Match Three
NM State (1-1-0, 0-0-0 CUSA) vs. Arizona State (1-0-1, 0-0-0 PAC-12)
Thursday, Aug. 24 | 7:00 p.m. (MT) | NM State Soccer Athletic Complex | Las Cruces, N.M.
 
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – On January 5, 2018, Rob Baarts was named the fourth NM State Soccer head coach in history. "The future is about results; results as students, as athletes, as administrators and as citizens in our community of Las Cruces." said the Aggie Head Coach five and a half years ago. Since that day, the Aggies have provided results and then some – countless hours giving back to the Las Cruces community, all-conference academic accolades, and the program's first conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance last season. Now, the bar is being raised again.
 
Thursday night, NM State (1-1-0, 0-0-0 CUSA) will host Arizona State (1-0-1, 0-0-0 Pac-12) at the NM State Soccer Complex, the first 'Power Five' program to come play in the City of Crosses. "One of the goals when taking this job was to raise the level of the overall program," said Barts. "This didn't just mean winning, but playing the best programs out there. We have built the program to a place where ['Power Five'] schools can get a good game. Truly one of the things that makes me most proud… is getting [them] to come to us."
 
First kick between the Aggies and Sun Devils is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT. Fans can stream the action on ESPN+, featuring play-by-play by Adam Young and color commentary from former Massachusetts All-American soccer star Heidi Moccia. Fans can also follow along with the action thanks to Live Stats. This is the first of five straight home matches for the Aggies, the longest such stretch in NM State history. On Sunday, August 31, the team returns to action at 1 p.m. MT for a matchup with Cal State Fullerton. Last season the squads battled to a 2-2 draw in the Golden State – this will be the Titans' first visit to Las Cruces.
 
Match Recap | NM State 0 Texas Tech 5 | 8.20.23
 

• The Aggies defense played well to begin the first half, though the Red Raiders were able to score a trio of goals before the halftime buzzer, including a penalty kick with one minute to go.
• Mya Gonzales recorded the first start of her NM State career, and accounted for the Aggies only shot on goal.
• NM State was held scoreless for the first time since the opener of the 2022 season against Oregon (2-0).

 
Scouting the Sun Devils
 
Arizona State is led by Head Coach Graham Winkworth, heading into his seventh season in Tempe after serving as the Head Coach at South Alabama. Throughout his time with the Sun Devils, the team has posted a record of 51-50-14, with a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. Last season, the team tallied a 9-6-3 record, and has put up a 1-0-1 mark through two games this season, taking a 4-0 home win over Wright State and a tie against Mississippi State last Sunday.
 
The Sun Devils were picked to finish seventh in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll, in a three-way tie with Colorado and Washington. Sophomore goalkeeper Pauline Nelles is the only all-conference returner for Arizona State, earning third team and all-freshman honors after recording 72 saves with a .735 save percentage in 17 games last season.
 
Keri Matthews and Enasia Colon are the top returning goal scorers for ASU, both recording a pair of goals in Arizona State's home opener against Wright State.
 
Last Sunday, the Sun Devils played against the Aggies' 2022 NCAA Tournament opponent, Mississippi State. After 90 minutes, the two teams played to a scoreless tie, 0-0.
 
History vs. Arizona State
 
The two squads have matched up twice prior, both played away from the City of Crosses. The Aggies have failed to produce a goal in either contest – a 4-0 loss in the 2021 season and a 5-0 loss in 2014.
 
A Long Long Time Ago…
 
Decades before either school would field a soccer program (Arizona State began their soccer program in 1996, the Aggies in 2009), Arizona State and NM State were both members of the Border Conference. From 1931 to 1962 the two schools, joined by programs like Arizona, UTEP, New Mexico and Texas Tech, competed together in the same conference for the last time.
 
On November 5^th, 2021, NM State announced its intentions to leave the Western Athletic Conference for CUSA ahead of the 2023-24 academic year. Seven weeks ago, the Aggies officially switched its affiliation to a new conference, sharing a conference with the Miners for the first time since 'Stranger on the Shore' by Acker Bilk was the top song in the country.
 
On August 4, Arizona State announced its intentions to leave the PAC-12 for the Big 12 ahead of the 2024-25 academic year – along with Arizona and Texas Tech.
 
SUPER SAC
 
Last season, the Aggies posted the first undefeated home record in program history, going 7-0-2 from the friendly confines of the NM State Soccer Athletic Complex. Since opening in 2012, NM State has recorded 38 victories from their home field. Numerous improvements have been made to the place Aggie soccer calls home, including a shaded home base for the game operations crew, flood lights, and an upgraded, customizable lighting system. New for this season, the area behind the team benches has been completely relandscaped, giving the Soccer Athletic Complex a facelift ahead of the five home contests streaming on ESPN+. The Aggies' 2023 non-conference home slate includes Arizona State, CS Fullerton, Incarnate Word, Pacific and UNLV. Louisiana Tech will be the first CUSA match for NM State on September 17.
 
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 14, her nexr goal will tie Yolanda McMilion for sixth all-time. After recording a goal and assist on Thursday, she is now in a tie with McMilion in career points (36).
• After securing the game winning-goal to lift NM State over the Vikings, McNeese is tied for the second most in Aggie history with five. She also 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.
 
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