Game #8
Who | Utah Tech (1-3-3, 0-0-0 WAC) at Cal Poly (1-3-2, 0-0-0 Big West)
When | Thursday, Sept. 18 - 8 p.m. (MT)
Where | Mustang Memorial Field at Spanos Stadium - San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Tech men's soccer was beaten by Loyola Marymount, 1-0, on Monday evening at Sullivan Field. The Trailblazers stymied a potent LMU offense, which had scored nine goals in its previous match, for over two-thirds of the match, but couldn't keep the Lions off the board. The Lions scored in the 69th minute on a chaotic play, converting on their third shot in the sequence. LMU outshot UT, 9-8, but the Trailblazers held a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. 

CAMPOLI AT THE READY
Freshman goalkeeper Luca Campoli was called upon to replace senior GK Stockton Short after an injury in the 26th minute at UC San Diego two games ago. Campoli made three saves to earn a combined shutout in his collegiate debut, preserving a road tie for the Trailblazers. In Campoli's first career start on Monday, he notched two saves, limiting a high-power LMU offense to one goal on nine shots faced. 

LEE LENDING A HAND
Fifth-year forward Colby Lee is among the nation's elite in assists. He has assisted on three UT goals this season to lead Utah Tech and tie for 36th in the nation. His 0.43 assists per game are the sixth-most in the WAC.

SHORT IS IN THE WAY
Senior goalkeeper Stockton Short has picked up where he left off last season, totaling 28 saves through six matches. That is second in the WAC and ranks 28th in the nation. His 4.00 saves per game lead the conference and come in at 41st in the country, while his save percentage of .800 is third in the WAC and 53rd in the nation. Last year, Short led the nation in saves with 105 stops, setting the Utah Tech single-season record.

CUEVAS'S SEASON DEBUT
Junior forward Samir Cuevas made a strong impression in his season debut against CSU Bakersfield on Sept. 6. In just 25 minutes, the 2024 All-WAC Second Team pick assisted on two goals to earn his first points of the season. 

FIRST 14 FOR #14
In redshirt freshman forward Brandon Khedoo's first 14 minutes of collegiate soccer, he equalized for the Trailblazers in a 1-1 draw at Sacramento State on Aug. 24. Khedoo's first career appearance resulted in his career first goal, shot, shot on goal and point. Khedoo finished with a goal, two points, two shots and one shot on goal.

SCOUTING CAL POLY
The Mustangs host Utah Tech after back-to-back draws with No. 20 San Francisco (0-0) and Saint Mary's (2-2) at Mustang Memorial Field. Against the Gaels, freshman defender Tanner Casey and sophomore forward Quinn Mahoney found the back of the net. Cal Poly fell down 1-0 in the opening minute, but surged back to take a 2-1 lead in the 25th minute. SMC equalized midway through the second half to earn the draw.

Casey and Mahoney are tied for the team lead in goals (2), while Mahoney tallied an assist at Air Force to lead Cal Poly in points (5). Senior midfielder Bakuena Ramakatsa leads the Mustangs in assists (2), helping on both goals against SMC. 

Senior goalkeeper Nicky McCune has played all 540 minutes in net, totaling 16 saves and two shutouts, while allowing eight goals. He comes into Thursday's match with a .667 save percentage and a 1.33 goals against average. 

Last season, Cal Poly won the Big West regular-season title with a 4-1-4 mark in conference play. Overall, the Mustangs went 7-4-8 and fell to UC Davis in the Big West tournament semifinals. 

SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's match will be the second-ever meeting between Utah Tech and Cal Poly. The series is tied at 0-0-1, following the first meeting, which ended in a 1-1 draw last season in St. George. This contest is the first meeting in San Luis Obispo.

CHASING HISTORY
Among Utah Tech's career records, junior Stockton Short is third in saves (210), third in minutes played (4,120), third in goals against average (1.45) and fourth in shutouts (7).

SHORT NAMED WAC PRESEASON GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Senior goalkeeper Stockton Short is the 2025 WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, the Western Athletic Conference announced on Aug. 15, based on voting by WAC head coaches. Short was also named to the Preseason All-WAC Team with teammate Samir Cuevas. The pair are the first Trailblazers in program history to earn preseason honors from the WAC. 

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.

CUEVAS MAKES PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
Junior forward Samir Cuevas and senior goalkeeper Stockton Short were named to the Preseason All-WAC Team as announced by the league on Aug. 15. The pair are the first-ever Trailblazers to earn preseason WAC honors. 

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.

2024 RECAP
Utah Tech made its second-straight WAC Tournament appearance after finishing sixth in the regular season with 1.22 points per conference game. The Trailblazers surged in the latter half of the season, totaling 10 points in their final five matches with three wins and a draw to clinch the final tournament spot. Overall, UT went 4-10-4 with a 3-4-2 mark in league play. Utah Tech received three all-WAC selections with junior forward Samir Cuevas (Second Team) and redshirt sophomore defender Tanner Dutra (Freshman Team) returning for this season. 

RETURNING PRODUCTION
The Trailblazers bring back 11 letter winners and three squad members from the 2024 team. UT's returners were responsible for 53% of goals (9-of-17), 23% of assists (3-of-13) and 45% of points (21-of-47) in 2024. 

Senior goalkeeper Stockton Short returns after leading the WAC in saves (105) and saves per game (5.83), while ranking second in save percentage (.784). His 105 saves last season tied for the national lead.

Additionally, previous letter winners in sophomore forward Taylor Rogers (2022), sophomore midfielder Dunes Nielsen (2022) and senior forward Andre Saucedo (2023) return for the Trailblazers. Rogers led the 2022 squad in points (5) with two goals and an assist in 18 appearances with 10 starts. Nielsen led the team in shots (18) and tied with Rogers for the most shots on goal (7), while adding three assists in 18 appearances with six starts. In 2023, Saucedo recorded an assist across eight appearances with three starts.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
UT welcomed 10 newcomers, including four transfers and six freshmen, for its 2025 season.

Junior defender Cihan Caliskan joins the Trailblazers after winning an NJCAA national championship with Iowa Western Community College in 2024. He played his freshman season at Rose State College. Caliskan has totaled 33 appearances with 21 starts, logging seven goals and 14 assists through two seasons. He is the first Trailblazer men's soccer player from Germany. 

Junior midfielder Landon Huebner came to St. George after earning First Team All-American and First Team All-Region honors at Salt Lake Community College (NJCAA) in 2024. Huebner started 19 of his 20 appearances and tallied his career-first assist on a game-winning goal against Snow College. Huebner spent his freshman season at Colorado Mesa (Division II). 

Fifth-year forward Colby Lee transferred from Hawai'i-Hilo (DII) this offseason. He started 30 of his 32 appearances over two seasons in the Aloha State, totaling seven goals (with two game-winners) and eight assists for 22 points. The 2023 All-PacWest Second Team honoree left Hawai'i-Hilo ranking fifth all-time in points (22) and sixth all-time in assists (8). 

Redshirt freshman midfielder/defender Mitch Williams left Cal State Fullerton for Utah Tech. Williams redshirted 2024, but has an impressive prep resume. A four-year varsity starter at Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas, he was a three-time First Team all-district (2022-24) honoree, two-time Golden Boot and two-time team MVP.

Utah Tech's freshman class consists of two defenders, two goalkeepers and two midfielders. 

WHAT'S NEXT
Utah Tech returns to St. George to host Cal State Fullerton on Sunday, Sept. 21, in its non-conference finale. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Greater Zion Stadium.