LAS CRUCES, N.M. — NM State looks to turn the corner on its early season when it faces Texas Tech, a squad that has dropped just one match this fall to San Francisco. The Aggies enter the nonconference clash with one win in six outings and will aim to lean on their resilience and defensive organization as they chase a statement performance against one of the Big 12's top programs.
 
WHO: NM State (1-5-0) vs. Texas Tech (4-1-0)
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 5 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 traveled to Tempe, Ariz., and clashed against the Arizona State Sun Devils. An early goal in the first half of the matchup pushed the Sun Devils in front and carried the the opponent to a 1-0 victory over the Aggies.
 
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.
 
Meredith Making Her Mark...
Meredith Scott has scored two goals in the Aggies' regular season thus far, with the Aggies' previous goals 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 double-digit 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. Heading into her seventh game of the season, the German has had three or more saves in all of the Aggies' matches.
 
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.
 
Competion History...
The Aggies have hosted four power four programs in the NM State Soccer Athletic Complex. NM State's last victory against one of these squads was last year when it upset the Oregon Ducks with a score of 1-0. This will be the second time in program history that the Crimson and White have hosted a Big 12 opponent after hosting Arizona earlier this season.
 
Against Texas Tech...
This marks the fifth time this season the Aggies have taken on a power four program and their fourth time in NM State history facing Texas Tech.
 
Taylor Zdrojewski currently leads the Red Raiders' team in scored goals, tacking on four for Texas Tech along with two assists this season.
 
Watch the Aggies...
The Aggies will host the Red Radiers in Las Cruces, N.M., at 7 p.m. MT on Thursday. Broadcasting for the match will be Duke Keith for Play-by-Play and Heidi Moccia assisting as Analyst. Fans can watch on ESPN+ to support our Aggies.
 
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).