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CSU soccer preview 2024: Schedule, insights, players

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

August 9, 2024

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie

Defender Kenady Leighton (2) keeps the ball from a Metro State offensive player April 5.

Time to run it back.

Colorado State soccer has a chance to follow up a historic previous season coming into 2024. After appearing in their first-ever Mountain West Conference championship, the Rams have an opportunity to finally secure something that has forever eluded them — a conference title.

CSU concluded last season 12-6-4, one victory shy of a school record in single-season wins. The Rams played the largest number of matches in program history last year, something that could benefit their current returning key players. A conference championship — and subsequently, a ticket to the NCAA tournament — is well within reach this season.

The schedule is as follows:

Aug. 8 North Texas: The Mean Green averaged 2.31 goals per game last year — almost double their opponents’ averages. CSU’s single-season leading goal scorer, Olivia Fout, may need to step up in the season opener.

Aug. 15 Idaho State: Following a 4-13-2 finish in 2023, the Bengals pose little threat to the Rams. A win early in the season could generate some momentum.

Aug. 18 Nebraska: A tough road game awaits in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers outscored their opponents 67-29 last season and, in turn, ranked fifth in total goals in the nation. CSU’s Mia Casey managed to score CSU’s second-ever hat trick last year, something that would turn the tides even in a matchup like this.

Aug. 22 Northern Colorado: This will mark the first meeting between these teams since their 2021 game, which ended in a tie. The Bears finished second to last in their conference last season with only one win.

Aug. 25 California Baptist: After boasting a record of 11-2-6 in 2023, the Lancers could be one of the tougher opponents this year. CBU averaged 2.05 goals per game, whereas their opponents only managed 0.68 per game.

Aug. 29 Texas State: The Bobcats finished 9-7-4 last year, slightly above .500. TXST played better at home, so the Rams’ first stint in Texas won’t be a given.

Sept. 1 UTSA: Six of the seven Roadrunner wins last season came within a margin of two points or more. CSU could have decent odds if they keep the game close.

Sept. 12 Denver: CSU goalkeeper Shayna Ross could have her hands full in this one. The Pioneers averaged 16.61 shot attempts per game last season, ranking No. 27 in the NCAA.

Sept. 20 Omaha: CSU has yet to suffer a loss to the Mavericks — a team that finished 7-5-7 in 2023. This will be the first encounter between these two teams since 2016.

Sept. 26 Air Force: The Falcons turned out a below-average record last year while also losing to CSU in the back half of the season. The Rams haven’t lost to USAFA since 2015 and now have another chance to keep the streak in the first conference bout of the year.

Sept. 29 Colorado College: Efficiency could be key in this matchup, as the Tigers ranked No. 12 in the nation in saves last season. Tigers’ goalkeeper Regan Wallace was instrumental in those outstanding numbers and will likely start every game once again.

Oct. 3 San Jose State: A crucial conference win is attainable against a Spartan team that finished last in the Mountain West in 2023.

Oct. 6 Fresno State: The Bulldogs finished 4-4-3 within the conference last year, just below the Rams. CSU managed a 1-0 win against Fresno State last season.

Oct. 10 Boise State: As a top contender in the Mountain West, the Broncos look to replicate their success from 2023. Besides beating the Rams 4-1 last year, BSU also finished at an impressive 11-4-6.

Oct. 13 Utah State: The rematch of the year. CSU suffered a heartbreaking 0-1 loss in the 2023 Mountain West championship against the Aggies. USU went on to lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament despite a solid season. A win for the Rams here could not only shift the conference rankings but give a huge boost to morale.

Oct. 17 UNLV: The Rebels closed out last year 7-7-6 and tied the Rams 1-1 in their only game of the season. Based on the results from 2023, this contest could truly be 50-50.

Oct. 20 Nevada: While the Wolf Pack’s 2023 record of 6-10-5 appears unfavorable, they only lost two regular-season games by more than one point. History would indicate that the Rams have the advantage in this one, as CSU has taken eight out of 10 matchups against Nevada.

Oct. 24 New Mexico: The Lobos engaged CSU in a relatively high-scoring affair last year in which the Rams came out on top. CSU will hope to end this game with swiftness to help round out the last stretch of the season.

Oct. 27 San Diego State: The Aztecs finished first in the Mountain West last season before being bumped by the Rams in the postseason. In a game with two top conference contenders, CSU will have to put it all on the line.

Oct. 31 Wyoming: The Cowgirls’ dominance in the Border War ended last year. CSU won its first women’s soccer matchup against UW in 2023 after losing or drawing every other encounter. A win here could propel the Rams back to the Mountain West championship and potentially set the stage for a bid to the NCAA championship.

Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.

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About the Contributors

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

Michael Hovey is one of the sports editors for The Rocky Mountain Collegian, facilitating the sports desk, collaborating with reporters and writing pieces of his own. He joined the newspaper in February and has greatly appreciated all the opportunities that have come with the organization. After settling on a business administration major with a concentration in marketing, Hovey stumbled upon The Collegian at the recommendation of a friend. Writing news stories gave him a deeper connection to Colorado State University and its community, making his studies that much more meaningful. Having played numerous sports at a fairly mediocre level, Hovey jumped at the opportunity to cover Division I sporting events. He now gets the chance to surround himself with talented writers, artists and athletes while exercising his preferred form of the English language. Hovey's favorite part of the job is meeting new people and learning about the things they’ve dedicated their lives to. The most surprising part has been the extraneous passions he’s discovered in nearly each one of these people. Hovey’s main goal this year is to foster discovery and allow people in athletics to show a separate side of themselves that may not generally be known. His secondary goal: Try not to stutter on a national broadcast. If not working at The Collegian, Hovey can be found engaging in outdoor activities, finding something tasty or listening to hip-hop.

Cait Mckinzie, Photo Director

Cait Mckinzie is a second-year student double majoring in art and journalism and media communication. She is one of two photo directors for the 2024-25 school year. Despite growing up in Renton, Washington, Mckinzie knew she wanted to go to Colorado State University since middle school. She had only ever been to Colorado twice, but she visited campus once, and that was all it took. At first, there wasn’t much in Fort Collins that Mckinzie was familiar with. But in high school, she was the co-head of visuals for her school newspaper, so she applied to The Collegian as a photographer to get back into a similar environment. Mckinzie was first introduced to photography by her grandfather, who has been a photographer most of his life. After he gifted Mckinzie her first camera in her junior year of high school, she began to take any assignment she could for her high school paper to improve her skills. Of all the memories made in her first year at CSU, most of the interesting ones came from The Collegian. One Halloween drag show assignment, a lot of mentorship and a few months of practice later, Mckinzie found herself being offered the position of photo director for the next academic school year. Mckinzie is excited for another year at The Collegian and aims to continue learning and growing during her time as one of the photo directors.

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