With the season kicking off today, here are five must-watch matches you won’t want to miss on the SUU soccer schedule as the T-birds pursue a WAC Tournament berth.
Honorable mentions:
vs. Omaha Mavericks – Thursday, August 22
Last season, SUU traveled to Omaha and was defeated 4-0 in the season opener for both teams.
The Mavericks eventually finished 2023 with a 7-5-7 overall record, including 3-1-4 in the Summit League. Using a seven-match unbeaten streak near the end of the season, Omaha reached the Summit League Tournament final before falling 1-0 to South Dakota State.
The two sides will now face off in the T-birds’ first home match of 2024 with the home team looking to reverse last season’s result.
Time: 4 p.m. MT
TV/stream: ESPN+
at Boise State – Sunday, September 15
Last season the Broncos finished third in the Mountain West standings with an overall record of 11-4-6 (8-2-1 MW). Boise State then reached the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament, falling 1-0 in extra time to eventual champion Utah State.
One of the four games on the schedule against MW opponents, the Broncos will be a tough road test for the T-birds.
Time: 12 p.m. MT
TV/stream: Mountain West Network
vs. Grand Canyon – Friday, October 11
One of the highlights of the conference schedule, Southern Utah will host the defending WAC Tournament champions.
Grand Canyon is coming off a solid 2023 campaign, finishing with a 14-5-4 mark (5-1-3 WAC). The No. 4 seed in the WAC Tournament, GCU defeated No. 5 seed Utah Tech before upsetting No. 1 seed Utah Valley and No. 3 seed Seattle U to claim the tournament title. As the WAC’s automatic NCAA Tournament qualifier, the ‘Lopes fell 1-0 in the first round to USC.
In last season’s matchup, Grand Canyon came out on top 4-1 over SUU in Phoenix. A result for the Thunderbirds against one of the WAC’s best would go a long way in qualifying for the conference tournament.
Time: 4 p.m. MT
TV/stream: ESPN+
No. 5: at Northern Arizona – Sunday, September 22
Facing another familiar foe in non-conference action, Southern Utah will take the five-hour trip to Flagstaff to battle the Lumberjacks.
Last season, Northern Arizona notched an 11-6-3 record, which included a 4-3-1 mark in the Big Sky Conference. As the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, NAU defeated Sacramento State and top-seeded Montana before falling in the final to Idaho.
The two teams also battled each other in 2023, which ended in a 1-1 draw in Cedar City.
In a match against former Big Sky rivals, SUU would love to head into Western Athletic Conference play with a result against a regional foe.
Time: 1 p.m. MT
TV/stream: TBA
No. 4: vs. Denver – Sunday, September 8
Another tough battle in the non-conference portion of the schedule, the Thunderbirds will host the Denver Pioneers of the Summit League.
Last season, Denver compiled a record of 9-2-7 overall, highlighted by a 5-1-2 mark in conference action. That record was good enough for the Pioneers to claim the Summit League regular season title, but they were ultimately upset by Omaha in the conference tournament semifinals.
A win or draw against another Summit League program would be a positive result as SUU readies for conference play.
Time: 12:30 p.m. MT
TV/stream: ESPN+
No. 3: vs. Seattle U – Thursday, October 3
One of the more familiar opponents for SUU since joining the WAC, the Redhawks will make the trip to Cedar City in the first conference home match for the T-birds.
The two programs met twice last season, with Seattle coming out on top in the regular season and claiming a 2-1 victory in the first round of the WAC Tournament.
The Redhawks are consistently one of the WAC’s top sides, which they showed again in 2023. The team finished the season with a 10-9-2 record, including a 6-2-1 conference mark. As the No. 3 seed in the WAC Tournament, Seattle defeated No. 6 seed SUU and No. 2 seed Cal Baptist before falling in the championship match to Grand Canyon.
After Seattle knocked the T-birds out of last season’s conference tournament, a result would set the tone for SUU early in WAC play.
Time: 4 p.m. MT
TV/stream: ESPN+
No. 2: vs. Utah Tech – Saturday, October 26
A battle between the two Southern Utah programs will be a must-watch to end the regular season.
Not only will the T-birds be celebrating Senior Day, but they will also be looking for their first win in five tries over the Trailblazers since the St. George school made the move to Division I.
Utah Tech is coming off a solid debut season under head coach Lexi Brown, which ended with an 8-7-5 record (3-2-4 WAC) and included a 10-match unbeaten streak.
A win against a rival to end the regular season would be a great result for SUU and could potentially produce – or continue – momentum into the conference tournament.
Time: 1 p.m. MT
TV/stream: ESPN+
No. 1: vs. Utah Valley – Sunday, October 6
Facing another in-state conference foe, SUU will host the two-time reigning WAC regular season champions and WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Faith Webber during the first weekend of October.
Since joining the WAC in 2013, the Wolverines have become one of the best programs in the league and region. The team has won three WAC regular season titles and claimed three tournament crowns while appearing in six championship finals. UVU has also made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament, highlighted by a first-round win against Memphis in 2021.
Last season, UVU notched a 10-4-5 overall record, winning the WAC regular season championship with an unbeaten 7-0-2 conference mark. Despite being the No. 1 seed in the WAC Tournament, Utah Valley was upset by the No. 4 seed and eventual champion Grand Canyon in the semifinals.
If the T-birds can manage a result against the preseason conference favorite, it would be a historic moment in the program’s history.
Time: 1 p.m. MT
TV/stream: ESPN+
What SUU soccer match are you most looking forward to in 2024?
Podcast: 2024 SUU soccer preview with Head Coach Kai Edwards
