LAS CRUCES, N.M. – After playing four of its last five games on home turf, NM State returns to the road to take on Middle Tennessee on Thursday night at Horace Jones Field. This will open a stretch of three consecutive road games to cap off the 2025 campaign.
The final stretch will prove to be crucial for the Crimson and White as they currently sit three points back of securing a bid in the 2025 Conference USA Championship.
QUEEN 'B'
- In a Sept. 11 matchup against Cal State Fullerton, senior midfielder Bianca Chacon notched an assist on an Ariana Leamons goal in the ninth minute – Chacon's first since suffering a season-ending injury in 2023 against Jacksonville State. This marked the first of the 2025 season for the El Paso native and the 17th in her career, putting her in a tie with recent NM State graduate Loma McNeese.
- Later in the 86th minute, another ball from Chacon found the head of senior defender Jena Johannes, punching it through the back of the net for the Aggies' second goal of the match and the 18th all-time assist for Chacon.
- With this assist, Chacon reclaimed her spot atop the career assists leaders at NM State – first earning the distinction following a Sept. 17, 2023, meeting with LA Tech before McNeese surpassed her total in 2024.
- Finally, in a Sept. 20 contest against CUSA foe Sam Houston, Chacon posted two assists in a 2-2 tie, giving her 20 career assists – becoming the first Aggie in program history to tally 20 or more assists.
- Sporting 20 assists in 64 career games, Chacon has also put in 11 goals to total 42 points – seventh most in NM State history.
LEAMONS-AID
- During a 2-1 victory over the Big Ten's Oregon Ducks in 2024, Ariana Leamons suffered a season-ending injury. Prior to her injury, the Millenium, Ariz., native had appeared 22 career games (21 starts) with three goals and three assists in 1,631 minutes.
- In the Aggies' fourth match of this season against then-No. 5 USC, Leamons made her return to the pitch, playing 33 minutes with one shot on goal.
- On Sept. 11 against Cal State Fullerton, the senior forward put home a goal in the ninth minute – the fourth of her career and first since Aug. 22, 2024.
- In 12 contests played so far this season, Leamons has accrued nine starts, 689 minutes played and 20 shots (second-most on the team).
VAL-IENT
- Following a redshirted 2022 season behind NM State great Makenna Gottschalk, redshirt junior goalkeeper Valerie Guha has been a mainstay in the net for most of her collegiate career, making 49 appearances (47 starts) since 2023.
- In that time, the Friedburg, Germany, native has amassed 185 saves – good for fourth most in Aggie history (Makenna Gottschalk sits in third with 234 career stops).
- The fourth-year Aggie also holds a spot in the record books for goalkeeper wins (20, second), shutouts (10, second) and goals against average (1.60, sixth).
- Collecting third-team All-CUSA honors in 2024, Guha earned her third weekly award on Aug. 19, 2025, the lone member of the Crimson & White to notch a superlative from the conference this season.
GREAT SCOTT!
- Since joining the Aggies in 2023, senior forward Meredith Scott has been a reliable presence in the NM State attack, collecting nine goals and four assists in 52 contests (45 matches started) for the Crimson & White.
- In 11 games this season, Scott is tied for the team lead in goals (2), while pacing the program in shots (23) and shots on goal (11) and is second on the squad in points (5).
THE MAN IN CHARGE
- Named the fourth coach in program history in 2018, Head Coach Rob Baarts has radically transformed the NM State Soccer program. In 2022, Baarts led the Aggies to their first conference title match appearance as members of the Western Athletic Conference, taking a 1-0 victory and advancing to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance (2-1 loss to No. 7 Mississippi State).
- In 2023 as members of Conference USA, Baarts and the Aggies made a strong impression, taking the program's first regular-season championship with an undefeated conference record (7-0-2) to mark the first undefeated debut seasons in Conference USA history. He would later lead the program to the CUSA title game against second-seeded Liberty.
- To open the 2024 season, NM State played host to USC, playing their first match as members of the Big Ten. Trailing the No. 25 Lady Trojans 2-0 in the 82nd minute, Kennedy Herrera and Meredith Scott tallied goals to secure a 2-2 draw, and the first non-loss against power conference opponents in program history.
- One week later, the Aggies would welcome the Oregon Ducks to Las Cruces. With goals from Ariana Leamons and Oregon transfer Brooke Schultz, the Aggies collected a 2-1 victory – the first over a power conference opponent for both the Aggies and head coach Baarts.
- Becoming the program's all-time leader in wins in 2022, Baarts tallied his 50th career head coaching victory following a win over CUSA counterpart Middle Tennessee.
- To date, Baarts has amassed 55 career victories at the helm for the Aggies.
CONFERENCE US-AGGIES
- Since joining Conference USA in July 2023, NM State has put together an impressive resume against conference counterparts, especially from the friendly confines of the NM State Soccer Complex.
- In their debut season, the Aggies went 6-0-2 against CUSA opponents, starting 6-0 before recording draws in the last two contests of the season. This didn't stop the Crimson & White from raising the regular-season championship – the first in program history.
- Going 6-0-2 in year one (including a 2-0-2 mark at home), NM State returned in 2024 to post a 5-2-2 conference record, with a 4-0-1 mark in Las Cruces.
- Despite an 0-2-3 record in league play this year, NM State is 11-4-7 (.659) against Conference USA foes, and 6-2-5 from the NM State Soccer Complex.
ANYBODY, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
- The Aggies have been no stranger to power conference matchups since Head Coach Rob Baarts' debut in 2018, playing a total of 17 matches, including five in Las Cruces.
- In 2024 the Aggies notched their first non-defeat against a power conference foe in the season opener against #25 USC (2-2), and a week later notching their first victory (2-1 over Oregon).
- The 2025 campaign proved no different, with the Aggies playing five consecutive matches against these squads, bookended with home matchups against Big 12 members Arizona and Texas Tech.
PARA T
- On July 10th, 2023, NM State soccer faced the untimely passing of soon-to-be junior defender Thalia Chaverria.
- Every year since in her honor, the Aggies have hosted a 'Purple-Out' game, encouraging the community and fellow NM State student-athletes to come out and wear purple in support of 'T'.
- In three such matches, the Aggies are 1-0-2, including a 2024 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce.
- On Saturday, Sept. 20, NM State honored 'T' ahead of their conference opener against Sam Houston. Rallying from a 2-0 first-half deficit, the Aggies secured the 2-2 draw, securing the undefeated streak.
- Since 2024, the team warm-ups have included a special purple variant of the NM State Zia symbol, with a purple number 2 on the back of the shirts in her honor.
- New this season, NM State goalkeepers have special purple jersey sets.
NEW (AND OLD) FRIENDS
- Ahead of the 2025 season, Rob Baarts announced the hiring of the program's new graduate assistant – former Aggie great Xitlaly Hernandez. Earning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 as a center back, the Phoenix, Ariz., native was no slouch at her natural midfielder position, ranking fifth in career assists (10), while also tallying 10 goals (including the program's most recent hat trick against Nevada in 2021) and 30 total points.
- Joining Hernandez as newcomers to the staff includes Sam Dodge, who recently completed her playing career at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn.
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