
Washington To Wrap Up Non-Conference Schedule Thursday, Hosting Utah
September 03, 2025 | Women's Soccer
SEATTLE – The Washington women's soccer team returns home to wrap up its non-conference slate on Thursday, playing host to a familiar foe in Utah at Husky Soccer Stadium.
Scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. PT kickoff, the Huskies matchup with the Utes will be available for streaming through B1G+. Links to live coverage are available on the schedule page at GoHuskies.com.
SCOUTING UTAH
Utah is in its fifth season under the direction of head coach Hideki Nakada, collecting a 29-32-22 record during his tenure in Salt Lake City. Nakada and UW head coach Nicole Van Dyke both served on staff at Stanford in 2014.
In its second season in the Big 12, the Utes were picked to finish ninth out of 16 teams in the league's preseason coaches poll.
The Utes enter Thursday's tilt with a 3-1-1 record coming off of a 3-0 home victory over North Carolina State at home on Sunday. UW and Utah share one common opponent in Gonzaga, with both teams earning one-goal victories in Spokane.
Utah is led in scoring by junior midfielder Lilliah Blum, matching her scoring output from her first two collegiate seasons combined with three goals early in 2025. Graduate student midfielder Grace Watkins is pacing the Utes with three assists.
Senior Erin Gibbs, who made three starts in 2024, has started 4-of-5 matches in goal for Utah. The former Eastern Washington keeper owns a 1.00 goals against average this season with a .714 save percentage, making 10 saves.
SERIES HISTORY
Former conference foes in the Pac-12, Thursday night's match will be the 18th between Washington and Utah. The Huskies own a slim 9-7-1 advantage in the all-time series, going 3-0-1 over the last four meetings. Utah has not beaten Washington since a 1-0 victory in Seattle in 2019.
LAST MEETING (10/19/23)
SEATTLE - Playing in Seattle for the first time in three weeks, Washington gave the home crowd something to cheer about Thursday, taking down Utah 3-1 at Husky Soccer Stadium.
Despite ultimately trailing 13-11 on shots for the match, the Huskies dictated the pace of play for much of the afternoon, by far creating the most dangerous chances.
The defending Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week, Olivia Juarez came up when called upon in goal, tallying five saves on the night.
The first of two free kick goals on the night, Hailey Still put the Huskies ahead in the 24th minute, heading home Jace Holmes' service.
The Dawgs continued to pile on pressure and doubled the lead just before halftime. Taking Holmes' layoff perfectly in stride at midfield, Riley Brown made a darting run past several defenders before unleashing a long range strike, catching the keeper off her line in the 42nd minute to make it 2-0.
Up two goals to the good, Kelsey Branson pushed the advantage to 3-0 in the 56th minute as the Dawgs once again capitalized on a free kick. This time it was Kolo Suliafu on the service, with Branson beating the keeper to the ball to flick in her fourth goal in as many matches.
The Utes got on the board in the 79th minute thanks to a massive deflection but by then the result was well in hand for the Huskies, who closed things out to run their unbeaten stretch to three straight matches.
SERIES HISTORY
Washington has not trailed in 2025. The Huskies have never finished a non-conference schedule without trailing at any point.
NON-CON? NO PROBLEM
Prior to this season, senior Kelsey Branson had scored just one of her 11 career goals against non-conference opponents, bagging over 90 percent of her career goals against league opposition. Through five non-con matches in 2025, Branson has scored three times, already eclipsing her scoring output from the entire 2024 season.
PROLIFIC PACE
If she finds the back of the net on Thursday, Jadyn Holdenried will become the fastest Husky to five goals in a season since 2014, when Jaclyn Softli bagged her fifth and sixth goals of the season in UW's seventh match. Holdenried ranks second in the Big Ten with 10 points in 2025.
WELCOME BACK, DAWGS
Washington has seen two players return from season-ending ACL injuries in 2025. Maggie Dutra made her collegiate debut against Idaho after going down during the 2024 preseason, while Enora Matté has come off the bench in each of the last three matches, her first action since injuring her knee against Purdue a season ago.
YOU CAN FIND ME IN DA CLUB
One of the more unique paths to the Husky roster comes from junior Avery Nguyen, who was offered a roster spot prior to the start of the 2023 season after a trial during preseason training. A native of the Kansas City metro area and a former standout for Olathe Northwest High School and Sporting Blue Valley, Nguyen led the UW club team in scoring as a college freshman in 2022.
Nguyen has gotten her senior season off to a strong start, scoring her first career goal against Idaho. Nguyen has made 17 career appearances for Washington.
HOME SWEET HOME
UW's match at UC Irvine was the first and only time during the non-conference season that Washington will be forced to leave the comfortable confines of its home state. UW opened the season with three-consecutive home fixtures at Husky Soccer Stadium, followed by the trip to Irvine and a pair of in-state road tilts at Seattle U and Gonzaga. The Huskies open Big Ten play with a road trip south, facing USC at the newly built Rawlinson Stadium.
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Dating back to the end of the 2023 season, Washington has been defeated on its home soil just once in the last 16 matches at Husky Soccer Stadium. The Huskies own a 11-1-4 home record during the stretch, outscoring opponents 30-7.
ALL ROADS CLOSED
The stout Husky defensive unit, which tied the program record for fewest goals allowed in a single season in 2024, surrendering just 12, is led by senior centerback Kolo Suliafu, who was named to the United Soccer Coaches' Defenders to Watch list. Suliafu, a Second Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, made 35 consecutive starts for Washington before a one-match ban to start the season and contributed to 24 clean sheets throughout her illustrious UW career, including 22 as a member of the starting XI. Suliafu was also ranked as the No. 91 player in all of women's college soccer in TopDrawerSoccer's annual preseason top-100 list.
WATCH OUT!
Suliafu was joined on the Big Ten Players to Watch List by a pair of teammates in junior midfielder Samiah Shell and fifth year Laura Cetina. It was Suliafu's second consecutive appearance on the preseason list.
Shell, a native of Auburn, Washington, is Washington's leading returning scorer with five goals during a breakout sophomore campaign. A former participant in the prestigious High School All-American Game, Shell also dished out three assists in 2024 for 13 total points. The Auburn Riverside HS product opened her Husky scoring account with a goal at No. 10 Santa Clara, also adding a brace in UW's Big Ten road victory over Maryland.
Meanwhile, Cetina is a fresh face to Montlake, joining Washington after playing the last two seasons at UMass Lowell, the former home of Husky All-Big Ten standout Ioanna Papatheodorou. Cetina brings a winning pedigree in tow, having guided Eastern Florida State College to its first-ever NJCAA National Championship in 2021. Prior to coming stateside, the A Coruña, Spain, native scored 38 goals over four seasons for Spanish club Victoria C.F.
SMART COOKIES
For the 10th straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 53 consecutive matches. Branson is the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and all 21 fixtures of 2024.
MIA KICKS CANCER
Washington will be playing for far more than bragging rights and glory on the pitch in 2025, sporting an orange ribbon on the front of its jerseys in support of senior goalkeeper Mia Hamant, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer. Hamant hopes to return to the pitch in Purple and Gold but will not suit up on the pitch in 2025.
The California native, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday, did more than just perform in her first season as Washington's primary keeper a season ago, she starred. Hamant posted the nation's third-best save percentage in 2024 at .882, while UW collectively hailed the NCAA's top save percentage. Hamant's 0.66 goals against average was the third lowest in a season for a UW keeper, while her seven clean sheets were the sixth most in a season for a Husky.
Hamant, who also excels in the classroom at U Dub as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and Big Ten Fall All-Academic honoree, put UW on her back during Washington's postseason run last season. The Redwood HS product was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after making three penalty saves to lift UW over Iowa into the Big Ten Semifinals, then followed up with more penalty shootout excellence as UW advanced past No. 25 Utah State into the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
The UW community has rallied around Hamant, with several Husky programs donning orange ribbons in the standout shot stopper's honor. Additionally, a GoFundMe to support the various costs associated with Hamant's care has raised over $125,000 to date. Fans can follow along with Hamant's cancer journey on Instagram at @miakickscancer.
KEEP SLEEPING
Despite grossly outperforming its preseason prognostication of 13th in the 2024 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll, finishing tied for 5th in the league table and advancing to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals, Washington once again is not predicted to be amongst the league's top teams. The Huskies were picked to finish ninth in the 2025 iteration of the preseason poll, with USC predicted to win this season's league crown.
2025 Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Penn State
4. Michigan State
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. Rutgers
9. Washington
10. Minnesota
11. Purdue
12. Nebraska
13. Michigan
14. Northwestern
15. Illinois
16. Oregon
17. Indiana
18. Maryland
LEFT SIDE, BEST SIDE
Of the 28 members of Washington's 2025 roster, 20 hail from West Coast states, featuring 11 natives of California, eight home state products from Washington and one product of the Portland suburbs in Oregon. However, Washington's squad spans the US and globe, with natives of Georgia, Kansas, Nevada and five internationals donning the Purple and Gold.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
For the second consecutive season, Washington returns every member of its coaching staff, retaining assistant coaches Cole Schmit, Raphael Cox and Kary Whitney to Nicole Van Dyke's staff. Previously Washington had not returned every member of its coaching staff since 2018.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
This summer, Washington senior Lucy Newlin was one of two UW athletes selected as a Big Ten's Outstanding Sportsmanship Award honoree, along with baseball's Malakhi Knight. A two-way player on the pitch and in the classroom, Newlin leads through both words and actions, showing consummate respect and sportsmanship for both her teammates and opponents. The NorCal native is also a leader in the community for the Dawgs, consistently rating as one of UW's top participants in community service initiatives. On the field, the Newlin is expected to be a key cog to the Husky defense after battling through nagging injuries in 2024.
CROOTIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD
Washington spanned not only the country to bolster its roster in 2025, the Huskies searched all over the world to bring in the newest group of Dawgs. UW added five Europeans this summer in midfielder Laura Cetina (Spain/UMass Lowell), goalkeeper Cadi Doran (Wales/Liverpool FC), defender Julia Hüsch (Germany/UNC Asheville) and defender Anouk Westphal (Germany/Hertha BSC). Washington also returns junior Belgian international defender/midfielder Enora Matté, who is set to resume action after tearing her ACL during Big Ten play in 2024.
VEGAS BORN, SEATTLE PROUD
Hailing from the Las Vegas desert, Washington sophomore Andrea Leyva and her brother, Seattle Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva now call the Evergreen State home. Andrea has appeared in 22 matches with 13 starts for UW and was ranked as a four star recruit and the No. 39 prospect in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer. Meanwhile, Danny has played in 79 matches for Seattle's MLS club, becoming the third youngest player in league history after coming on as a late substitute in the Sounders' away loss to the Montreal Impact.
MENTI BE
The Leyva's are not the only sibling connection in Seattle. Anna and Sally Menti, who starred at Roosevelt High School, less than three miles from Husky Soccer Stadium, have shared different paths to playing in front of their home state fans. Sally was an All-American midfielder at Santa Clara before signing a short-term contract and later a two-year extension this season with the NWSL's Seattle Reign, making nine appearances with one goal. Meanwhile, Anna is in her third season at UW, making 43 appearances with 29 starts and collecting two goals and two assists along the way.
For more information on Husky Women's Soccer, follow @UW_WSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
Scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. PT kickoff, the Huskies matchup with the Utes will be available for streaming through B1G+. Links to live coverage are available on the schedule page at GoHuskies.com.
SCOUTING UTAH
Utah is in its fifth season under the direction of head coach Hideki Nakada, collecting a 29-32-22 record during his tenure in Salt Lake City. Nakada and UW head coach Nicole Van Dyke both served on staff at Stanford in 2014.
In its second season in the Big 12, the Utes were picked to finish ninth out of 16 teams in the league's preseason coaches poll.
The Utes enter Thursday's tilt with a 3-1-1 record coming off of a 3-0 home victory over North Carolina State at home on Sunday. UW and Utah share one common opponent in Gonzaga, with both teams earning one-goal victories in Spokane.
Utah is led in scoring by junior midfielder Lilliah Blum, matching her scoring output from her first two collegiate seasons combined with three goals early in 2025. Graduate student midfielder Grace Watkins is pacing the Utes with three assists.
Senior Erin Gibbs, who made three starts in 2024, has started 4-of-5 matches in goal for Utah. The former Eastern Washington keeper owns a 1.00 goals against average this season with a .714 save percentage, making 10 saves.
SERIES HISTORY
Former conference foes in the Pac-12, Thursday night's match will be the 18th between Washington and Utah. The Huskies own a slim 9-7-1 advantage in the all-time series, going 3-0-1 over the last four meetings. Utah has not beaten Washington since a 1-0 victory in Seattle in 2019.
LAST MEETING (10/19/23)
SEATTLE - Playing in Seattle for the first time in three weeks, Washington gave the home crowd something to cheer about Thursday, taking down Utah 3-1 at Husky Soccer Stadium.
Despite ultimately trailing 13-11 on shots for the match, the Huskies dictated the pace of play for much of the afternoon, by far creating the most dangerous chances.
The defending Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week, Olivia Juarez came up when called upon in goal, tallying five saves on the night.
The first of two free kick goals on the night, Hailey Still put the Huskies ahead in the 24th minute, heading home Jace Holmes' service.
The Dawgs continued to pile on pressure and doubled the lead just before halftime. Taking Holmes' layoff perfectly in stride at midfield, Riley Brown made a darting run past several defenders before unleashing a long range strike, catching the keeper off her line in the 42nd minute to make it 2-0.
Up two goals to the good, Kelsey Branson pushed the advantage to 3-0 in the 56th minute as the Dawgs once again capitalized on a free kick. This time it was Kolo Suliafu on the service, with Branson beating the keeper to the ball to flick in her fourth goal in as many matches.
The Utes got on the board in the 79th minute thanks to a massive deflection but by then the result was well in hand for the Huskies, who closed things out to run their unbeaten stretch to three straight matches.
SERIES HISTORY
Washington has not trailed in 2025. The Huskies have never finished a non-conference schedule without trailing at any point.
NON-CON? NO PROBLEM
Prior to this season, senior Kelsey Branson had scored just one of her 11 career goals against non-conference opponents, bagging over 90 percent of her career goals against league opposition. Through five non-con matches in 2025, Branson has scored three times, already eclipsing her scoring output from the entire 2024 season.
PROLIFIC PACE
If she finds the back of the net on Thursday, Jadyn Holdenried will become the fastest Husky to five goals in a season since 2014, when Jaclyn Softli bagged her fifth and sixth goals of the season in UW's seventh match. Holdenried ranks second in the Big Ten with 10 points in 2025.
WELCOME BACK, DAWGS
Washington has seen two players return from season-ending ACL injuries in 2025. Maggie Dutra made her collegiate debut against Idaho after going down during the 2024 preseason, while Enora Matté has come off the bench in each of the last three matches, her first action since injuring her knee against Purdue a season ago.
YOU CAN FIND ME IN DA CLUB
One of the more unique paths to the Husky roster comes from junior Avery Nguyen, who was offered a roster spot prior to the start of the 2023 season after a trial during preseason training. A native of the Kansas City metro area and a former standout for Olathe Northwest High School and Sporting Blue Valley, Nguyen led the UW club team in scoring as a college freshman in 2022.
Nguyen has gotten her senior season off to a strong start, scoring her first career goal against Idaho. Nguyen has made 17 career appearances for Washington.
HOME SWEET HOME
UW's match at UC Irvine was the first and only time during the non-conference season that Washington will be forced to leave the comfortable confines of its home state. UW opened the season with three-consecutive home fixtures at Husky Soccer Stadium, followed by the trip to Irvine and a pair of in-state road tilts at Seattle U and Gonzaga. The Huskies open Big Ten play with a road trip south, facing USC at the newly built Rawlinson Stadium.
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Dating back to the end of the 2023 season, Washington has been defeated on its home soil just once in the last 16 matches at Husky Soccer Stadium. The Huskies own a 11-1-4 home record during the stretch, outscoring opponents 30-7.
ALL ROADS CLOSED
The stout Husky defensive unit, which tied the program record for fewest goals allowed in a single season in 2024, surrendering just 12, is led by senior centerback Kolo Suliafu, who was named to the United Soccer Coaches' Defenders to Watch list. Suliafu, a Second Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, made 35 consecutive starts for Washington before a one-match ban to start the season and contributed to 24 clean sheets throughout her illustrious UW career, including 22 as a member of the starting XI. Suliafu was also ranked as the No. 91 player in all of women's college soccer in TopDrawerSoccer's annual preseason top-100 list.
WATCH OUT!
Suliafu was joined on the Big Ten Players to Watch List by a pair of teammates in junior midfielder Samiah Shell and fifth year Laura Cetina. It was Suliafu's second consecutive appearance on the preseason list.
Shell, a native of Auburn, Washington, is Washington's leading returning scorer with five goals during a breakout sophomore campaign. A former participant in the prestigious High School All-American Game, Shell also dished out three assists in 2024 for 13 total points. The Auburn Riverside HS product opened her Husky scoring account with a goal at No. 10 Santa Clara, also adding a brace in UW's Big Ten road victory over Maryland.
Meanwhile, Cetina is a fresh face to Montlake, joining Washington after playing the last two seasons at UMass Lowell, the former home of Husky All-Big Ten standout Ioanna Papatheodorou. Cetina brings a winning pedigree in tow, having guided Eastern Florida State College to its first-ever NJCAA National Championship in 2021. Prior to coming stateside, the A Coruña, Spain, native scored 38 goals over four seasons for Spanish club Victoria C.F.
SMART COOKIES
For the 10th straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 53 consecutive matches. Branson is the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and all 21 fixtures of 2024.
MIA KICKS CANCER
Washington will be playing for far more than bragging rights and glory on the pitch in 2025, sporting an orange ribbon on the front of its jerseys in support of senior goalkeeper Mia Hamant, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer. Hamant hopes to return to the pitch in Purple and Gold but will not suit up on the pitch in 2025.
The California native, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday, did more than just perform in her first season as Washington's primary keeper a season ago, she starred. Hamant posted the nation's third-best save percentage in 2024 at .882, while UW collectively hailed the NCAA's top save percentage. Hamant's 0.66 goals against average was the third lowest in a season for a UW keeper, while her seven clean sheets were the sixth most in a season for a Husky.
Hamant, who also excels in the classroom at U Dub as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and Big Ten Fall All-Academic honoree, put UW on her back during Washington's postseason run last season. The Redwood HS product was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after making three penalty saves to lift UW over Iowa into the Big Ten Semifinals, then followed up with more penalty shootout excellence as UW advanced past No. 25 Utah State into the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
The UW community has rallied around Hamant, with several Husky programs donning orange ribbons in the standout shot stopper's honor. Additionally, a GoFundMe to support the various costs associated with Hamant's care has raised over $125,000 to date. Fans can follow along with Hamant's cancer journey on Instagram at @miakickscancer.
KEEP SLEEPING
Despite grossly outperforming its preseason prognostication of 13th in the 2024 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll, finishing tied for 5th in the league table and advancing to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals, Washington once again is not predicted to be amongst the league's top teams. The Huskies were picked to finish ninth in the 2025 iteration of the preseason poll, with USC predicted to win this season's league crown.
2025 Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Penn State
4. Michigan State
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. Rutgers
9. Washington
10. Minnesota
11. Purdue
12. Nebraska
13. Michigan
14. Northwestern
15. Illinois
16. Oregon
17. Indiana
18. Maryland
LEFT SIDE, BEST SIDE
Of the 28 members of Washington's 2025 roster, 20 hail from West Coast states, featuring 11 natives of California, eight home state products from Washington and one product of the Portland suburbs in Oregon. However, Washington's squad spans the US and globe, with natives of Georgia, Kansas, Nevada and five internationals donning the Purple and Gold.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
For the second consecutive season, Washington returns every member of its coaching staff, retaining assistant coaches Cole Schmit, Raphael Cox and Kary Whitney to Nicole Van Dyke's staff. Previously Washington had not returned every member of its coaching staff since 2018.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
This summer, Washington senior Lucy Newlin was one of two UW athletes selected as a Big Ten's Outstanding Sportsmanship Award honoree, along with baseball's Malakhi Knight. A two-way player on the pitch and in the classroom, Newlin leads through both words and actions, showing consummate respect and sportsmanship for both her teammates and opponents. The NorCal native is also a leader in the community for the Dawgs, consistently rating as one of UW's top participants in community service initiatives. On the field, the Newlin is expected to be a key cog to the Husky defense after battling through nagging injuries in 2024.
CROOTIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD
Washington spanned not only the country to bolster its roster in 2025, the Huskies searched all over the world to bring in the newest group of Dawgs. UW added five Europeans this summer in midfielder Laura Cetina (Spain/UMass Lowell), goalkeeper Cadi Doran (Wales/Liverpool FC), defender Julia Hüsch (Germany/UNC Asheville) and defender Anouk Westphal (Germany/Hertha BSC). Washington also returns junior Belgian international defender/midfielder Enora Matté, who is set to resume action after tearing her ACL during Big Ten play in 2024.
VEGAS BORN, SEATTLE PROUD
Hailing from the Las Vegas desert, Washington sophomore Andrea Leyva and her brother, Seattle Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva now call the Evergreen State home. Andrea has appeared in 22 matches with 13 starts for UW and was ranked as a four star recruit and the No. 39 prospect in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer. Meanwhile, Danny has played in 79 matches for Seattle's MLS club, becoming the third youngest player in league history after coming on as a late substitute in the Sounders' away loss to the Montreal Impact.
MENTI BE
The Leyva's are not the only sibling connection in Seattle. Anna and Sally Menti, who starred at Roosevelt High School, less than three miles from Husky Soccer Stadium, have shared different paths to playing in front of their home state fans. Sally was an All-American midfielder at Santa Clara before signing a short-term contract and later a two-year extension this season with the NWSL's Seattle Reign, making nine appearances with one goal. Meanwhile, Anna is in her third season at UW, making 43 appearances with 29 starts and collecting two goals and two assists along the way.
For more information on Husky Women's Soccer, follow @UW_WSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
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