How Tess Werts helped USU Women’s Soccer create a standard of success
Utah State University’s women’s soccer team has been on a historic run of success over the past four years, winning two Mountain West championships and making two appearances in the NCAA tournament. At the forefront of this success has been senior forward Tess Werts.
Now, over a month into the 2025 soccer season, Werts has once again established herself as an offensive centerpiece for the team, leading the team in assists as well as helping lead the team on and off the field.
However, her soccer story started much before her time at USU.
“I started from a super young age. I can’t remember when I actually began, but I’ve just played soccer my whole life,” Werts said. “My guess is two or three years old, starting with just dribbling the ball across the field and doing other random exercises.”
Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Werts had many opportunities to play on teams at various levels, beginning with casual games to semi-professional leagues.
“I played regular club for the local clubs around, and then around third grade is when [Elite Clubs National League] teams were kind of getting in development,” Werts said. “I switched over to ECNL at that time and then kind of played that throughout middle school and high school, along with being on my high school team.”
While attending Westview High School in Portland, Werts established herself as a star on her school’s soccer team as well as in track and field, where she helped her school win a state title for the 4x400m relay. Outside of school athletics, she helped her ECNL team achieve a third-place finish nationally, along with winning a Surf Cup and three conference championships.
Before her senior season, Werts moved to Draper, where she played for Corner Canyon High School and was selected to play in the Utah high school all-star game.
During the summer before her senior year, Werts committed to play for USU and head coach Manny Martins. However, her recruiting situation was rather peculiar.
“My year getting recruited was the COVID year, so a lot of teams didn’t even need people,” Werts said. “Teams told me I could walk on, but they didn’t have scholarships available. A lot of teams honestly weren’t looking for players because they had seniors coming back.”
Despite the difficulty, the new USU coaching staff saw Werts’ potential and made her a centerpiece of their first-ever recruiting class.
“A lot of things went into my decision to recruit her. I always like to say that we’re not looking to recruit finished products because at 18 years old, they don’t exist. It’s really projecting who has the potential to be some of the best 19-, 20- and 21-year-olds out there,” Martins said.
Martins highlighted Werts’ character, such as her integrity, hard work and ambition, as a reason behind recruiting her.
“All of that came through during our time that we were recruiting and getting to know her, so that put her at the top of the list,” Martins said. “Watching her play, I remember throughout the recruiting process, just like most kids, there were ups and downs. Some days were really great, some days — they’re a little bit more neutral, but I had seen her potential. When I saw those flashes of great moments, I knew that if we could maximize her abilities and her growth. We were going to see a lot more of that.”
According to Martins, Werts made an immediate impact upon her arrival at USU. During her freshman season, Werts played in all 21 games and started in eight of them, tallying 23 total shots and one goal in 858 minutes played.
“When she got here, she hit the ground running,” Martins said. “It can be hard as a young player to come in and find your spot right away, but she was able to contribute from her freshman year and continue to grow with every year that she’s been here.”
Each season at USU, Werts has increased her stats across the board. As a sophomore, she started 20 of the team’s games, finishing No. 1 on the team with 38 total shots, No. 2 with four assists and No. 3 with three goals. As a junior, she started 21 of the 22 matches she appeared in, finishing No. 1 on the team in goals with eight, assists with nine and points with 25. She finished the season ranked No. 2 in points in the Mountain West Conference, No. 3 in goals and No. 1 in assists.
Despite her talents growing exponentially as a player, many of her teammates highlighted how much she has grown as a teammate and leader.
“She is the voice for a lot of our teammates here, and I think she’s someone that our teammates feel comfortable going up to if they have problems or if they just need help or need a friend,” said fellow senior Kaylie Chambers. “She’s a great connector between our team and the coaches, and she’s also not afraid to speak her mind if she needs something from the team. If she wants to demand more, she can — she has the confidence to do that. That’s why she’s a great leader and a great teammate.”
The coaching staff has also noticed her emergence as a leader for the team.
“The nature of it is players, especially younger players, will look up to someone who’s a high performer. She’s someone who has really grown a lot in the time that she’s been here, and she has the ability to connect with players and carry a message on in a way that doesn’t necessarily scare people,” Martins said. “You know, sometimes leadership can come across as stern to a point where people maybe can be put off by it. That’s not the case at all. I mean, if you pay attention, she’s one that is always smiling, and there’s always something fun when she’s around.”
Werts’ leadership role is not only important on the field but off the field as well, as she is a member of the USU Student-Athlete Advisory Council. SAAC is responsible for being a voice for student-athletes at the university and to ensure they are receiving all of the support and tools they need for success.
“It’s been amazing to see where we started in 2022, as a little freshman, to now, and how we’ve seen this team progress,” Chambers said. “[Werts] has been a huge part of it — not only in a leadership role but with her scoring goals and assisting. I think she’s such a well-rounded player and has been so important for this team.”
Werts highlighted the importance of her parents in her journey, all the way from the start of her soccer career to playing at USU.
“Growing up, there were role models and players I looked up to, but the most important were my parents. One story that has really stuck out to me throughout my career was when I played for ECNL,” Werts said. “I remember playing on weekends, practicing every night, and sometimes I would complain because I felt like I was missing out on all sorts of things that my friends were doing. They sat me down and said, ‘You have to make a decision — either you’re going to buy in completely and miss those things, or we’re going to take a step back just to a level that has that balance,’ and obviously, I chose to stick with it, and that’s something that I have carried with me.”
Werts’ passion has already taken her far in her career, not only playing for the Aggies but also playing for various semi-professional teams during the off-season. Though she still has some time left with the Aggies, her sights are set on playing at the next level.
“The goal is always to go pro,” Werts said. “I’ve devoted so much of my life to the sport. I’m willing to put everything to just go try.”
Until then, Werts is focused on this season as the team tries to bring home a Mountain West championship for the third time in her career, further cementing her as an Aggie legend.