Preview: Aggie soccer hosts Nevada in the last home game of the season
Looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses over the weekend, the Utah State women’s soccer team looks to get back on track at home hosting the Nevada Wolfpack this weekend.
The Aggies, now 5-3-0 in conference play, fell from first to fourth in Mountain West Conference ranking. Nevada is currently 11th, one game ahead of last place. This will be the last home game of the season, and seven seniors will be cherishing their last game on the Chuck and Gloria Bell field.
“We’re going to have some different emotions because it’s senior night,” said head coach Heather Cairns. “It’s really the culmination of seven fantastic players who have played here and that will be emotional.”
Senior day only adds to the final home matchup’s stakes, as USU searches to right itself with only three regular season games remaining. Over the weekend, the Aggies played University of New Mexico and San Diego State, losing both matches. It is just the second losing streak of the season and the first of conference play. Cairns said the team could have played more sharply and will be working this weekend on keeping the ball better.
“Possession is directly correlated with scoring opportunities,” Cairns said.
Nevada is coming off of a 1-1 weekend, first beating Colorado College before losing to Air Force. When the Aggies played these two teams in a Colorado road trip, there was a mirror result — Utah State beat Air Force before losing to Colorado College.
Before the 0-2 weekend, the Aggies pair of home wins. The victorious weekend was capped off by senior forward Jessica Brooksby earning player of the week for the MW conference.
Last year’s match between Nevada and Utah State saw an Aggie loss, as the Wolfpack won 3-0 in Reno.
“They’re a quality opponent,” Cairns said. “We just have to control what we can control.”
Utah State’s final home game takes place on Friday at 3 p.m. at Chuck and Gloria Bell Field. The Aggies then head out onto the road to visit first place University of Nevada Las Vegas, before taking on Boise State the following weekend.