LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming women’s soccer team begins Mountain West Conference play this week with a pair of road matches. The Cowgirls travel to Boise State on Thursday for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Boas Soccer Complex before facing Utah State on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Chuck and Gloria Bell Soccer Field.
Wyoming enters league play with a 5-2-2 record after a nonconference slate that featured the fewest goals allowed — six — in program history before conference play. The Cowgirls also earned a victory over then-No. 15 Georgia, helping them reach their highest RPI ranking ever at No. 83.
“We had a good non-conference, record wise, and some really good performances that we can lean on,” head coach Josh Purdum said. “We are still developing, and we are still trying to figure out what our best looks like. Weekend to weekend we are not as consistent as I’d like us to be.”
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Wyoming’s conference opener comes against a Boise State team that owns a 2-3-4 record and is the defending Mountain West regular-season champion. Utah State, which is 3-4-2, is the defending conference tournament champion.
“Being 0-0, everyone is going to be looking at getting that first win for momentum going forward,” Purdum said. “It’s going to be a battle. We have to have the right mindset going into conference and treat it like a new season.”
Forward Alyssa Glover leads the Mountain West with six goals and 14 points, adding two assists. Goalkeeper Haley Bartel has anchored the Cowgirls defensively, making 28 saves with a goals-against average of 0.67 and five shutouts.
Boise State has won eight straight against Wyoming and holds a 12-8-2 advantage in the all-time series. The Broncos are led by Kenzie Macmillan, who has four goals and two assists for 10 points. Goalkeeper Ava De Leest has 21 saves, 10 goals allowed and a 1.26 goals-against average with one shutout.
Utah State, which plays Colorado State on Thursday before hosting Wyoming, has faced four power-conference opponents in its nonconference schedule. The Aggies are paced by Hadli Barrera and Diamond Summer with two goals each. Goalkeeper Taylor Rath has started every match, totaling 22 saves, nine goals allowed, a 1.03 goals-against average and three shutouts.
Utah State holds an 11-9-2 edge in the all-time series. Wyoming defeated the then-No. 11 Aggies 2-0 last season in Laramie, marking the program’s first-ever win over a ranked opponent.
Following the trip to Logan, Wyoming returns home for four straight matches, beginning Oct. 2 against UNLV.
