The Game
Fresh off a 3-2 win against Idaho State Friday in its first road test of the season, South Dakota stays on the road to take on the Utah State Aggies Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT) in Logan, Utah. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
 
The Series
This will be the second match between the Coyotes and the Aggies. The first took place in 2019 and it was Utah State that earned a 1-0 in Vermillion.
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota (2-1-2) has won two in a row and is unbeaten since a loss to Utah Tech in its season opener. Freshman Brooke Conway scored her first two collegiate goals in Friday's win at Idaho State. She stands with six points on the young season following two assists in Tuesday's win against Morningside.
 
It was senior Ashby Johnston who netted the game winner. She rebounded a shot off the Bengals' goalkeeper and drove it home with less than eight minutes to go. Johnston has scored a goal in three consecutive matches. She leads the Coyotes and ranks third in the Summit League with eight points through five games.
 
Seven different Coyotes have found the back of the net 14 times so far this fall. Like Johnston, Shaylee Gailus stands with three goals to tie for the team lead.
 
The Aggies
Utah State finished 8-5-8 last season and qualified for the Mountain West Tournament. The Aggies improved to 2-3-0 Friday with a 2-1 home win against South Dakota State. That ended a three-game skid to tough opponents in then-No. 21 Saint Louis, Utah and Texas Tech.
 
Head coach Manny Martins is in his third season with the program. He returns an experienced squad that boasts seven returning starters and 15 letterwinners. Included in the tally are senior defender Kelsey Kaufusi and senior midfielder Alex Day who earned all-Mountain West honors last season.
 
Six different Aggies have scored a total of seven goals this season. Goalkeeper Diera Walton is a fifth-year starter for the program.
 
Up Next
The Coyotes will return home to host the University of Northern Iowa Panthers Thursday at 4 p.m.