(St. George - Sept. 6, 2025) – Sophomore forward
Taylor Rogers scored two goals to lift Utah Tech men's soccer over Cal State Bakersfield, 3-0, on Saturday night at Greater Zion Stadium. Sophomore midfielder
Dunes Nielsen scored his second goal of the season to cap off the first UT (1-2-2, 0-0-0 WAC) win of the season.
Rogers' brace was the first multi-goal game by a Trailblazer since
Austin Wallace scored two goals at Lindenwood on Sept. 10, 2023.
UT's first scoring opportunity came in the 35th minute on a free kick around 30 yards from goal. Fifth-year forward
Colby Lee launched a shot that struck the left post. Redshirt sophomore
Tanner Dutra hit a shot on frame on the rebound and CSUB senior goalkeeper Zenden Hart made the save.
The Roadrunners (0-5-0, 0-0-0 Big West) recorded their first shot on target in the 49th minute. CSUB freshman midfielder Jacob Bernauer hit one down the middle and senior goalkeeper
Stockton Short stood in the way.
Short foiled Roadrunner senior defender Bogart Roca's shot in the 52nd minute to earn a second save. Short tallied his third save on a low center shot by CSUB fifth-year forward Rashaad Ogun in the 62nd minute.
Senior midfielder
Jerod Allen put the Trailblazers' first shot on frame in the second half in the 76th minute. Zenden made the save, scooping up the shot to his left.
Rogers broke the scoreless tie in the 80th minute. Freshman midfielder
Jacob Cinelli set up junior forward
Samir Cuevas, who sent a through ball just inside the box. Rogers took a touch to his right and buried the game-winning goal with his right foot.
It was Rogers' first goal of the season and first points at home in 2025. Cinelli earned the first point of his college career with his career-first assist.
In the 83rd minute, Rogers put in an insurance goal to log his first career brace. Nielsen and Allen ran a give-and-go to get into the right side of the box, and Nielsen centered the ball to Rogers, who spun around his defender and sent the ball into the back of the net with his left foot.
On a breakaway following a CSUB corner kick, Cuevas and Nielsen got past a defender with some deft passing, and Nielsen took one touch before perfectly placing a shot into the bottom right of the net in the 85th minute.
Cuevas picked up his first points of the year in his 2025 debut, with two assists.
Nielsen tried for a second goal with a shot in the 87th minute, but Zenden made a save at his right post.
The Roadrunners challenged Short two more times in the final three minutes, but the preseason WAC Goalkeeper of the Year recorded two more saves to finish with five on the night and his first shutout of the season.
Utah Tech outshot Cal State Bakersfield 13-11, with a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Each team was caught offside twice.
The Trailblazers return to action on Friday, Sept. 12, at UC San Diego. The match is set to kick off at 8 p.m. (MT) at Triton Soccer Stadium, with a broadcast on ESPN+.
