The Aggies opened their 17th season Wednesday night at the NM State Soccer Complex, falling 3-1 to Arizona State despite striking first.
Sources: NMSU Athletics, Conference USA
Images: Courtesy
NM State Women’s Soccer continues its opening stretch against Power Four competition Saturday, traveling to Tucson to face Arizona as the Aggies begin finding their place in a newly expanded Conference USA race.
The Aggies opened their 17th season Wednesday night at the NM State Soccer Complex, falling 3-1 to Arizona State despite striking first.
True freshman Angeline Montoya provided NM State’s first goal of the season, connecting on a left-footed shot following an Azalie Floriano corner kick. The goal was the first of Montoya’s collegiate career, while Floriano recorded her first career assist.
The opener also offered an early look at just how different this year’s Aggie team will be. Eleven players made their first appearances for NM State, with Gabi Hislop, Filucca Daugaard, Eva Martin, Zoey Gist and Yuliana Negrete making their first starts in Crimson and White.
That rebuilt roster — 17 newcomers alongside 14 returning players — now gets another significant early test.
Next Stop: Tucson
NM State travels to face Arizona on Saturday, Aug. 15. The Wildcats are also looking for their first victory after opening their season with a 2-0 road loss to Grand Canyon.
Arizona was selected 12th in the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll. Junior forward Jessica Bedolla is among the Wildcats to watch after tying for the team lead with four goals last season.
Two of those came against NM State.
Bedolla scored both goals when Arizona defeated the Aggies 2-0 in Las Cruces on Aug. 21, 2025.
Saturday’s match is also part of a demanding nonconference schedule that Conference USA highlighted in its preseason examination of the Aggies. Along with Arizona State and Arizona, NM State is scheduled to face USC as Head Coach Rob Baarts tests his revamped roster before conference play. CUSA described NM State as a program capable of recovering from last year’s 2-12-4 season and identified sophomore forward Ezra Alda Arenas and defender Kennedy Herrera among the Aggies to watch.
A New Conference USA Race
The Aggies begin their fourth season in Conference USA in a league that will feature 10 women’s soccer programs and eight conference matches in 2026.
NM State enters that race with something to prove. The Aggies were selected eighth in the CUSA preseason poll, ahead of Kennesaw State and Jax State. Defending tournament champion Liberty was the overwhelming preseason favorite with nine first-place votes, followed by Missouri State and Delaware.
That preseason position comes only a few seasons removed from NM State’s strong introduction to the conference. The Aggies reached the CUSA championship match during their inaugural conference season in 2023 and followed with a semifinal appearance in 2024 before struggling last fall.
Conference USA’s own preseason assessment suggested the league could be particularly competitive beyond the favorite at the top, with relatively little separation among much of the preseason field.
For NM State, the opportunity to begin changing those preseason expectations has already arrived.
After opening against Arizona State, the Aggies now head west for another early measuring stick against Arizona — and another chance for a roster filled with new faces to begin defining what the 2026 season will look like.
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