LAS CRUCES, N.M.- NM State returns home Thursday to host LA Tech for the sixth all-time meeting between the programs, with both teams fighting to stay in contention for a Conference USA Championship berth. The Aggies and Bulldogs sit tied for eighth in the league standings, setting up a crucial late-season matchup at the NM State Soccer Athletic Complex.
WHO: NM State (0-1-3) vs. LA Tech (1-3-0)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. MT
WHERE: NM State Soccer Athletic Complex
Last Year's Record…
The Aggies finished third in the CUSA regular season standings with a record of five wins, two losses, and two ties. They also went 1-for-2 in the CUSA tournament held at FIU in Miami, Fla., after defeating Jax State in the first round to qualify for the CUSA semifinals where they fell to Liberty in the final minutes of play.
Last Game...
The Aggies headed to Jacksonville, Ala., to take on Jax State for the sixth time in program history. In the 89th minute, Milana Eyrich chipped in the equalizer to help the Aggies end the match with a tie to move the Aggies' all-time recond against the Gamecocks to 5-0-1.
Preseason Watchlist…
Jena Johannes was named to the 2025 Preseason All-Conference team after her spectacular defensive performance last season. With a strong outing against Gonzaga on Sept. 12 and Middle Tennessee on Sept. 29, she was able to pick up two Defensive Player of the Week honors for the Aggies. Last year, Johannes ranked also second in minutes among all Aggie field players.
Guess Who's Back, Back Again…
The Aggies were able to return 22 players from last year's roster and tacked on nine newcomers. Returning in the box is Valerie Guha, who had an incredible season last year as she picked up a Goalie of the Week award against Gonzaga on Sept. 12. Coming back from a severe injury which kept her off the field last year is Bianca Chacon. Chacon previously led the Aggies in season assists before Alum, Loma McNeese. The El Paso midfielder is a strong asset off the ball. This also includes four other individuals who earned a spot in the starting lineup in more than half of the team's contests last season as Marlee Cavitt, Jena Johannes, Meredith Scott and Ariana Ellison make their return. The Aggies bring back a total of 60.6% (11,941/19,706) of the team's minutes from a season ago.
One of Us…
NM State includes just one transfer athlete, Amaya Simoni-Walters, from Saint Mary's College. She competed in three seasons for them and played in eight matches last year. The team also consists of eight freshmen to fill out the rest of this year's roster. These players include Ainsleigh Thomson, Evelyn Grossman, Doriela Norzagaray, Esme Arenas, Arleth Arroya, Sophie Rush, Tessa O'Neill, and Yayu Wu who is from Taichung, Taiwan.
Bianca is Back...
Bianca Chacon, who missed all of last year due to injury, last played a major role for the CUSA Champion Aggies during the 2023 season. In 2023, she led the Aggies in assists (seven) and currently ranks first in program history in career assists (18). After a year long recovery, she enters the field for the Crimson and White once again.
Stacking Up Against the Nation...
The Aggies currently rank 44th in the nation in shot accuracy (.505) and second in the conference, highlighted by Amaya Simoni-Walters who boasts an .833 shot on goal percentage to pace all Aggies with at least five shot attempts.
THATS OUR KEEPER! ...
Valerie Guha was named CUSA Goalkeeper of the Week after her 10th career shutout during the first week of play. With this performance, she became only the second Aggie in program history with double-digit shutouts (Makenna Gottschalk, 14). Earlier this month, Guha moved into fourth in all-time saves in program history (183), passing former Aggies goalie Jessica Schutter. She is now 28 saves away from surpassing Gottschalk and moving into third all-time.
Guha is also tied with former Aggie, Loma McNeese, for most weekly awards won by NM State as a member of CUSA. In the first seven games of the season, the German has had three or more saves in the Aggies' matches. Guha sits in second within CUSA in saves per game this season. She sit in second in the conference in minutes played by a goalie and ranks 24th among the nation. Her 57 total saves this year also ranks 64th in the nation.
Outstanding Freshman...
Tessa O'Neill has marked her first career goal as an Aggie, punched in the final minutes of play against the Colorado Buffs. She had also recorded her first career assist earlier in the season against Colorado College, swiping away the ball from the Tigers to give a Meredith Scott an open look in the Aggies' season opener.
Senior Day...
Tomorrow will mark the final home game for the 13 seniors that will be recongnized ahead of the match. This group includes Amaya Simoni-Walters, Sydnee Johnson, Jaiden McClellan, Janae Shaklee, Jena Johannes, Lisimani Helu, Jada Gladem, Mya Gonzales, Bianca Chacon, Blakley Edgar, Ariana Leamon's, Meridith Scott, and Valerie Guha.
Postseason Push...
The Aggies enter this weekend's matchup against LA Tech tied with the Bulldogs for eighth in the CUSA standings, sitting four points behind both MTSU and Sam Houston. Due to the expansion the of the conference, CUSA will be adding two more spots to the field, allowing eight teams to qualify for single elimination Confernce USA Championship.
Against LA Tech...
NM State faces the Bulldogs for the sixth time in the series against the two opponents. Though LA Tech currently leads the series, the Aggies have taken the edge the last two times these squads met. The Crimson and White will head into the match with a better record against CUSA opponents.
The Bulldogs are led by Abby Hanton who has scored two goals for LA Tech. Leading the team in assists are Peyton Wiseman and Madison Pensom who each have a pair of their own.
Back at home...
The Aggies will host their final home match of the season before closing the season out with three games away from home as they look to qualify for the CUSA Championships from Nov. 5-9 in Lynchburg, Va. The match against LA Tech will be held at 7 p.m. MT tomorrow evening.
