Thursday, September 3
Eugene, Ore.
7 p.m.
University of Utah
at
Oregon
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Photo by: John Zelinka/Utah Athletics
Beaver State Swing Pits Against Oregon, Oregon State
9/1/2026 9:06 AM | Soccer
Utes preparing to renew acquaintances with two former conference rivals
SALT LAKE CITY – After a difficult ending to the season's first month, the University of Utah women's soccer team will have a chance to bounce back when they pay a visit to The Beaver State for a pair of road fixtures, first on Thursday, when they'll visit the Oregon Ducks at Pape Field for a 7 p.m. match in Eugene, Ore., followed on Sunday by a 1 p.m. tilt with the Oregon State Beavers at Paul Lorenz Field in Corvallis, Ore.
Last Time Out
The Utes are coming off a difficult road loss to Utah Tech in which coach Hideki Nakada's club dominated nearly every statistical metric except on the scoreboard. In the 2-1 defeat, the Utes rattled off a season-best 26 total shots and their 11 attempts on goal also represented the most they've had in a game in 2026. Utah earned 10 corner kicks without conceding one and possessed the ball for nearly 65 percent of the game's 90 minutes. The Utes have now owned an advantage in possession in four of their five matches.
Seven different Utah players either set or matched their career-highs in shots against the Trailblazers, led by Abby Affleck's six tries. Kori Pickelle added four attempts and Nevaeh Peregrina fired off three shots. Shannon Davidson totaled three shots as well as and one those was a well-placed strike from just outside the box that resulted in her first goal of 2026. Davidson now has points in three of Utah's last four contests. The assist on that score went to Peregrina, her first point as a Ute.
Despite the loss, goalkeeper Anna Solomon kept the Utes in the game with four saves, matching her season-high. She remains in the top five in the Big 12 in total saves, with 15, and save percentage at, .833. Solomon has made multiple stops in all five of Utah's matchups.
Scouting Oregon
The last time the Utes visited Eugene was in 2023 and Katie O'Kane led the visitors to a 4-2 win by registering the 15th hat trick in program history. That triumph boosted Utah's edge in the all-time series to 11-6-2, but this time, Nakada's club will be facing a very different foe than they did in 2023.
So far in 2026, the Ducks have forged a 4-0-1 record by overwhelming their opponents, both offensively and defensively. All four of their wins have been by three goals or more, the most emphatic one also being the most recent, as the Ducks spent Aug. 27 hammering Oregon State, 6-0. At 4-0-1, Oregon is off to its best start in a decade and their 16 goals are the most the program has scored in five matches in 45 years.
The Ducks currently rank in the top three in the Big 10 in goals, with 16, and in save percentage, where their 90.9 mark places them second. Only one player in the conference owns a better save percentage and lower goals against average than the Ducks' Gray Wilson. Offensively, eight different players have contributed just one goal, led by Ellie Felt with four, and 12 Ducks can claim at least one point.
Scouting Oregon State
In contrast to their in-state rivals, the Beavers have been searching for their footing through six matches and will enter Sunday on a three-match slide. Two of those defeats were close losses, as OSU was beaten by a late goal by Weber State on Aug. 23 and fell just short of completing a comeback against Washington on Sunday. Their most impressive showing came on Aug. 19, when they cruised past Bushnell, 5-0. Lea Gentry scored twice in that victory and added an assist.
Utah will be trying to garner a measure revenge in Corvallis after the Beavers stole a 2-1 decision in Salt Lake City in 2025. Overall, however, the Utes are 8-6 against OSU, with their most recent win in the series coming in 2022, when two Courtney Brown tallies helped lead the way in a 6-0 triumph.
Always on the Attack
The Utes have been far exceeding their opponents in terms of chances created so far in 2026. Utah owns an 80-36 edge in total shots, a 35-18 advantage in shots on goal and they've earned 33 corner kicks, compared to only 15 for their opponents.
Three Shutouts for Solomon
Prior to 2026, only one goalkeeper had posted clean sheets in each of Utah's first three matches and that was Lindsey Luke in 2013. Luke now has company, however, as Anna Solomon has started her first year as a Ute by blanking Weber State, Utah Valley and Southern Utah. Two different Utah keepers combined to shut out the program's first three opponents in 2005.
Points-A-Plenty
Four different Utah players have accumulated points in Utah's wins over Utah Valley and Southern Utah. Katie Callaway has goals in back-to-back games, Shannon Davidson and Maddie Stoddard have assists in consecutive contests and Julia Oka followed up her assist at UVU with a goal against SUU. This is the first time four or more Utes have gotten on the scoresheet in consecutive fixtures since 2023, when Kelly Bullock, Taliana Kaufusi, Courtney Brown and Maryn Granger combined to achieve the same feat.
Solomon Named Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week
After becoming the first Utah goalkeeper in more than a decade to start a season with consecutive clean sheets, Anna Solomon earned the year's first Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week award, it was announced on Aug. 19. This is the first time a Utah keeper has ever been chosen as the Big 12's Goalkeeper of the Week. The last Utah keeper to receive such an honor was Carly Nelson in 2019.
Super Subs
Both of Utah's goals against UVU on Aug. 17 were scored by substitutes, as Clem and Callaway came off the bench to get on the scoresheet. That marked the first time two Utah subs scored in the same game since a 5-0 win over Utah Valley on Aug. 30, 2023.
Scanning the Schedule
Utah's 2026 slate consists of 19 matches, including eight home fixtures at Ute Field. The team's Big 12 schedule begins with a Sept. 18 visit to Arizona State and includes 11 matchups against conference foes, concluding with a home clash with Kansas State on Nov. 4.
| THURSDAY'S MATCHUP Date | Time: Thursday, Sept. 3 | 7 p.m. Utah (2-2-1) at Oregon (4-0-1) Location: Eugene, Ore. | Pape Field Live Stats: Click Here Live Stream: Click Here Twitter Updates: @UtahWSoccer |
SUNDAY'S MATCHUP Date | Time: Sunday, Sept. 6 | 1 p.m. Utah (2-2-1) at Oregon State (1-5-0) Location: Corvallis, Ore. | Paul Lorenz Field Live Stats: Click Here Live Stream: Click Here Twitter Updates: @UtahWSoccer |
Last Time Out
The Utes are coming off a difficult road loss to Utah Tech in which coach Hideki Nakada's club dominated nearly every statistical metric except on the scoreboard. In the 2-1 defeat, the Utes rattled off a season-best 26 total shots and their 11 attempts on goal also represented the most they've had in a game in 2026. Utah earned 10 corner kicks without conceding one and possessed the ball for nearly 65 percent of the game's 90 minutes. The Utes have now owned an advantage in possession in four of their five matches.
Seven different Utah players either set or matched their career-highs in shots against the Trailblazers, led by Abby Affleck's six tries. Kori Pickelle added four attempts and Nevaeh Peregrina fired off three shots. Shannon Davidson totaled three shots as well as and one those was a well-placed strike from just outside the box that resulted in her first goal of 2026. Davidson now has points in three of Utah's last four contests. The assist on that score went to Peregrina, her first point as a Ute.
Despite the loss, goalkeeper Anna Solomon kept the Utes in the game with four saves, matching her season-high. She remains in the top five in the Big 12 in total saves, with 15, and save percentage at, .833. Solomon has made multiple stops in all five of Utah's matchups.
Scouting Oregon
The last time the Utes visited Eugene was in 2023 and Katie O'Kane led the visitors to a 4-2 win by registering the 15th hat trick in program history. That triumph boosted Utah's edge in the all-time series to 11-6-2, but this time, Nakada's club will be facing a very different foe than they did in 2023.
So far in 2026, the Ducks have forged a 4-0-1 record by overwhelming their opponents, both offensively and defensively. All four of their wins have been by three goals or more, the most emphatic one also being the most recent, as the Ducks spent Aug. 27 hammering Oregon State, 6-0. At 4-0-1, Oregon is off to its best start in a decade and their 16 goals are the most the program has scored in five matches in 45 years.
The Ducks currently rank in the top three in the Big 10 in goals, with 16, and in save percentage, where their 90.9 mark places them second. Only one player in the conference owns a better save percentage and lower goals against average than the Ducks' Gray Wilson. Offensively, eight different players have contributed just one goal, led by Ellie Felt with four, and 12 Ducks can claim at least one point.
Scouting Oregon State
In contrast to their in-state rivals, the Beavers have been searching for their footing through six matches and will enter Sunday on a three-match slide. Two of those defeats were close losses, as OSU was beaten by a late goal by Weber State on Aug. 23 and fell just short of completing a comeback against Washington on Sunday. Their most impressive showing came on Aug. 19, when they cruised past Bushnell, 5-0. Lea Gentry scored twice in that victory and added an assist.
Utah will be trying to garner a measure revenge in Corvallis after the Beavers stole a 2-1 decision in Salt Lake City in 2025. Overall, however, the Utes are 8-6 against OSU, with their most recent win in the series coming in 2022, when two Courtney Brown tallies helped lead the way in a 6-0 triumph.
Always on the Attack
The Utes have been far exceeding their opponents in terms of chances created so far in 2026. Utah owns an 80-36 edge in total shots, a 35-18 advantage in shots on goal and they've earned 33 corner kicks, compared to only 15 for their opponents.
Three Shutouts for Solomon
Prior to 2026, only one goalkeeper had posted clean sheets in each of Utah's first three matches and that was Lindsey Luke in 2013. Luke now has company, however, as Anna Solomon has started her first year as a Ute by blanking Weber State, Utah Valley and Southern Utah. Two different Utah keepers combined to shut out the program's first three opponents in 2005.
Points-A-Plenty
Four different Utah players have accumulated points in Utah's wins over Utah Valley and Southern Utah. Katie Callaway has goals in back-to-back games, Shannon Davidson and Maddie Stoddard have assists in consecutive contests and Julia Oka followed up her assist at UVU with a goal against SUU. This is the first time four or more Utes have gotten on the scoresheet in consecutive fixtures since 2023, when Kelly Bullock, Taliana Kaufusi, Courtney Brown and Maryn Granger combined to achieve the same feat.
Solomon Named Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week
After becoming the first Utah goalkeeper in more than a decade to start a season with consecutive clean sheets, Anna Solomon earned the year's first Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week award, it was announced on Aug. 19. This is the first time a Utah keeper has ever been chosen as the Big 12's Goalkeeper of the Week. The last Utah keeper to receive such an honor was Carly Nelson in 2019.
Super Subs
Both of Utah's goals against UVU on Aug. 17 were scored by substitutes, as Clem and Callaway came off the bench to get on the scoresheet. That marked the first time two Utah subs scored in the same game since a 5-0 win over Utah Valley on Aug. 30, 2023.
Scanning the Schedule
Utah's 2026 slate consists of 19 matches, including eight home fixtures at Ute Field. The team's Big 12 schedule begins with a Sept. 18 visit to Arizona State and includes 11 matchups against conference foes, concluding with a home clash with Kansas State on Nov. 4.
Coaches Corner
Head coach Hideki Nakada's brain trust for 2026 includes two holdovers in Jackie Poortinga and Sam Gomez and one new addition in former University of Montevallo soccer player Emma Greenwood. Greenwood joins the Utes after spending the 2025 season at Cal Poly Pomona, where she helped the Broncos post an 18-3-3 record, win the conference regular season and West Region Championships and march all the way to the Final Four. The 2025 Broncos also produced three All-Americans and had nine players who earned academic all-district honors.
Prior to her time at Cal Poly Pomona, Greenwood spent four years with Legends FC - San Diego, where she served as ECNL Director, Head Coach, and Administrative Lead. In these roles, she led player recruitment efforts, oversaw program development, and implemented team training periodization. She managed residential and youth camps throughout the year as well, contributing to the club's emergence as one of Southern California's top youth soccer environments. In 2024, Greenwood was selected to the West Region ODP staff, supporting talent identification and player evaluation across the region.
Her coaching background also includes time with San Diego Surf Soccer Club (2020–2021), where she coached ECNL and ECRL teams, and with Palomar College (2021), where she contributed to all aspects of the collegiate program, including player development, team training, scouting, and game day operations.
NCAA Tournament History
The Utes enter 2025 aiming to reach the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in school history and the first time since 2019. Utah put together its best postseason finish in 2016, when they forged a path all the way to the Sweet 16.
#ProUtes
The number of Utah soccer alums in the professional ranks continues to grow. Courtney Brown, with the Utah Royals, and Katie O'Kane, who plays for Racing Louisville, are both in the middle of their second NWSL seasons. The Royals recently added a second Ute to their roster with the signing of Ali Swensen and Kelly Bullock was just announced as the newest member of Valadares Gaia FC.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWSoccer | Instagram: @UtahWSoccer | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahwsoccer).
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