Game #4
Who | Utah Tech (1-1-1, 0-0-0 WAC) vs. Boise State (0-0-2, 0-0-0 MW)
When | Sunday, Aug. 24 - 10 a.m.
Where | Greater Zion Stadium (St. George)
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Tech women's soccer battled UNLV to a draw, 1-1, on Thursday evening at Peter Johann Memorial Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Rebels found the back of the net first, taking a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. Senior goalkeeper Brianna Frey made three saves through the first 13 minutes and went on to finish with a season-high five. Freshman forward Brooke Hendricks equalized for Utah Tech less than three minutes after halftime. Off an assist from senior forward Lacy Fox, Hendricks buried her second goal of the season down the middle with her right foot. The Trailblazers were awarded a penalty kick in the 50th minute, but after an initial miss, Rebel senior goalkeeper Hanne Breur spoiled a rebound shot by sophomore midfielder Bre Koscielski. UT fired 15 to UNLV's 14 shots, with the Trailblazers holding an 8-6 lead in shots on goal.

FRESHMAN FIREPOWER
Three of Utah Tech's four goals this season have come from freshmen forwards Brooke Hendricks (2) and Jocelyn Wright (1). In just 170 minutes this season, Hendricks leads UT in goals and is tied for second in the WAC and 51st in the nation.

SCOUTING BOISE STATE
The Broncos visit St. George after drawing with Southern Utah, 1-1, on Thursday in Cedar City, Utah. Junior midfielder Cindy Conner provided the offense for Boise State in the fifth minute. Conner received an entry pass from the right inside the box and scored her first goal of the season. Redshirt senior forward Kenzie MacMillan and junior defender Francesca McGuire assisted on the goal. After the second weather delay of the contest, Southern Utah tied the match in the 38th minute. The Broncos outshot the Thunderbirds 13-7. 

Boise State also finished with a draw in its season opener, logging a 1-1 tie at in-state foe Idaho State last Sunday. The Broncos won the regular season title in the Mountain West in 2024, posting an 8-1-2 mark in league play and a 16-4-2 record overall. BSU's season ended in the MW championship game, falling to Utah State, 2-1.

Three Broncos made the Mountain West Women's Soccer Watch List entering the 2025 season: sophomore midfielder Jillian Anderson, junior midfielder Cindy Conner and junior defender Kaitlyn Slocum. Connor scored the Broncos' lone goal at SUU. Redshirt senior forward Kenzie MacMillan leads Boise State in points (3, one goal and one assist) entering Sunday's match. The Broncos are also bouncing between two goalkeepers through the first two matches with freshman Ava De Leest starting at ISU and redshirt sophomore Molly McCabe starting at SUU.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the third all-time meeting between Utah Tech and Boise State. The Broncos hold a 2-0 advantage. Sunday's match is the first match-up in St. George. Last season, Boise State shut out the Trailblazers for a 2-0 win in Boise. 

UTAH TECH VS. MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
In matches against current Mountain West foes, Utah Tech is 10-15-4 all-time. The Trailblazers fell at Colorado State (2-1) in their season opener and drew at UNLV (1-1) on Thursday. UT's last win over an MW squad was a 3-2 victory against UNLV last season. In 2024, the Trailblazers went 1-2 against current MW teams (L, 0-2 at Boise State; L, 1-2 at Grand Canyon).

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.

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. 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 (175), second all-time in career minutes (3,195), tied for fifth all-time in career shutouts (6) and 10th all-time in career goals against average (1.50). 

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 start a three-game road trip with a match at CSUN on Thursday, Aug. 28, at Matador Soccer Field in Northridge, California. The match is set to kick off at 8 p.m. (MT) and will be streamed on ESPN+.