Match Eighteen
NM State (8-9, 4-4 WAC) vs. Utah Valley (10-5-2, 5-1-2 WAC)
Thursday, Oct. 28 | 7:00 p.m. | NM State Soccer Athletics Complex | Las Cruces, N.M.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
THE KICKOFF
• Down to only two regular season matches in 2021, the NM State women's soccer team hopes to rise up the WAC's West Division standings Thursday night when it hosts co-division leader Utah Valley at the NM State Soccer Athletics Complex.
• Kickoff in the 13th meeting between the Aggies and Wolverines is set for 7:00 p.m. and fans unable to attend the showdown can catch all the action on the WAC Digital Network.
• Thursday night's match also features a special edition Aggie t-shirt giveaway for the first 125 fans in attendance. The one-of-a-kind t-shirt was designed by Mason Gurule, age six, of Las Cruces during NM State's "Design the Season" campaign in May of 2020.
THE SERIES
• When the Aggies meet the Wolverines Thursday night, they'll be going in search of their first victory in the history of the program against their foes from Orem.
• NM State is 0-9-3 all-time against Utah Valley. Now in his fourth season as the Aggies' head coach Rob Baarts owns an 0-5-1 mark against the Wolverines. All-time, NM State has gone 0-3-1 against Utah Valley in Las Cruces and has been outscored 8-3 in those games. Two of those four matches have gone into double overtime.
• In the 12 all-time meetings between the two programs, NM State has been outscored 26-8. The only player on the Aggies' roster who has scored a goal against the Wolverines is Corey Kizer who notched the equalizer in last season's WAC Women's Soccer Tournament semifinal game between the two programs.
LAST TIME OUT | NM State 2, vs. Grand Canyon 1 (2OT) | Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021
• Grace Olson scored the second goal of her collegiate career with 15 seconds to go in the double-overtime period, lifting NM State to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over WAC West Division leader Grand Canyon Saturday night.
• Olson's strike helped the Aggies hand the Lopes their first WAC setback of the season and also put an end to GCU's 14-match unbeaten run in WAC regular-season contests.
• The Aggies hiked their all-time record against the Lopes to 4-8 (.333) with Saturday night's triumph and were able to clinch a spot in the WAC Tournament as a result of both their win and a loss by Seattle U.
ABOUT THE AGGIES
• Already assured a spot in the 2021 WAC Women's Soccer Tournament, the Aggies will now play for seeding amongst the three West Division teams who will make the trip to Abilene, Texas, for the league's postseason tournament.
• NM State currently sits in fourth place in the WAC's West Division standings, trailing Grand Canyon (17 points), Utah Valley (17 points) and California Baptist (13 points). The Aggies' 12 points are enough to get them to Abilene as both California Baptist and Dixie State are ineligible for postseason play.
• The Aggies' four WAC wins are tied for the most regular-season league wins in the history of the program. NM State's eight wins so far in 2021 are the third-highest single-season win total in program history as well as the most in a single season under fourth-year head coach Rob Baarts.
• Baarts has succeeded in increasing the Aggies' win total every single season during his tenure. After winning just two matches in 2018, the Aggies won four in 2019 and five in the 2021 spring season.
• Fifteen NM State players have points to their credit this season. Among other WAC clubs, only Grand Canyon (20 players) and SFA (17 players) have more student-athletes who have either scored goals or registered assists in 2021.
• NM State goalkeeper Makenna Gottschalk has been steadily moving up the program's all-time statistical charts in a number of categories. For her career, the Broomfield, Colo., product has amassed 136 saves - the fourth-most in the history of the program. Gottschalk's 77 saves this season rank as the sixth-most in a single season in program history as well as the second-highest total among all WAC goalkeepers.
• In terms of total wins, Gottschalk has eight this season and 11 for her NM State career. Her eight this year are tied for the second-most in a single season in program history while her 11 career victories are the second-most in Aggie lore, too.
• Seven different players have accounted for game-winning goals for the Aggies this season. That's the highest number of players with game-winners to their credit in a single season in program history.
• Nearly one-third of the Aggies' 16 points (five goals, six assists) in their last six matches have come courtesy of sophomore midfielder Loma McNeese. McNeese has scored two of the Aggies' last five goals and has dished out one of their six assists.
• Bella Garcia has accounted for two of the Aggies' seven game-winning goals this year which is the third-highest single-season total in program history.
• Various NM State players have been stepping up in a big way this season. NM State has not had the benefit of a fully healthy roster since early September due to multiple injuries.
• Hannah Leitner is the program's all-time leader in assists with 12 throughout her career in the Crimson and White. Additionally, Leitner ranks eighth all-time on the NM State goal scoring charts with 10 in her career. Three of those goals have been of the game-winning variety, making Leitner seventh all-time in NM State history in that statistical category.
• Three other Aggies have been making their way up the program's all-time goal scoring charts since the season began, too. Shea O'Connor has booted in 11 during her NM State career. Those 11 goals are the seventh-most all-time.
• Like Leitner, Corey Kizer is tied for eighth all-time in career goals scored with 10. On the year Kizer has accounted for two of the Aggies' 18 scores.
• Possessing a varied offense, NM State boasts seven players with multiple goals this season. Among all other WAC teams, only Grand Canyon (10 players) and SFA (nine player) boast more players with multiple goals this year.
SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• Aside from a 1-0 loss at California Baptist earlier in the month, Utah Valley hasn't experienced many down moments through its 2021 WAC schedule. The Wolverines are tied with Grand Canyon atop the league's West Division standings headed into the final weekend of the regular season.
• Defense is one of the calling cards of the Wolverines who have earned shutout wins over their last three opponents. In addition to their strong back line, the Wolverines have one of the best netminders in the WAC on their side in Brooklyn Nielsen. Utah Valley's goalkeeper leads the WAC in both minutes played (1,566:22) and shutouts (six) while ranking second in the league with a goals against average of 1.034.
• Riding a four-match unbeaten streak (3-0-1), the Wolverines' defense has been impressive as of late. Nielsen has needed to make just eight saves over Utah Valley's last four matches and the Wolverines have outscored their opposition 8-1 in that same span.
• On offense Sadie Brockbank and Heather Stainbrook continue to serve as the Wolverines' go-to players. Both have arrived at or exceeded the 20-point marek on the year and it's Brockbank who leads the team in points (22) and assists (eight). Her goal total (seven) is second only to Stainbrook's (eight).
• Both Brockbank and Stainbrook have amassed five points over Utah Valley's last four matches. It's Julianna Carter and Amber Tripp, though, who have come on strong as of late. In the Wolverines' last four contests, Carter and Tripp have posted two goals apiece while combining for a trio of assists.
• At home is where the Wolverines have piled up most of their wins this season. Utah Valley boasts an 8-1-1 mark in Orem, but is 2-4-1 in road matches.
COMING UP NEXT
• For their final match before the WAC Tournament begins, the Aggies host Dixie State Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. That tilt will mark the final regular-season appearance for 11 NM State seniors who will be honored for their contributions to Aggie soccer with a brief pre-match ceremony.
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