Utah
USU soccer makes history
Utah State’s women’s soccer team has done something no Aggie team — regardless of sport — has done in over half a century.
The undefeated Aggies (7-0) made it into the top 10 of the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25, coming in at No. 9 after recent wins over UVU and Pacific.
The No. 9 ranking is the highest ranking by a Utah State team since the men’s basketball team peaked at No. 9 in the AP Poll in 1971.
Utah State received 118 points in the poll, up from 47 the week before. The Aggies are the only Mountain West team that received any votes in the latest poll.
USU has defeated one team still ranked this season — No. 18 Pepperdine, who the Aggies defeated 3-0 on Aug. 15. BYU and Utah Valley, both of whom Utah State has defeated this season, are also receiving votes in the poll.
Utah State has outscored its opponents this year by a combined 25-4, including five shutout victories. The Aggies have dominated competition in the state of Utah, defeating the aforementioned Cougars and Wolverines, as well as the Utah Utes. Utah State plays at Weber State this weekend, with a chance to sweep in-state competition.
Most recently, the Aggies defeated Pacific 9-3, after which head coach Manny Martins said, “In the first half, our mindset just wasn’t right. That’s not what we expect it to be. That’s a part of sports. This is a team that came here trying to get a result, as they should, and maybe we looked at their record and overlooked them a bit, but they challenged us.
“Sometimes you need a game where you’re challenged in a way where it helps you stay grounded and refocus. This is only the second time we’ve given up three goals in a game and the first time we’ve given up three goals in a half since I’ve been here. But the most important thing is how the team responded to it and I thought we responded well and finished the game strong.”
The women’s soccer program has been trending up in recent years, culminating in a Mountain West championship last season. At its current pace, Utah State is on track to potentially host a NCAA tournament game in Logan, something the program has never done before.