The 25th-ranked USU women’s soccer team played its first Mountain West Tournament this year. The Aggies’ record so far this year has been a magnificent 17-1-4, 7-1-3, securing them a sport playing for the Mountain West title. They faced off against the third-seated Colorado State for the Mountain West championship. They emerged victorious 2-0, sending them to the Championship in San Diego Sports Deck. They would be playing second-seated Boise State again for the Finals, which they also played a year prior for the Mountain West championship, where they won 1-0. With this victory, Utah State is guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament as they continue their record-breaking season.
USU Trademark Start
The Mountain West Championship match began with the Aggies starting strong with the first goal when Boise State Broncos responded with their own goal, tying up the game and threatening USU’s victory. The Aggies rallied and responded with the game’s final goal just four minutes later. USU went all out defensively, holding a score of 2-1 over Boise State.
It was an action-packed first 25 minutes, as all three goals were manufactured during that time. USU’s first goal after a midfield steal from Boise State 10 minutes into the match. Senior midfielder Rine Yonaha found junior forward Tess Werts in transition, who sent it into the box for junior forward Kaylie Chambers. Chambers won a race to the ball with the Bronco goalkeeper, then chipped it just past her to make it 1-0.
It Could Have Been Tied
Everyone held their breath as Werts was initially ruled offside on the play, but the call was overturned after a lengthy VAR review. With Utah State up one the top-seeded Broncos (16-4-2) pulled a goal even less than 11 minutes later when Jillian Anderson won a deflected ball and unleashed a 23-or-so-yard strike just under the crossbar. It was the first time the Broncos have scored against the Aggies in their last five showdowns in the rivalry.
Aggie Chambers wasn’t done, however. After the Broncos evened the match at 1-1 in the 21st minute with a long-range goal, the trio combined for another big play as Chambers struck again in the 25th minute to collect a first-half brace. A takeaway by Yonaha, followed by a well-placed pass to Werts, freed up Chambers for her second of the night as she delivered a left-footer into the back of the net.
Boise State Fights Back
Top-seeded Boise State’s momentum was short-lived, though, as Yonaha forced BSU goalkeeper Genevieve Crenshaw into a tough punch save over the crossbar two minutes later. The Aggies only needed two more minutes to take the lead for good, and the tourney title-clinching goal also featured Yonaha, Werts, and Chambers.
Yonaha whipped a ball into the heart of the 6-yard box to Werts, and it was deflected, but, once again, Chambers crashed the box and slammed a one-touch finish inside the side netting of the near post emphatically. It was the junior forward’s first collegiate brace. The Broncos had a good opportunity to balance out the score again in the 30th minute in the aftermath of a long throw-in but couldn’t convert. BSU fired off ten shots during the first 45 minutes of action, although seven of those shots took place in two sequences.
Close Calls Came Next
With USU being up 2-1 it was all Utah State in the second half as the Aggies set the tone from the get-go by taking seven shots during the first 18 minutes. The Aggies had a couple of good chances to add an insurance goal, highlighted by a golden one in the 51st minute. Bizzy Arevalo whipped in a perfect back-post cross to Werts, who skied her point-blank volley over the woodwork.
It was an agonizing missed opportunity for the Aggies, but it didn’t matter because they completely put the clamps on the Broncos. USU controlled the possession and limited BSU to one second-half shot — a harmless one well over the goal with 18 seconds remaining — and zero corner kicks. Keeper Cora Brendle, the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year, was only called on to make one save in the match for the Aggies, who improved to 14-0-0 this season when leading at halftime. Utah State outshot BSU 8-1 in the second half and enjoyed a 3-0 edge in corner kicks.
What’s Next For USU
USU, which also beat BSU in the Mountain West Tournament a year ago, improved to 17-6-4 all-time against the Broncos. The Aggies have won seven of the last eight matches in the series. Utah State will find out when and where it will play in the NCAA Tournament on Monday afternoon. There’s a good chance the Aggies will hopefully be hosting in the first round.
Chambers was selected as the tournament MVP, while teammates Alex Day (defensive midfielder), Addy Weichers (center back), and Ellie Hendrix (forward) also made the all-tourney team. This is Utah State’s second Mountain West title and fourth overall conference title in program history. The team won the WAC in 2011 and 2012 and the Mountain West Tournament in 2023.
