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1 p.m.
Soccer
vs Oregon State
Friday, October 4
Tempe, AZ
8 p.m.
University of Utah
at
Arizona State
Sun Devils Next on the Slate for Utah Soccer on Friday
10/2/2024 3:17 PM | Soccer
Friday night fixture in Tempe on tap for Nakada and Co.
SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah women's soccer team spent their last two fixtures shutting down Iowa State and Oklahoma State, the fifth time in the last six seasons the Utes have posted back-to-back clean sheets, and they'll put that scoreless streak on the line on Friday night in Tempe, Ariz., when they're set to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils at 8 p.m. at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium.
Scouting Arizona State
ASU head coach Graham Winkworth is guiding a squad that seems well on its way to a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and has garnered results in three of its last four contests. On Sunday, the Sun Devils topped Cincinnati 3-1 in a match that saw ASU outshoot their guests, 14-5. Winkworth's crew also has as 2-0 victory over Houston to their credit in Big 12 competition. Kierra Blundell served as the hero in that triumph, tallying both of her team's goals.
The Sun Devils currently rank third in the Big 12 in goals with 26 and their 26 assists have them in a tie for second in the league. The squad's scoring charge has been led by Blundell and Enasia Colon, who own two of the top three spots on the conference's points leaderboard. Blundell's 20 points are largely due to her eight goals, which trail only Utah's Taliana Kaufusi in the league rankings, and that total includes a Sept. 1 hat trick against Penn that garnered her a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award.
Colon has collected six goals to go with six assists, tied for the most in the conference and she's claimed at least one point in seven of ASU's 12 games, including seven in the last three. She played perhaps the most prominent role in the Sun Devils' defeat of the Bearcats, logging a goal and two helpers.
Friday's meeting will make a baker's dozen between these two programs, with Utah owning a 5-3 advantage that includes four ties. The final chapter in the Pac-12 portion of this rivalry was Utah victory in 2023 over the then-No. 20 Sun Devils. Kelly Bullock and Kaufusi both booted in goals while the Utes limited ASU to a single shot on goal in a 2-0 victory. On Friday, Utah will be attempting to earn a win in Tempe for the first time since 2018.
Recently for the Utes
Utah's defense has been airtight over their last two matches, as they limited Iowa State and Oklahoma State to just five shots on goal and goalkeeper Kasey Wardle stopped all five on-target efforts. Wardle can now claim three clean sheets in 2024, matching her total from the last two seasons and giving her nine shutouts in her Utah career. Wardle and fellow keeper Erin Gibbs have crafted a goals against average of 1.08, which would be Utah's lowest for a full season since 2018.
Taliana is at the Top
Taliana Kaufusi's nine goals currently have her alone atop the Big 12 leaderboard, one more than Blundell and UCF's Chloe Netzel, and tied for ninth in the nation. Kaufusi's nine scores have also boosted her career total in that statistic to 26, tying her for fifth-most all-time in program history.
We Aim to Assist
So far in 2024, 14 different Utes have at least one assist to their credit. That's the highest total in a season for the Utes since they also had 14 players with an assist in 2009.
Wardle the Warrior
Kasey Wardle was in goal for both of Utah's home shutouts against Iowa State and Oklahoma State, the second time in her career she's recorded consecutive clean sheets. In 2022, she logged three-in-a-row in October, blanking Oregon State, Arizona State and USC.
Downing the Wildcats
Utah defeated the University of Arizona Wildcats in the schools' Big 12 season opener, 1-0 on Sept. 12 at Ute Field. The last time the Utes met with the Wildcats was on Oct. 29 in Arizona for a Pac-12 conference matchup and Utah fell 1-0 after hitting an own goal.
Tali the Mad Hatter
Taliana Kaufusi recorded her second hat trick of the campaign eight games after the Utes beat Idaho State, 4-1 on Sept. 15. Her first hat trick this season came against Weber State on Sept. 1. Kaufusi is the first Ute to accomplish this feat in 28 years. The first Ute to claim this was Jackie Doman in the 1996 season. Her second hat trick netted her the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Week award.
Early Birds
In four of the matches this season, the Utes got on the board within the first 10 minutes. Taliana Kaufusi accomplished this feat against Gonzaga, Grand Canyon and LSU, while Katie O'Kane added a 10th minute goal against Weber State.
Hats Off
On Sept. 1 against Weber State, for the first time on record in program history, two Utes tallied hat tricks in the same match. Both Katie O'Kane and Taliana Kaufusi booted in three goals in a 7-1 rout of the Wildcats. For O'Kane, this marked her second collegiate hat trick, the first coming on Oct. 1, 2023 at Oregon, while it was the first for Kaufusi.
If She Could, She Wood
In the ninetieth minute of Utah's season opener, freshman midfielder Bella Woods earned a free kick off a handball from Gonzaga. With pressure to take the lead of the tied game, Woods's shot curled around the Bulldogs' defenders and into the back of the net, earning the win for the Utes.
Bella Brings Home the Hardware
After her game-winning score against Gonzaga, Woods was recognized as the first Big 12 Freshman of the Week of 2024. She's the first Ute to earn a conference weekly award since Katie O'Kane in Oct. of 2023.
2024 Utah Women's Soccer Roster
Coach Hideki Nakada has assembled a squad that consists of 13 returners and 12 newcomers. The list of players back in Utah Red include 2023 leading scorer Katie O'Kane and Taliana Kaufusi, who topped the team in goals in 2022. Brooklyn Blaylock and 2023 assists leader Kelly Bullock have also returned after starting all 20 matches a season ago, as has Kasey Wardle, who finished as one of the conference leaders in saves as a sophomore.
Among the many new Utes on Nakada's roster are true freshmen Callie Blaylock, Londyn Lovell, Mia Paugh, Siena Zunino, Katie Callaway and Bella Ganiere. The Utah staff also added six transfers, including sophomore Landen Matthews, junior Erin Gibbs, senior Devi Dudley and graduate students Grace Watkins, Rachel Bastone and Ava Hetzel.
NCAA Appearances
The Utes are heading into 2024 aiming for their ninth NCAA Tournament berth and their first since 2019. Utah's best showing the national postseason occurred in 2016, when victories over Texas Tech and Florida State propelled them to the Sweet 16.
New Conference, Same Utes
The 2024 campaign will be Utah's first as members of the Big 12, the fourth different conference the Utes have competed in since the program's inception as members of the WAC in 1995. Utah posted a 7-8-2 mark during that initial season, then went 13-7 in 1999 when they played in the Mountain West Conference for the first time. Their first foray into Pac-12 play was in 2011, when they finished 10-9-1.
The list of new league foes the Utes will have to contend with include a Texas Tech team that won the conference's regular season title, then reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament, as well as a BYU squad that reached the College Cup for the second time in three seasons. Utah will also be taking the field against Iowa State and Kansas State for the first time in program history.
New Year, New Staff
In addition to the new faces on the field for the Utes, coach Hideki Nakada also added two new coaches to his staff.
Assistant coach Travis Smith officially came on board in January after three seasons at Kansas, where he helped the Jayhawks rack up 20 victories, including wins over squads ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation. Smith also spent time at Brandeis High School, where his pupils included three all-state and seven all-region selections. He helped the squad to a district title in 2018 and, two years later, the Broncos finished the season ranked at No. 9 in the state.
Fellow assistant Jackie Poortinga was hired in May after a busy last several years that included functioning as Phoenix Rising's Director of Goalkeeping, a position she's held since 2021. Her responsibilities there included overseeing the development of the organization's goalkeepers, developing and implementing the team's goalkeeper training curriculum and identifying talent for the purposes of improving the roster. She also functioned as an Assistant Goalkeeper Coach for the Phoenix Rising FC Men's USL Championship team.
Tickets
Season tickets for 2024 are currently on sale, with single-match tickets going on sale on Aug. 12. Tickets can be purchased by visiting utahtickets.com/soccer/. All ticket sales are cashless and all tickets are digital, including MUSS Tickets. Pre-purchasing tickets will allow fans to obtain the best price. Those on the Utah player pass list will have their tickets added to their account associated with the email provided by the student-athletes.
To ensure a successful experience with digital ticketing, fans are encouraged to download their tickets to the wallet on their smartphone for presentation upon arrival at the stadium gates to expedite the entry process. Ticket sales and customer service will be available at the ticket office near the main entrance.
Next Up
After visiting Arizona State, the Utes will have a few days off before returning to the pitch on Oct. 10 at Kansas State.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.
| FRIDAY'S MATCHUP Date | Time: Friday, Oct. 2 | 8:00 p.m. Utah (4-4-4) vs. Arizona State (7-2-3) Location: Tempe, Ariz. | Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium Live Stats: Click Here TV: ESPN+ Click Here Twitter Updates: @UtahWSoccer |
Scouting Arizona State
ASU head coach Graham Winkworth is guiding a squad that seems well on its way to a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and has garnered results in three of its last four contests. On Sunday, the Sun Devils topped Cincinnati 3-1 in a match that saw ASU outshoot their guests, 14-5. Winkworth's crew also has as 2-0 victory over Houston to their credit in Big 12 competition. Kierra Blundell served as the hero in that triumph, tallying both of her team's goals.
The Sun Devils currently rank third in the Big 12 in goals with 26 and their 26 assists have them in a tie for second in the league. The squad's scoring charge has been led by Blundell and Enasia Colon, who own two of the top three spots on the conference's points leaderboard. Blundell's 20 points are largely due to her eight goals, which trail only Utah's Taliana Kaufusi in the league rankings, and that total includes a Sept. 1 hat trick against Penn that garnered her a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award.
Colon has collected six goals to go with six assists, tied for the most in the conference and she's claimed at least one point in seven of ASU's 12 games, including seven in the last three. She played perhaps the most prominent role in the Sun Devils' defeat of the Bearcats, logging a goal and two helpers.
Friday's meeting will make a baker's dozen between these two programs, with Utah owning a 5-3 advantage that includes four ties. The final chapter in the Pac-12 portion of this rivalry was Utah victory in 2023 over the then-No. 20 Sun Devils. Kelly Bullock and Kaufusi both booted in goals while the Utes limited ASU to a single shot on goal in a 2-0 victory. On Friday, Utah will be attempting to earn a win in Tempe for the first time since 2018.
Recently for the Utes
Utah's defense has been airtight over their last two matches, as they limited Iowa State and Oklahoma State to just five shots on goal and goalkeeper Kasey Wardle stopped all five on-target efforts. Wardle can now claim three clean sheets in 2024, matching her total from the last two seasons and giving her nine shutouts in her Utah career. Wardle and fellow keeper Erin Gibbs have crafted a goals against average of 1.08, which would be Utah's lowest for a full season since 2018.
Taliana is at the Top
Taliana Kaufusi's nine goals currently have her alone atop the Big 12 leaderboard, one more than Blundell and UCF's Chloe Netzel, and tied for ninth in the nation. Kaufusi's nine scores have also boosted her career total in that statistic to 26, tying her for fifth-most all-time in program history.
We Aim to Assist
So far in 2024, 14 different Utes have at least one assist to their credit. That's the highest total in a season for the Utes since they also had 14 players with an assist in 2009.
Wardle the Warrior
Kasey Wardle was in goal for both of Utah's home shutouts against Iowa State and Oklahoma State, the second time in her career she's recorded consecutive clean sheets. In 2022, she logged three-in-a-row in October, blanking Oregon State, Arizona State and USC.
Downing the Wildcats
Utah defeated the University of Arizona Wildcats in the schools' Big 12 season opener, 1-0 on Sept. 12 at Ute Field. The last time the Utes met with the Wildcats was on Oct. 29 in Arizona for a Pac-12 conference matchup and Utah fell 1-0 after hitting an own goal.
Tali the Mad Hatter
Taliana Kaufusi recorded her second hat trick of the campaign eight games after the Utes beat Idaho State, 4-1 on Sept. 15. Her first hat trick this season came against Weber State on Sept. 1. Kaufusi is the first Ute to accomplish this feat in 28 years. The first Ute to claim this was Jackie Doman in the 1996 season. Her second hat trick netted her the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Week award.
Early Birds
In four of the matches this season, the Utes got on the board within the first 10 minutes. Taliana Kaufusi accomplished this feat against Gonzaga, Grand Canyon and LSU, while Katie O'Kane added a 10th minute goal against Weber State.
Hats Off
On Sept. 1 against Weber State, for the first time on record in program history, two Utes tallied hat tricks in the same match. Both Katie O'Kane and Taliana Kaufusi booted in three goals in a 7-1 rout of the Wildcats. For O'Kane, this marked her second collegiate hat trick, the first coming on Oct. 1, 2023 at Oregon, while it was the first for Kaufusi.
If She Could, She Wood
In the ninetieth minute of Utah's season opener, freshman midfielder Bella Woods earned a free kick off a handball from Gonzaga. With pressure to take the lead of the tied game, Woods's shot curled around the Bulldogs' defenders and into the back of the net, earning the win for the Utes.
Bella Brings Home the Hardware
After her game-winning score against Gonzaga, Woods was recognized as the first Big 12 Freshman of the Week of 2024. She's the first Ute to earn a conference weekly award since Katie O'Kane in Oct. of 2023.
2024 Utah Women's Soccer Roster
Coach Hideki Nakada has assembled a squad that consists of 13 returners and 12 newcomers. The list of players back in Utah Red include 2023 leading scorer Katie O'Kane and Taliana Kaufusi, who topped the team in goals in 2022. Brooklyn Blaylock and 2023 assists leader Kelly Bullock have also returned after starting all 20 matches a season ago, as has Kasey Wardle, who finished as one of the conference leaders in saves as a sophomore.
Among the many new Utes on Nakada's roster are true freshmen Callie Blaylock, Londyn Lovell, Mia Paugh, Siena Zunino, Katie Callaway and Bella Ganiere. The Utah staff also added six transfers, including sophomore Landen Matthews, junior Erin Gibbs, senior Devi Dudley and graduate students Grace Watkins, Rachel Bastone and Ava Hetzel.
NCAA Appearances
The Utes are heading into 2024 aiming for their ninth NCAA Tournament berth and their first since 2019. Utah's best showing the national postseason occurred in 2016, when victories over Texas Tech and Florida State propelled them to the Sweet 16.
New Conference, Same Utes
The 2024 campaign will be Utah's first as members of the Big 12, the fourth different conference the Utes have competed in since the program's inception as members of the WAC in 1995. Utah posted a 7-8-2 mark during that initial season, then went 13-7 in 1999 when they played in the Mountain West Conference for the first time. Their first foray into Pac-12 play was in 2011, when they finished 10-9-1.
The list of new league foes the Utes will have to contend with include a Texas Tech team that won the conference's regular season title, then reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament, as well as a BYU squad that reached the College Cup for the second time in three seasons. Utah will also be taking the field against Iowa State and Kansas State for the first time in program history.
New Year, New Staff
In addition to the new faces on the field for the Utes, coach Hideki Nakada also added two new coaches to his staff.
Assistant coach Travis Smith officially came on board in January after three seasons at Kansas, where he helped the Jayhawks rack up 20 victories, including wins over squads ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation. Smith also spent time at Brandeis High School, where his pupils included three all-state and seven all-region selections. He helped the squad to a district title in 2018 and, two years later, the Broncos finished the season ranked at No. 9 in the state.
Fellow assistant Jackie Poortinga was hired in May after a busy last several years that included functioning as Phoenix Rising's Director of Goalkeeping, a position she's held since 2021. Her responsibilities there included overseeing the development of the organization's goalkeepers, developing and implementing the team's goalkeeper training curriculum and identifying talent for the purposes of improving the roster. She also functioned as an Assistant Goalkeeper Coach for the Phoenix Rising FC Men's USL Championship team.
Tickets
Season tickets for 2024 are currently on sale, with single-match tickets going on sale on Aug. 12. Tickets can be purchased by visiting utahtickets.com/soccer/. All ticket sales are cashless and all tickets are digital, including MUSS Tickets. Pre-purchasing tickets will allow fans to obtain the best price. Those on the Utah player pass list will have their tickets added to their account associated with the email provided by the student-athletes.
To ensure a successful experience with digital ticketing, fans are encouraged to download their tickets to the wallet on their smartphone for presentation upon arrival at the stadium gates to expedite the entry process. Ticket sales and customer service will be available at the ticket office near the main entrance.
Next Up
After visiting Arizona State, the Utes will have a few days off before returning to the pitch on Oct. 10 at Kansas State.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.
Players Mentioned
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