LONG BEACH, Calif. — NM State continues its road swing Sunday with a nonconference clash against Long Beach State. The Aggies will look to capitalize on their recent offensive improvements as they visit the Big West foe, which enters the match with a 2-4-1 record.
 
WHO: NM State (1-8-0) at Long Beach State (2-4-1)
WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. MT
WHERE: George Allen Field in Long Beach, Calif.
 
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...
NM State punched in two goals against CSU Fullerton. This was the first time this season the Aggies marked multiple goals in a single match. Bianca Chacon picked up two assists for the Crimson and White and now leads the squad in assists per game. Though NM state managed to close their defecit to a single-goal game, it was not enough to catch up to the Titans and they would ultimately fall 2-3.
 
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 second in program history in career assists (16). After a year long recovery, she enters the field for the Crimson and White once again.
 
Fresh Faces...
Tallying their first minutes as Aggies were Ainsleigh Thomson and Yayu Wu, who both contributed with double figure minutes. With Thomson and Wu making an appearance, four true freshman have now checked into a game for Head Coach Rob Baarts this season.
 
Meredith Making Her Mark...
Meredith Scott has scored four goals in the Aggies' last five contests, dating back to the regular season finale against UTEP (Oct. 31, 2024).
 
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 doubledigit shutouts (Makenna Gottschalk, 14). Last week, Guha moved into fourth in all-time saves in program history (153), passing former Aggies goalie Jessica Schutter. 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 now sits in second within CUSA in total saves and 21st in the country. She also leads the conference in minutes played and ranks ninth among the nation. With her 39 saves thus far, NM State ranks third in the conference in saves per game.
 
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.
 
Against the Beach...
This will mark the first time in NM State history that both of these opponents have faced each other.
 
Long Beach State's current leader is Radisson Banks who has finished with three goals, two assists and eight points. She also leads the squad in shots on goals with her 14 perfect attempts.
 
On the Road Again...
The game between the two opponents will be played in long Beach, Calif. at the George Allen Field tomorrow. Fans can watch on the ESPN+ at 1 p.m. MT.
 
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