Match One
NM State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 CUSA) vs. Portland State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big Sky)
Thursday, Aug. 17 | 7:00 p.m. (MT) | Hillsboro Stadium | Portland, Ore.
 
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Following last Thursday's home exhibition against Cochise College, the Aggies are on the road for the official start of the 2023 season. The Rose City and the Portland State Vikings welcome NM State on Thursday, August 17. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.
 
Fans can follow along with the action thanks to Livestats. After Thursday's season opener in Oregon, the Aggies will travel to Lubbock, Texas for a Sunday night match against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. This will be the team's last road game until September 10^th against UNM – the Crimson & White will play five straight home games between that stretch.
 
Scouting the Vikings
 
The Vikings are led by seventh-year Head Coach Katie Burton, and last season posted a 5-8-5 overall record, with a 4-2-2 mark in Big Sky action. This secured Portland State the number three seed in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, but they fell 3-0 in the opening round against the sixth seed, Montana. Forward Raniyah Burton secured second-team All-Big Sky honors after recording three goals on the season, including a game-winning goal, while defender Hailey Green was named an Honorable Mention All-Big Sky selection after playing a huge role in the team's defense, leading the Vikings with 1,530 minutes played last season – almost 200 more minutes than her closest teammate.
 
Portland State picked up a quartet of transfers during the offseason, including former NC State goalkeeper Eden Millan. The graduate student played four seasons with the Wolfpack, including a run to the Sweet Sixteen with the team in 2019. She will battle with fellow graduate student Kailee-Rae Quartero for the starting nod against the NM State offensive attack.
 
This season, Portland State was picked to finish seventh in the Big Sky Preseason Poll, receiving one first-place vote. While the Aggies and Vikings do not have any common opponents this season, Portland State will play a pair of former NM State conference opponents – Seattle U and Utah Tech of the Western Athletic Conference, where the Aggies called home until making the move to CUSA ahead of the 2023-24 season.
 
2022 Aggie Review

• The 2022 campaign saw the NM State program reach new heights – a school record 13 wins, the first undefeated (7-0-2) season at home and the first conference titles and NCAA postseason appearances for the young program, first established in 2009.
• Loma McNeese became the first Aggie to earn first team all-conference honors since 2017 (fourth overall); she also vaulted herself into the NM State record book in various single-season categories – game-winning goals (3; tied-second), goals (10; tied-third in program history) and points (25; tied-third).
• Makenna Gottschalk recorded 91 saves, the third-most single-season saves in program history, also setting new single-season records for shutouts (11), wins (13), and save percentage (.843). After recording three straight shutouts in the 2022 WAC Tournament including a 1-0 win in the WAC Championship game against Utah Valley, she was named the WAC Tournament MVP – the first such honor in NM State history.
• Gottschalk, Xitlaly Hernandez and Landy Williams were named All-Conference second-team selections; Gottschalk, Hernandez, McNeese, Sofia Beerworth and Tati Jerman were the five Aggies named to the 2022 WAC All-Tournament team.
• NM State battled for all ninety minutes in their NCAA Tournament matchup with Mississippi State. Falling behind 1-0 late in the first half, Loma McNeese slipped a ball past the Lady Bulldogs' goalkeeper to even things at one apiece. Mere minutes before the game would head to overtime, Mississippi State scored their second goal of the afternoon, securing a 2-1 victory.

 
Watch the Throne
 
While leading the Aggies to their first WAC title in program history is the crowning jewel of their time at NM State, Loma McNeese and Xitlaly Hernandez have provided outstanding offensive impact throughout their time in Las Cruces. Heading into the season, the pair have already breached the top-ten lists in multiple offensive categories, with room to climb even higher.

• Loma McNeese currently sits in seventh place on the career goals list with 13, needing just two to tie Yolanda McMilion for sixth all-time. Also sitting seventh in points, she is three points away from a tie for sixth place.
• One game-winning goal this season moves McNeese into a four-way tie for second place, and she sits tenth in career shots with room to race the record books.
• Xitlaly Hernandez sports nine career goals, needing one this season to enter a tie with Crystal Burns for eighth-most all-time. Totaling 100 career shots, Hernandez needs just one shot to enter a three-way tie for sixth, as well as one assist before moving into a three-way tie for second place on the career assists list.

 
New Places, New and Old Faces
 
As the Aggies head into a new conference for the first time in the program's history, lots of change is expected. Makenna Gottschalk, the Aggies' all-time leader in saves, graduated and now plays professionally in Austria for FC Pinzgau. 2023 All-WAC Second Team defender Landy Williams has also moved onto her post-NM State career, joining Gottschalk in suiting up to play for FC Pinzgau.  
 
One area that should provide plenty of familiarity for the Aggies is the offensive end. Following a season with 32 goals scored, NM State returns 94% of its offensive production – including 86% of the team's assists from a season ago.
 
The Aggies also welcome a slew of newcomers – nine in total – who look to make their mark while wearing the Crimson & White. Ariana Leamons joins NM State after competing at the JUCO level for two seasons with Phoenix College, totaling 42 goals and 35 assists in just 39 games. A 2022 NJCAA Division II All-American, she helped her school to an 18-2-1 record and their second NJCAA Division II Championship. Emma O'Neill comes to Las Cruces via the Sun City and El Paso High School, where she earned the 2022 District 1-5A defensive MVP along with a Second Team All-City nod. In 2023 she helped her school to a 21-5 record and their second straight 5A Regional appearance after recording 14 goals (second on the team) and seven assists.
 
Louisiana transfer Carolina Rodriguez adds experience to the NM State backline, appearing in 33 games (seven starts) over two seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns. Before making her way to the U.S., Rodriguez was a member Zaragoza CFF of the Segunda Federación – a second-tier women's soccer league in Spain – where she helped her team to league championships in 2017-18 and 2019-20.
 
Guerreras del Fútbol
 
Despite losing their top two student-athletes by minutes played, the Aggies return a strong core who played at least 75% of the team's total minutes – Mya Hammack, Loma McNeese, Brooke Schultz, Xitlaly Hernandez and Bianca Chacon earned that distinction on the field last season, and look to lead NM State into a new year filled with new battles and new challenges.
 
Missed But Not Forgotten
 
Just a short time ago, the NM State soccer program lost an important member of its family. On July 11, junior defender Thalia Chaverria suddenly passed away at the age of 20. Thalia was entering her third season with the program.
 
Head Coach Rob Baarts said "T was an inspiration and rock to this team. She will be missed but not forgotten. Her spirit will be with us every day, on and off the pitch."
 
True to Coach Baarts' word, Thalia will not be forgotten as the team will honor her with a patch worn on the shoulder of each Aggie this season. The patch will feature Thalia's number on the field (2) and her initials (TC) in white text surrounded by a black circle.
 
For complete coverage of NM State Soccer, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWSOC), Instagram (@NMStateWSOC), and like us on Facebook (NMStateWSOC).