With the 2024 season kicking off on Thursday, here’s a rundown on SUU soccer heading into the new campaign as the T-birds look to make a return trip to the WAC Tournament.
Last season
Following a program record 9 wins in 2022, the T-birds continued to make history in 2023.
While SUU started the season 0-5-4, the positive draw results against solid non-conference opponents ensured they were ready for Western Athletic Conference action.
Opening the conference slate with a 1-1 draw at rival Utah Tech, a pair of losses followed to drop the team to 0-7-5 overall.
Despite being winless, the team refused to give up on the season’s goal of reaching the conference tournament.
Facing the four WAC schools from Texas, the T-birds notched three wins in four to clinch a spot in the WAC Tournament. Despite losses in the final two regular-season matches, SUU celebrated its first conference tournament appearance since 2008.
T-bird soccer clinches first conference tournament berth in 15 years
Facing Seattle in the first round of the WAC Tournament, the T-birds battled but ultimately fell 2-1 in a close contest, ending the season 3-11-5 overall, including 3-5-1 in conference play.
Solid spring results
Following a conference tournament berth, the T-birds began preparations for 2024 with a tough spring schedule.
SUU faced four in-state foes – Utah Tech, Utah State, BYU, and USU-Eastern – along with Big 12 members Arizona and Arizona State.
The T-birds had a solid showing in the spring, highlighted by a victory over reigning Mountain West champion Utah State and a 2-2 draw with 2024 national semifinalist BYU.
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A look at the roster
There are many returning players and new additions to the T-birds this fall, so let’s get to know who will be taking the field in an SUU jersey this season.
A load of returning talent
Several key contributors from last season return to star for Southern Utah this fall.
Senior Julia Ortega remains the potential starter in goal, while redshirt freshman Kaitlin Bustos also returns to the goalkeeper corps.
Four T-birds return to anchor the backline this season, led by senior Adelayo Oguntade. Other returning defenders that notched minutes in 2023 include junior Aubrey Murray and sophomores Liz Orubor and Jenna Grider.
The T-birds also return a solid five midfielders in 2024. Seniors Angie Knies, Chiaki Takase, and Hailey Hamataka lead an experienced group alongside junior Addison Larsen and sophomore Kiersi Fietkau.
Rounding out the returning squad are redshirt junior forward Whitney Gardner and sophomore forward Steph Roper. Gardner led the team in points (15), goals (5), and assists (5) in 2023.
Several new faces
While SUU returns several contributors from last season’s squad, there are plenty of new names for fans to familiarize themselves with.
The T-birds added seven transfers and eight new freshmen to bolster the depth of the squad and replace outgoing transfers and the 2023 senior class.
NCAA transfers
SUU brought in a pair of Division I transfers in junior forward Sarah Assumma (UC Riverside) and redshirt junior defender Olivia Watson (Toledo) as well as senior goalkeeper Darya Mosallaei from Division II Ferris State.
Assumma is a 2022 NAIA All-American Honorable Mention selection who also earned First-Team All-Conference honors and the Conference Freshman of the Year at MidAmerica Nazarene University.
Mosallaei was highly decorated at the D-II level and is Ferris State’s all-time shutout leader. She also holds the program’s single-season records for wins (15) and shutouts (12) and helped the Bulldogs reach the 2022 NCAA D-II Final Four.
JUCO products
Also joining the squad are four junior college transfers: junior midfielder Yui Fujii (Dodge City CC), junior midfielder Laura Pouedras (Cowley CC), junior forward Lucia Rivas (Cowley CC), and sophomore defender Sadie Santiago (Salt Lake CC).
Both Fujii and Pouedras are two-time All-KJCCC First Team selections (2022-23), while Rivas was named All-KJCCC and All-Region 6 First Team in 2023. Santiago helped lead the Bruins to the Scenic West and NJCAA Region 18 championships in 2023 while being named Second Team All-Region 18.
Freshmen additions
The freshmen class includes goalie Stacy Barresi, midfielders Chelsea Loeser and Morgan Halverson, forwards Brittany Brown and Kya Jacobs, and defenders Xanthe Jane, Sophie Clark, and local Cedar High product Rylan Tebbs.
International flair
Thanks to Head Coach Kai Edwards’ vast connections in the soccer world, there are once again several international athletes on the team this season.
Eight of the 28 players on the roster are from outside the United States and represent a total of five different countries.
Three T-birds hail from Canada – Kya Jacobs, Liz Orubor, Adelayo Oguntade – while Chiaki Takase and Yui Fujii are from Japan.
Rounding out the international talent are Lucia Rivas (Spain), Laura Pouedras (France), and Xanthe Jane (New Zealand).
Coach Lindquist promoted
After spending two seasons as an assistant coach, Steven Lindquist was promoted to associate head coach during the offseason.
Lindquist originally came to Southern Utah as a volunteer assistant during the 2021 season before being named an assistant coach before the 2022 campaign.
As an assistant, Lindquist helped guide SUU to a program record 9 wins in 2022, while also setting the mark for the longest winning streak (5) during the season. In 2023, he was instrumental in helping lead the Thunderbirds to their first conference tournament appearance in 15 years.
Along with his four seasons of experience at SUU, Lindquist spent four years (2017-20) as an assistant at Oakland University in Michigan and has also spent time coaching at the junior college and club level.
Podcast: 2024 SUU soccer preview with Head Coach Kai Edwards
Spotlight: Santiago called up to Puerto Rico National Team
Having just recently signed to play for SUU this fall, defender Sadie Santiago earned a call-up to the Puerto Rico National Team in early April.
The newly signed T-bird made the most of the opportunity, appearing in a pair of friendly matches against the Cayman Islands.
Santiago played 20 minutes in a 12-0 victory in the first match and added an assist in an 8-0 win while playing 40 minutes in match number two.
Santiago is the first known senior national team call-up in the history of the Southern Utah soccer program.
This season’s schedule
Southern Utah faces many challenges on its 2024 schedule, beginning in non-conference action.
Non-conference battles
The T-birds will start the campaign with a road trip to the Silver State, as they battle UNLV on Thursday, Aug. 15, and Nevada on Sunday, Aug. 18.
After the first two matches, the Thunderbirds will return to Cedar City for the next four games.
SUU will open the home portion of the schedule on Thursday, Aug. 22 against last season’s Summit League Tournament runner-up Omaha. The T-birds then battle Eastern Washington of the Big Sky Conference on Thursday, Aug. 29 before facing Mountain West member Colorado College on Thursday, Sep. 5, and 2023 Summit League regular season champion Denver on Sunday, Sep. 8.
Southern Utah will then head to Idaho for a pair of matches. They will first face former Big Sky Conference foe Idaho State on Thursday, Sep. 12 before battling Boise State of the Mountain West on Sunday, Sep. 15.
The T-birds then wrap up non-conference play against two more former Big Sky Conference rivals. SUU will host Sacramento State on Thursday, Sep. 19 before traveling to Flagstaff to battle last season’s Big Sky finalist Northern Arizona on Saturday, Sep. 21.
Conference action
SUU then turns its attention to Western Athletic Conference play, which begins with a road contest at Cal Baptist on Saturday, Sep. 28.
The Thunderbirds will then return home to host three straight opponents, first matching up with last season’s WAC Tournament runner-up, Seattle U on Thursday, Oct. 3. SUU will then battle in-state foe and 2023 WAC regular season champion Utah Valley on Sunday, Oct. 6 before facing 2023 WAC Tournament winner and NCAA Tournament participant Grand Canyon on Friday, Oct. 11.
Southern Utah ends the campaign with two games in Texas before returning home for the regular season finale.
The T-birds will first take on Abilene Christian on Thursday, Oct. 17 before closing the road schedule against Tarleton State on Sunday, Oct. 20. To finish the regular season, SUU faces rival Utah Tech at home on Saturday, Oct. 26.
Should the Thunderbirds qualify for the WAC Tournament, the first matches will begin Monday, Nov. 3, with the final set for Saturday, Nov. 9.
All home and Western Athletic Conference matches on the schedule will be broadcast on ESPN+, while the details of TV and streaming options for non-conference matches will be announced later.
