It was a record year for USU, and there isn’t any misunderstanding about it. The 25th-ranked Aggies were inches away from occasionally finding the back of the net. Still, they could not convert on any of those shots against the Huskies in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on a chilly but dry Friday afternoon at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field.
After 110 scoreless minutes, the match was ultimately decided from the penalty spot, and Washington performed much better in the shootout and secured a 3-1 victory. The unseeded Huskies (10-6-4) buried all three penalty kicks, while the eighth-seeded Aggies were off target on three of their four penalties, causing their downfall.
USU’s Final Fall
Both teams battled hard throughout the 110 minutes, although the Aggies had more clear-cut scoring chances as they finished with an 8-3 edge in shots on frame. USU sent wave after wave of pressure during the final 20 minutes of regulation, but it couldn’t break through.
The Aggies certainly came close to burning the back of the net during the final 45 minutes of action. For starters, Midfielder Summer Diamond forced Washington Goalkeeper Olivia Juarez into a difficult punch save over the crossbar in the 48th minute. USU Forwards Tess Werts and Kate Christian appeared to skim the bar on strikes later in the second half, while fellow Forward Mia Mullenmeister was only inches away from tucking a shot inside the near post. Also in the second half, Austin Miller and Butters played big roles in that prime scoring opportunity.
Luck Wasn’t With the Them
However, the most agonizing near miss for the Aggies was an offering by Kaylie Chambers that Juarez saved but couldn’t hug it. The ball spun about a foot away from the goal, and the Huskies cleared it before Ellie Hendrix poked it in. Chambers’ shot, taken with 40 seconds remaining in regulation, would have gone in had there been any backspin off the Juarez save.
Additionally, Chambers had a potential one-on-one opportunity taken away when she was whistled for a tight offside call in the 88th minute. It was a second-half chock full of what-might-have-been moments for the Aggies in their first-ever NCAA tournament match at home.
So Close
The Huskies had a couple of near misses in the second half as two of their shots barely went over the woodwork. Maya Loudd had a good look, but Aggie Keeper Cora Brendle snared her 70th-minute strike. Neither team came close to scoring a goal in the opening half, as there were only five total shots.
These are two of the best defensive teams at the Division I level as Washington was tied for 10th nationally in goals against average (.572) heading into the match, while USU was 12th (.609). The Aggies finished with a 15-12 advantage in shots, while the Huskies won the corner kick battle 6-2. Washington racked up 15 fouls to USU’s eight.
It was the final match for eight Aggie seniors in Butters, Brendle, Bizzy Arevalo, Kylie Olsen, Addy Weichers, Rine Yonaha, Alex Day, and Whitney Lopez. Kaitlyn Richins, the reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, was honored on Senior Day but still has a year of eligibility remaining. Richins is currently undecided on whether she will return. This senior class has gone 53-20-17 over the last four seasons.
New Blood Signed
With the season over, Utah State Head Soccer Coach Manny Martins announced USU’s 2025 recruiting class Friday morning. The Aggies are set to welcome eight new student-athletes next season.
This signing class features eight players from four different states. Signees include Defender Bentli Barrera (Hyrum, Utah), Midfield/Forward Hadli Barrera (Hyrum, Utah), Midfielder/Forward Kunie Hirai (Boise, Idaho), Forward Abby Hironaka (Honolulu, Hawaii), Goalkeeper Ivy Nystrom (Phoenix, Arizona), Forward Samantha Sellers (Highland, Utah), Defender Summer Sofonia (Hyrum, Utah) and Midfielder/Defender Capriel Winder (North Logan, Utah).
Local Ladies
Three local Mountain Crest High School products will join the Aggies, including twins Bentli and Hadli Barrera, and Summer Sofonia. The trio helped lead the Mustangs to three region and Utah 4A state titles (2021, 2022, 2024) and a combined 64-13 record during those four years, including a 19-1 mark in 2024.
Hadli Barrera, a midfield/forward, is a four-year letter-winner for the Mustangs. She has been an all-state honoree all three years of her career, with 2024 honors yet to be announced. In 2022, Barrera was named the Deseret News 4A Player of the Year after leading her team to the state title with 17 goals and ten assists. During her career, she totaled 74 goals and 29 assists, including 34 goals and 14 assists as a senior.
Defenders Are Here
Bentli Barrera is a defender and a four-year letterwinner. She has been named an all-state honoree all three years of her career, including two first-team honors, with 2024 awards yet to be announced. In her senior year in 2024, the Mountain Crest defense conceded just nine goals with 12 shutouts. She and Hadli both play club soccer for the Utah Avalanche and helped their team to a State Cup championship in 2024.
Summer Sofonia is a four-year letterwinner for the Mustangs. She also played a key role in the Mountain Crest defense, which conceded just nine total goals with 12 shutouts in 2024. Sofonia was named to the all-state second team in both 2021 and 2022 and was an honorable mention selection in 2023. She was named one of the Herald Journal All-Valley Players of the Year in 2022. Sofonia played club soccer alongside the Barrera twins with the Utah Avalanche.
Midfielder
A fourth local product, Capriel Winder, will join Utah State out of Green Canyon High School. The North Logan native is a four-year letterwinner midfielder/defender for the Wolves, as she helped her team to a Utah 4A state title in 2023 along with a pair of state semifinal appearances in 2022 and 2024. In the final three years of her prep career, Winder totaled 26 goals and 29 assists, including ten goals and six assists as a senior.
She earned all-state first-team accolades as a junior in 2023 and second-team honors as a sophomore in 2022. Winder also played club soccer for La Roca ECNL, helping her team to a Northwestern Conference championship and earning all-conference honors in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Generational Players
Samantha Sellers will join the Aggies next season also. Sellers, whose older sister Solena is currently a sophomore on the team, is a three-year letterwinner forward out of Lone Peak High School in Highland. She helped the Knights to back-to-back Utah 6A state titles each of the past two years, including a perfect 20-0 season as a senior in 2024. Sellers earned 6A first-team recognition and was named the Herald Extra Utah Valley Girls Soccer Player of the Year in 2023.
During her career, Sellers scored 45 goals and 26 assists, including 20 goals and eight assists in her senior year. Sellers also plays club soccer for Utah Surf and helped her team to State Cup championships in 2021 and 2023. She also finished national runner-up in 2023 and was named to the Nationals Best 11.
Aloha and Howdy
Joining the Aggies from Hawaii is Forward Abby Hironaka out of Iolani School. The three-time letterwinner from Honolulu is a three-time all-state honorable mention recipient and begins her senior season this month. As a sophomore in 2022, she averaged a goal per match for the Raiders. Hironaka has also played club soccer for Rush 06, where she helped her squad to State Cup championships in 2022 and 2023. She was named to the Hawaii National Team Select and was a member of the Hawaii ODP in 2022 and 2023. This season, she is a member of Rush 07.
Out of Arizona, USU welcomes Goalkeeper Ivy Nystrom. The Phoenix native attends Pinnacle High School, where she is a three-year letterwinner and has yet to play her senior season. Through the first three years of her career, Nystrom has played over 2,500 minutes in net, recording 158 saves and 16 shutouts with a goals-allowed average of 1.24.
She was named the defensive player of the year in 2023-24 while also earning all-district and all-region first-team accolades. Nystrom also plays club soccer for Phoenix Rising 07 ECNL, helping her team reach the ECNL national playoffs for the past two seasons. She was selected to the Arizona ODP team from 2021-24 and is a member of the US National ODP team this year.
From The Potato State
Hailing from Idaho is Midfielder/Forward Kunie Hirai from Boise High School. A four-year letterwinner for the Braves, Hirai helped lead her team to an Idaho 5A state title in 2022, along with runner-up finishes in 2021, 2023, and 2024. Hirai earned first-team all-state honors in her junior and senior years and was a second-team selection as a sophomore. As a senior, she totaled 18 goals with six assists.
Hirai plays club soccer for Idaho Rush, where she has helped her team to three state championships, two regional championships, and national semifinal appearances in the past three seasons. She has also played for Idaho and regional ODP teams and is currently a US National ODP team member. In 2024, she was selected as the MVP of the national team following its undefeated tour in Costa Rica.
Keep the Good Times Rolling
The Aggies have outdone themselves this year with a heartbreaking end. With Head Coach Manny staying and some of the best players signed on, the future looks bright, and those players who are leaving left the season behind, giving USU the best they ever had.
