votes) and third-place San José State (35 points and one first-place vote). UNLV and Utah Valley tied for fourth with 27 points. Grand Canyon (sixth, 26 points), Air Force (seventh, 14 points) and Utah Tech (eighth, 12 points) rounded out the poll.

Utah Tech faces Colorado Mesa in its final exhibition match at Greater Zion Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. The Trailblazers officially kick off the 2025 campaign by hosting Gonzaga at Greater Zion Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m.

UT begins WAC play at UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 8 p.m. (MT). The Trailblazers conference home-opener against San José State will be part of a doubleheader with the UT women's soccer team on Thursday, Oct. 9. The UT-SJSU match is slated for a 5 p.m. kickoff.

2025 WAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank Team (1st-Place Votes) Points
1. San Diego State (4) 44
2. California Baptist (3) 39
3. San José State (1) 35
T-4. UNLV 27
T-4. Utah Valley 27
6. Grand Canyon 26
7. Air Force 14
8. UTAH TECH 12

2025 WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Angel Iniguez, Sr., MF, San José State
 
2025 WAC Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year
Ciancole Nguepissi, So., D, San Diego State

2025 WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Stockton Short, Sr., UTAH TECH

2025 Preseason All-WAC Team
GK – Stockton Short, Sr., Utah Tech
D – Ciancole Nguepissi, So., San Diego State
D – Tristan Viviani, Sr., San Diego State
D – Niklas Dossmann, Sr., San José State
D – Keegan Oyler, R-Jr., Utah Valley
MF – Stavros Charalampous, Jr., California Baptist
MF – Jorge Lopez, Jr., Grand Canyon
MF – Angel Iniguez, Sr., San José State
F – Blake D'Agostino, So., California Baptist
F – Ben Assane, Grad, Grand Canyon
F – Terence Okoeguale, Sr., San Diego State
F – Samir Cuevas, Jr., Utah Tech