LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The NM State women's soccer team continues its postseason run on Thursday when they take on first-seeded Utah Valley in the WAC Semifinals at GCU Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. MDT and will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.

WAC Tournament
The Aggies are competing in its first WAC Tournament since 2017. On Tuesday, the Aggies picked up its first win in the WAC Tournament since 2014 and just its third WAC Tournament win in program history on Tuesday. The Aggies dominated UTRGV in Tuesday's quarterfinal match, as the Aggies went on to win 3-0 over the Vaqueros. The Aggies will be looking for history on Thursday, as they have never made it to the WAC Championship Game.

Aggie Rundown
Coming back from an ACL injury in the 2019 season, Xitlaly Hernandez has exploded for the Aggies, as she has knocked in a team-high seven goals. Hernandez got the scoring going for the Aggies on Tuesday against UTRGV with a goal in the 28th minute. Hernandez's performance this season earned her a spot on All-WAC Honorable Mention.

Second Team All-WAC honoree Hannah Leitner made an immediate impact in her first full game back from injury. Leitner assisted on two goals against the Vaqueros. On the year, Leitner has five goals and four assists.

In the midfield, senior Emma Smith has been one of the most consistent Aggies this season, as she has tallied the most minutes on the team in her 16 starts. Smith has taken eight shots on the year and  recorded her second assist of the year on Tuesday against the Vaqueros.

Megan Ormson has had a very productive freshman season for the Aggies, as she scored her fourth goal of the year on Tuesday. Ormson's four goals are the most by a freshman since 2017 when Jody Hernandez also had four goals

In the net, Makenna Gottschalk and Dmitri Fong have split time this season with Gottschalk starting 12 games and Fong starting six. Gottschalk has 59 saves with a 0.711 saves percentage. Fong recorded 32 saves in her nine appearances with a 0.711 saves percentage. Fong got the start on Tuesday and was terrific adding her second shutout of the season.

Five Aggies Earn Postseason All-WAC Honors
Senior midfielder Emma Smith and sophomore forward Hannah Leitner were named to the All-WAC Second Team the WAC announced on Monday afternoon. Corey Kizer, Xitlaly Hernandez, Lece Aviles and Makenna Gottschalk also secured spots on the All-WAC Honorable Mention Team.

Smith, a Sherwood, Ore., native, started 17 games for the Aggies and tallied the most minutes on the team. Smith was a staple for the Aggie defense that allowed just 37 goals on the season. Smith took eight shots for the Aggies and added her second assist on the year on Tuesday.

Leitner had a breakout season for the Aggies, as she scored five goals and assisted on four goals in the 2020-21 season. Leitner battled injuries towards the end of the season, but she still finished second on the team in the goals and assists categories.

Coming back from an ACL injury in the 2019 season, Hernandez has exploded for the Aggies, as she has knocked in a team-high seven goals. Hernandez recorded the sixth hat trick in Aggie history and her first hat trick of her career on Feb. 22 against Chicago State. 

Kizer had a solid junior season for the Aggies, as she started 17 games and recorded her second goal of the year against UTRGV. Kizer leads the team in assists with three and has taken 21 shots this season.

Aviles has continued to be a staple on the back line for the Aggie defense. Aviles started 16 games and recorded the second-most minutes on the team with 1,288. 

A junior transfer from Daytona State College, Gottschalk started 12 games for the Aggies in the net. She's recorded 59 saves including a season-high 11 saves against Grand Canyon on Mar. 6. Gottschalk's performance against the Antelopes earned her WAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Scouting the Wolverines
The first-seeded Utah Valley Wolverines come into the WAC Tournament with an 11-4-3 record. The Wolverines are stacked from top to bottom, but Sadie Brockbank is the anchor with five goals on the year. Brockbank isn't the only one scoring for the Wolverines, as London Miller and Jenna Shepherd each recording five goals as well. Amber Tripp leads the team in assists with five.

The Wolverines are anchored by a defense that has only allowed 15 goals this season. Leading that defense is goalkeeper Isabel Jones-Dawe. Jones-Dawe has started all 16 games for the Wolverines and has 47 saves and a 0.93 goals allowed average.

Last Time Out
The Aggies put together its best performance of the season on in the quarterfinals match against UTRGV. The Aggies dominated the game from start to finish en route to its 3-0 win. Xitlaly Hernandez, Corey Kizer and Megan Ormson each scored goals for the Aggies. Hannah Leitner also had two assists.

The Series
Utah Valley took both regular season matchups from the Aggies in a 2-0 win and a 4-0 win on Feb. 25 and Feb. 27. The Aggies have never beaten the Wolverines but will look to change that on Thursday.

For updates throughout the WAC Tournament, follow the Aggies on Twitter (@NMStateWSOC), Instagram (@nmstatewsoc) and Facebook (NM State Women's Soccer).

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