Kicking into soccer season

Utah State women’s soccer kicked off their season this month at the Outrigger Kickoff Tournament in Waipahu, Hawaii, with a 4-0 victory over Pepperdine and a 3-0 win against Hawai’i.

The Aggies returned to action this fall after a historic 2023 season, finishing second in the Mountain West regular season before winning the Mountain West Tournament Championship for the first time in school history. The 2023 campaign saw the Aggies post a 14-8-1 record overall and 9-2-0 in conference play. Fourteen wins was the second most in school history for a single season, while the nine conference wins notched a new program record.

USU’s conference title earned them the automatic NCAA tournament bid from the Mountain West Conference, marking their third NCAA tournament appearance. The Aggies ultimately fell in the first round to in-state foe BYU by a score of 2-0. In addition to the team’s success in regular season play, USU soccer boasted numerous players who earned postseason accolades. Midfielder Kaylie Chambers was awarded Mountain West first-team honors. At the same time, defender Kylie Olsen was named to the Mountain West second team and midfielder Summer Diamond to the conference all-newcomer team. Additionally, head coach Manny Martins was named both Mountain West and United Soccer Coaches Pacific Region Coach of the Year.

With a 2-0 start at the Outrigger Kickoff and a statement win against reigning Big 12 champion Texas Tech, the Aggies are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2013, and the vibes are good in Logan.

“I feel great. I mean, they’re fit, they’re healthy, they’re confident, they’re really good about the details right now,” Martins said about their hot start.

Even with their early success, the Aggies are hungry for more.

“We’re enjoying the results, and we’re celebrating, and it’s great, but we can still get better, and we want to accomplish the things we want to and that we’re going to do,” Martins said.

With last season’s success, Logan’s hopes are high for the 2024 campaign. The league’s 12 head coaches picked the Aggies to finish second in the conference, behind reigning regular-season champion San Diego State. Two of USU’s early wins came against 2023 NCAA Tournament teams, with the Red Raiders advancing to the Sweet 16 as a #2-seeded team. Even with a historical season in the rear-view mirror, Martins is focused on the road ahead within the program.

“Expectation is always based on the things we control: how hard we work, how well we prepare and how focused we stay,” Martins said.

Utah State’s quick start is largely due to its stifling defensive play. The Aggies did not allow a goal through their first three games, winning each handily.

“It’s really focusing on our press when they have the ball. I think we’ve just been really consistent and really hungry,” said Olsen when asked about their defensive dominance. “We like to come out fast and finish strong, and I feel like we’ve been really focusing on that.”

Strong defense has been a theme for Martins’ squad, which allowed less than a goal per game on average in each of the three previous seasons during his tenure in Logan. While his defense has taken center stage as a coach, that hasn’t always been his instinct.

“Growing up, being from Portugal, I’ve always loved the game to be something that has a lot of flair and the attractive game for the fans,” Martins said. “But as a coach, over the years, I grew to be a little bit more pragmatic, and I have this belief that if you don’t concede, you can’t lose.”

While the Aggie defense was overwhelming at the start of the season, it was possibly the offense that was most noteworthy early on. In 23 games during the previous season, Utah State had just eight games where they scored multiple goals. The experience and returning chemistry on the offensive end are paying dividends early, with three multi-goal games already.

“A lot of our offensive line — we’ve been together for, I mean, some of them have been together for three years now,” said midfielder Summer Diamond. “We read each other better now, and I think that’s shown with the goals we scored.”

Utah State has an experienced squad, getting back 15 letter winners and eight starters from their championship team. This experience contributes to results on the field and could also contribute to longer-term results for future teams.

“It gives them the standard, gives them players to look up to as mentors,” Martins said, speaking on his younger players. “But you know, it also gives them an opportunity to compete against some of the best players in our conference.”

With the efficient start, the Aggies are seeing more personal accomplishments rolling in. After her performance in the Outrigger Tournament, Olsen was named tournament MVP and Mountain West defensive player of the week. A week later, sophomore keeper Shay Kercher-Pratt was named defensive player of the week, and first-year student Austin Miller was named the conference’s freshman of the week.

“Those are all just a reflection of the team,” Olsen said on the personal successes. “It just comes from the team, and it shows just like how we can play together and how we can make each other look good.”

Powered by these great performances, Utah State is ranked first in the Pacific Region and has been ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll for the first time in program history.

“We’re ranked for the first time,” Martins said. “I knew that we were going to have to ride out the fact that there’s something new in the environment.”

With the bulk of the 2024 season still ahead, the Aggies are looking for continued support to help keep the momentum going.

“Stay hype, stay ready, because it’s just the start of a great season,” Olsen said. “It’s so fun to have the HURD out there. They played a huge role in the Texas Tech game, and we just want to keep them coming.”

Utah State soccer will return at the Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m.