FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 13, 2026) – The Northern Arizona soccer team will continue Big Sky Conference play by visiting Southern Utah and Utah Tech this week.
The Lumberjacks will kickoff against the Thunderbirds on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. MST and the Trailblazers on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 12 p.m. MST. Both contests will be streamed on ESPN+.
NAU enters the contests at 6-4-2 and on a three-match win streak, after opening conference play with home victories over Eastern Washington and Idaho last week to stand at 2-0 in Big Sky games. The 'Jacks have shined on both sides of the pitch as of late, holding opponents to just one goal in their last five outings, while matching a season-high in goals (three) and setting a season-high in points (nine) against the Vandals in the 3-0 win.
Maya Wells,
Madison Schenk, and
Kristen Puels each netted the first goals of their careers, while
Brooklyn Jones and
Katelyn Caballero each secured their first assists. Caballero's pair of helpers is the most by a Lumberjack in a single game this season, and the most since Joey Lujan recorded two assists in October during the 2024 season.
Micala Boex leads the attack with six goals and one assist on the season. She ranks first in the conference in shots per game (4.75), and shots on goal per game (2.33).
Lexi Saveski has spent the most minutes in goal for NAU and owns a conference-best and 11th in the nation save percentage of 0.879 and a GAA of 0.67 to rank second in the conference by just one-tenth of a point. After recording her third consecutive shutout on Sunday against Idaho, Saveski was named the Big Sky Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday morning, her second on the season.
Southern Utah stands at 4-7-2 and 1-2-1 in Big Sky matches. The Thunderbirds most recently suffered a 1-0 defeat to Weber State on Oct. 11 and have secured one victory since an 18-0 thrashing of NCCAA member Justice College on Sept. 6. Gracen Blieschke powers the offense with four goals and four assists, while Ivey Ashtyn, Ashlyn O'Malley, and Sophia Memory have each tallied a trio of goals. Tatum Trout has started in all 13 contests and has made 56 saves overall for a 0.789 save percentage and 1.31 GAA. NAU leads the all-time series with Southern Utah, 18-2-4.
Although a new member of the Big Sky this year, Utah Tech landed third in the Preseason Poll while earning a single first-place vote. The Trailblazers are 7-5-1 and 3-1 in league matches, and most recently took a 5-0 win over Idaho State after suffering a loss to Weber State by the same score last week. Lataya Brost and Ella Rusick lead the offense with six goals apiece, on a roster which includes 13 players with at least one point. The Trailblazers rank second in the Big Sky in goals per game (1.69) but are second-to-last in GAA (2.15). NAU has met Utah Tech in each of the last five seasons to make up the full all-time series, which the 'Jacks lead 2-1-1.
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