The 25th-ranked USU women’s soccer team played their first Mountain West Tournament this year. With a record of 17-1-4, 7-1-3 they secured their spot in the Mountain West title game with a 2-0 win in the semifinal round over the third seed Colorado State at the SDSU SportsDeck. It was a rematch of last year’s Mountain West championship game, won by the Aggies, 1-0.
With this win, the Aggies will now move on to the championship match for the second-straight year, where they will face the winner of 1-seed Boise State and fourth-seed San Diego State on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. (MT). Head coach Manny Martins attributes their success to the joy of playing.
USU’s Hard Start
It was a hard start for both teams as both remained scoreless half an hour into the match. After a quiet start from both sides, Utah State jumped on top in the 40th minute when a crossover by freshman Forward Ellie Hendrix cleared the path of a pair of Ram defenders for a left-footed laser past the keeper. While the Aggies were held without a shot for the first 33 minutes, they finished the first half with seven.
The Aggies ended up firing off seven shots during the final 12-plus minutes of the opening half and that momentum carried over into the final 45 minutes of action. USU uncorked 14 shots in the second half and held CSU (12-5-4) shotless until the 89th minute.
Colorado Tried
Neither one of CSU’s shots — the first one was a 25-yard free kick by Mia Casey in the 16th minute — tested USU Goalkeeper Cora Brendle. As a result, the Aggies were able to extend their single-season program record with their 14th shutout of the ’24 campaign. The Aggies, who improved to 10-4-2 all-time against the Rams and extended their unbeaten streak against their rivals from Colorado to eight matches, have now limited six of their last seven opponents to five or fewer shots.
In the 83rd minute, the Aggies tacked on an insurance goal when a takeaway near midfield by sophomore Forward Kate Christian turned into a transition opportunity. Hendrix found fellow freshman forward Mia Mullenmeister, who put the ball in front of the net to Christian who made it 2-0.
USU Outshot
The final statistics spoke volumes as USU finished with a whopping 21-2 edge in shots, including an 11-1 advantage in shots on frame, plus earned 10 corner kicks to CSU’s zero. This was the fewest shots the Aggies (17-1-4) have allowed during the 2024 campaign. Christian accounted for a whopping eight shots off the bench, while Miller, who also provided a big spark as a reserve, was second on the team with a trio of shots.
With this win over Colorado, Utah State advances to the Mountain West Tournament title game for the second straight year. This is just the second time in program history Utah State has advanced to the Mountain West Tournament title match.
What Another Win Would Mean
If USU were to win their next championship match with San Diego it would earn an automatic bid to what would be the fourth NCAA Tournament in program history. With the win, Utah State is now 6-4-2 all-time in MW Tournament matches. The Aggies improved to 10-4-2 all-time against Colorado State, including 3-0-0 in postseason matches.
Utah State is undefeated against Colorado State in the past eight meetings. Up next for USU is top-seeded Boise State (16-3-3) in Saturday’s championship showdown, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Broncos rallied past No. 4 San Diego State, 3-2, in Wednesday’s second semi.
