Projected Mountain West champion women’s soccer strives for another record season
Coming off the most successful season in program history — and entering 2025 ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West preseason poll — the Utah State women’s soccer team returns with veteran leadership, one of the conference’s most dangerous offenses, a deep freshman class and a newly renovated home field. Expectations in Logan are higher than ever.
The Aggies finished the 2024 season 18-1-5, leading the Mountain West in goals per game, at 2.58, and climbing to No. 7 in the national rankings, the highest mark for any Utah State program. They also hosted an NCAA tournament game for the first time, falling to Washington in penalty kicks.
While star players Addy Weichers and Alex Day have moved on to professional careers overseas, most of the core remains intact. Senior forward Tess Werts, who posted a team-high 25 points last year and earned All-Mountain West First Team honors, returns as the centerpiece of the attack. She’s joined by junior forward Kaylie Chambers, a three-year starter and 2024 Mountain West tournament MVP.
In midfield, junior Summer Diamond — fresh off All-Mountain West Second Team honors and now named to both the Mountain West Watch List and United Soccer Coaches Midfielders Watch List — brings pace and vision after tallying five goals and five assists last year.
Diamond said the returning group has embraced its leadership role in bringing along the new players.
“The young group is awesome — they ask a lot of questions, and they’re really eager to learn,” Diamond said. “Whatever role each person is in, they’re going to put a hundred percent into it. I don’t think there’s even a drop-off when subs come in. If anything, the energy goes up.”
Other returners include sophomore forwards Austin Miller — 4 goals, 5 assists — and Kate Christian — 7 goals, 3 assists — both part of an offense that ranked No. 6 nationally in points per game, as well as graduate midfielder Rine Yonaha, who posted a career-best 13 points in 2024.
One of the biggest preseason questions was how a retooled backline would hold up. Only four of the eight defenders were on the roster last year, including Solena Sellers and Hannah Roe, who both made a position change from forward to center back over the offseason.
However, in last week’s Blue & White scrimmage, the early signs looked promising. Head coach Manny Martins credited the young defense for its hard work during camp.
“We spent the last week and a half working on our defending principles and our structures and roles and responsibilities,” Martins said. “And it shows. I was really pleased — not surprised, but impressed — with our young players. They’re already showing that they’re going to make it competitive.”
Martins also pointed to the physicality and hunger that the group plays with. Although the Blue & White was just a scrimmage, players dove all over the pitch, and a couple of them even left the game briefly to tend to minor injuries.
“Anytime we step within these lines — whether it’s a training session, an exhibition game, a scrimmage or a real game — it’s always that you play to win,” Martins said. “We always say, ‘We spend all the money; we don’t save any of it. We’ll start a new account tomorrow.’”
Graduate transfer Carli Conner, who started 69 games for Colorado Mesa, is expected to anchor the defense alongside returning upperclassmen Kasie Vigil, Isabella Velazco, Sellers and Roe.
Replacing last year’s starter in goal remains an ongoing process. USU has completely overhauled its goalkeeping rotation from last year. Redshirt senior Taylor Rath from Pepperdine, junior transfer Allee Grashoff from UC Riverside, first-year player Ivy Nystrom and graduate goalkeeper Ava Gotchy are all in the mix.
Martins says the decision may extend into the early non-conference games.
“They’re all so good that I want to be fair and give them all an opportunity,” Martins said. “It’s probably going to take a couple more weeks to see how it shakes out.”
This year’s incoming freshman class is one of the program’s most decorated. The Barrera twins — Hadli and Bentli — arrive from Mountain Crest High School with multiple state titles between them. Lone Peak forward Samantha Sellers, a two-time state champion with 44 career goals, has already impressed in camp.
“She’s fantastic,” Martins said of Sellers. “Her presence is quick, she’s agile, she’s good on the ball. She’s already been giving our backline a run for their money.”
The scrimmage also gave fans a first look at the upgrades to Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field. The stadium now features a new synthetic turf surface and upgraded lighting, allowing for night games for the first time. Diamond says that will only add to the Aggies’ home-field advantage.
“Under the lights, there’s a different type of energy,” she said. “And I think when the HURD comes, we’ll have even more energy.”
Utah State’s 2024 dominance — ranking top 25 nationally in shots, assists and points per game, plus 15 shutouts — has put them among the nation’s best mid-major programs. But Martins says the focus is on the daily process, not the headlines.
“Our desire is always to win championships and make NCAA tournament runs, but the only way to get there is by focusing on what we do each day,” Martins said. “Last year was last year — we’re a new team. The schedule is going to challenge us and expose the areas where we need to grow.”
The non-conference schedule is nearly identical to last year’s daunting slate, with Kansas as the only new opponent. USU has early road trips to BYU and Texas Tech, along with home matches against Utah and the defending Big 12 champion Kansas Jayhawks. These programs rank among the nation’s best, but last year, Utah State handled them with ease, going 11-0-2 in non-conference play and outscoring those opponents by a combined 31 goals.
Diamond says familiarity helps, but the Aggies aren’t relying on past results.
“It gives us a little confidence because we’re familiar with how those teams play,” Diamond said. “But teams are different every year, so we’re always just going to be ready for something new. You never know what they’re going to throw at you.”
With three players — Werts, Chambers and Diamond — on the Mountain West Watch List, a top preseason ranking and a roster that blends proven talent with impactful newcomers, the Aggies enter 2025 in a prime position for another championship chase.
Utah State opens the season on Aug. 14 in Pullman to face Washington State at 8 p.m.