LOGAN – The recently crowned Mountain West champion Utah State soccer team received the news of their placement in the upcoming NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament. The Aggies were picked as an eight seed and will host Washington this Friday in Logan.
The reaction from @USUSoccer as they see their placement in the NCAA Tournament as an 8-seed set to host Washington. pic.twitter.com/5weDcoIUVC
— Jason Walker (@jwalker_sports) November 11, 2024
That seeding was lower than projections for USU — head coach Manny Martins admitted he was expecting closer to a five or six seed — since it finished 25th in the United Soccer Coaches poll and 17th in the RPI. The Aggies were also one of just two teams to win 18 games this year and one of just eight to lose only a single game. They also had wins over two teams that received better seedings, Pepperdine and Texas Tech (both seven seeds), and another team seeded eighth (BYU).
Nevertheless, Utah State still earned the right to host an NCAA Tournament game, the first time it’s had that opportunity.
“We knew there was a chance we could host, but you never know until this election show comes out so it’s great. It’s great to bring an NCAA tournament game to the Cache Valley for the first time ever,” Martins said. “Our community has been very supportive and excited and behind our team. We’ve been good at home, so really excited to host this game and see where it takes us.”
“We’re all so excited in the fact that it’s our first time ever hosting a NCAA tournament game,” USU defender and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, Kaitlyn Richins said. “It’s a new opportunity and we’re all so excited and can’t wait.”
Martins said in passing he’d like to see the attendance record for USU Soccer at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field broken this upcoming Friday. To do that the crowd would need to surpass the 2,013 that were present for last season’s matchup between Utah State and at-the-time No. 1 ranked BYU. Those 2,000 fans witnessed a historic event on that day as well since the Aggies ultimately won that game.
Washington, in its first season in the Big 10, posted a 10-6-3 record and managed to defeat No. 17 Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament, advancing 5-4 on penalties before losing 2-0 to No. 8 UCLA. The Huskies are 1-6 against teams that have been ranked at some point in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Their one win was a 2-1 result at home against Michigan State which, at the time, was ranked fifth but is now 16th.
“I know (Washington head coach Nicole Van Dyke) is a really good coach. She’s done a fantastic job there,” Martins said. “They’ll be a tough opponent, but they all are. There hasn’t been a game this season that I would say was easy. So I think we’re ready to do hard and we’re going to prepare and be ready to give it our best.”
While there was a partial worry that Utah State, despite its resume, might not be chosen to host a game, whether the Aggies would be in the NCAA Tournament was never in question. Winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament punched USU’s ticket to the tournament, and as it turns out likely saved the reality of a game held in Logan as the eight seed line are the last given the honor of a home game in the tournament.
Utah State claimed victory in the Mountain West Tournament on Saturday, defeating Boise State 2-1 at the neutral site in San Diego. The Aggies also defeated Colorado State 2-0 in the tournament semifinal.
