Wednesday, November 5
Boas Soccer Complex | Boise, ID
4 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Utah State University
Women's Soccer Set to Compete in Semifinal at MW Championship Tournament Against Utah State
11/4/2025 11:14:00 AM | Women's Soccer
BOISE, Idaho – The Falcons (8-6-4, 6-2-2) are set to make their appearance as the No. 2 seed at the Union Credit Mountain West Conference Championship tournament against No. 3 seeded Utah State (9-6-5, 5-2-3) in the semifinal round on Wednesday November 5 at 4 p.m. MT at the Boas Soccer Complex.
Media
Live Stream: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Championship Page
Tickets
All-Time Versus the Aggies
Air Force has played a total of 17 matches against Utah State, dating back to the first matchup in 1996, an away loss for the Falcons. AFA holds a losing record of 4-10-3 and defeated Utah State in their second conference match of the 2025 season, 2-1, with goals from Annika Jost and Kendall Rippley. This will mark the first time the pair of teams have faced each other in the MW Conference tournament. Over time, the Aggies have outscored Air Force, 24-9.
Last Time Out
Air Force women's soccer (8-6-4, 6-2-2) closed the regular season in a 1-1 draw with Colorado College (5-6-7, 2-3-5) at the fourth annual City for Champions Cup at Weidner Field on Thursday evening. With this tie, the Falcons clinched the No. 2 seed entering the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Annika Jost was responsible for Air Force's lone goal, with an assist from Kendall Rippley. In goal, Sydney Nelms took her first collegiate start and totaled 11 saves.
Possession went back and forth through the opening 15 minutes before Colorado College capitalized on a corner kick, heading the ball past Air Force's defenders to break the scoreless tie in the 20th minute. The Falcons responded quickly, maintaining their intensity. In the 26th, Rippley pulled up the middle and threaded a pass forward to Jost, who drew the goalkeeper out and slotted the ball around the left side into the back of the net for the equalizer, 1-1. Nelms kept the Falcons level through the half with six key saves.
In the second half, Air Force created several strong opportunities with shots on goal from Maddy Walsh, Eleanor Musgrove, and Elizabeth McCarron, but couldn't break through the Tigers' defense. On the other end, the Falcon back line stayed composed while Nelms continued to shine, turning away five more saves to keep the score even.
Mission: Mountain West Conference Tournament
Following the Falcons tie with Colorado College, Air Force clinched the No. 2 seed in the MW Conference tournament, the highest seeding in program history. The Falcons qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2017 and their ninth appearance overall. Prior to the semifinal round, AF saw seven selected for conference accolades, the second-most of MW institutions.
Air Force's debut at the MW tournament was on Nov. 3, 1999, where they defeated UNLV 5-2. In their most recent appearance, the Falcons lost to Boise State, 2-0, on Oct. 31, 2017. Overall, AF holds a MW Conference tournament record of 3-7 and has scored 14 goals.
Busby at the Helm: MW Coach of the Year
Head coach Laura Busby earned her first Mountain West Coach of the Year honor, becoming the first Air Force women's soccer coach to receive the award since the program's inception in 1992. Busby guided the Falcons to an 8-6-4 overall record, the team's most wins since 2019, and a 6-2-2 conference record, marking Air Force's best regular season finish since 1995.
No Stopping Jost: MW Offensive Player of the Year
Annika Jost capped off a standout season for the Falcons, becoming the first Air Force player since 2019, and just the second in program history, to earn Mountain West Player of the Year honors. She also joins an elite group as only the tenth women's athlete in Academy history to earn a conference player of the year award. In addition to her top honor, Jost was named to the Mountain West All-Conference First Team after leading the league in points (25) and points per game (1.39), both career highs. Her impressive numbers place her eighth all-time at Air Force and 48th nationally. The sophomore from Temecula, Calif., tallied 10 goals and four assists, ranking second in the Mountain West for goals (0.56 per game) and tying for sixth in the Falcons' record book. She also recorded the program's first hat trick since 2021, scoring three times against San Jose State. In conference play alone, Jost totaled eight goals and four assists for 20 points.
Flying Forward
The Falcons are averaging 1.72 goals per game, with 31 total on the year. The attackers have been active in the final third with13.8 shots per game, 248 combined shots, of which 112 were on goal. 11 individual Falcons have scored at least one goal, while Annika Jost currently leads Air Force with 25 points off ten goals and five assists. Behind Jost, Kendall Rippley has logged four goals and four assists for 12 points. Sophomore Chase Borntreger has recorded three goals and assists apiece to earn nine points.
On Lockdown
Defensively, Jordan Dillingham has totaled a team-high 1,410 minutes playing an aggressive backline along with one goal against Northern Colorado, the first of her career. Team captain Samantha Sharp and Raine Komata, along with Ava Carpentier have made statements in the midfield, making strong decisions to begin the attack and apply pressure to opponents.
Freshmen on Fire
The Falcon freshmen have been showing up in full force, with AJ Heap, Zahra Friess, Sammi Kinoshita, Ellie MccCarron, and Trishelle Lopez making statements. Heap scored her first collegiate goal against Northern Colorado. The Ogden, Utah native has totaled 17 shots with seven on goal in her 838 minutes of play, across 15 starts and appearances in all 18 matches. Friess has played 542 minutes and scored four goals with one assist for nine points. During an exciting game against Nevada, Kinoshita recorded her first pair of collegiate goals for the Falcons' first brace of the season, earning her MW Freshman of the Week honors. McCarron has taken three starts with an appearance in every match and logged three assists and nine shots.
In Goal
Freshman, Trishelle Lopez, has claimed the starting spot in 15 Falcon matches this season to total 1,260 minutes of play. The Cape Coral, Fla., native has managed 55 saves for a .724 save percentage. She posted a season-best performance against Rutgers, collecting her first collegiate shutout, a career-high six saves, and USAFA's Cadet Athlete of the Week honors. Lopez has recorded a trio of six-save matches.
Lopez earned her second career shutout in a 1-0 win at Wyoming while making eight saves across two matches to earn Mountain West Freshman of the Week, the Falcons' first weekly award of the 2025 season.
Veteran goalkeeper, Kylie McElroy has taken a pair of starts to open the season, most recently at Gonzaga. She asserted her dominance in goal, collecting her first shutout of the season, 2-0, and recording a season-high seven saves.
Sydney Nelms has made three appearances and took her first career start at the City for Champions cup against Colorado College. The freshman has totaled 180 minutes of pla and logged 17 saves for a save percentage of .850.
How Air Force Stacks Up
The Falcons are currently ranked second in the Mountain West, behind Boise State. Their 31 goals and 1.72 goals/game line up at third in the conference standings and 85th on the national level. Their 88 points sit at 4th in the MW and 90th nationally. Air Force's 26 assists and 1.44 assists per game sit at fourth in conference and 105th across all Division I. Scoring offense (1.72) sits at 89th in the national rankings. Nationally, Jost is ranked 43rd for her 10 total goals, 46th in total points (25), 49th in goals per game (.56) and 50th in points per game (1.39). Junior Kendall Rippley ranks 81st in game winners (3), on the national level.
A Look at Utah State
The Aggies hold an overall record of 9-6-5 with a MW record of 5-2-3. They entered the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed behind Air Force and clinched their spot in the semifinal round with a 1-0 shutout over New Mexico. Aggie Kunie Hirai was responsible for the lone goal late in the 71st minute. Overall, Kaylie Chambers marked a team-high six goals and five assists for 17 points. Utah State as a whole has recorded 36 goals, averaging 1.80 per game, with 129 shots on goal out of 296 attempts. On the defensive side, goalkeeper Taylor Rath has managed 34 saves with 5 shutouts while allowing 16 goals.
Up Next
The Falcons will fight for a placement in the Mountain West championship match, to be held on Saturday November 8 at 7 p.m. MT in Boise, Idaho.
Media
Live Stream: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Championship Page
Tickets
All-Time Versus the Aggies
Air Force has played a total of 17 matches against Utah State, dating back to the first matchup in 1996, an away loss for the Falcons. AFA holds a losing record of 4-10-3 and defeated Utah State in their second conference match of the 2025 season, 2-1, with goals from Annika Jost and Kendall Rippley. This will mark the first time the pair of teams have faced each other in the MW Conference tournament. Over time, the Aggies have outscored Air Force, 24-9.
Last Time Out
Air Force women's soccer (8-6-4, 6-2-2) closed the regular season in a 1-1 draw with Colorado College (5-6-7, 2-3-5) at the fourth annual City for Champions Cup at Weidner Field on Thursday evening. With this tie, the Falcons clinched the No. 2 seed entering the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Annika Jost was responsible for Air Force's lone goal, with an assist from Kendall Rippley. In goal, Sydney Nelms took her first collegiate start and totaled 11 saves.
Possession went back and forth through the opening 15 minutes before Colorado College capitalized on a corner kick, heading the ball past Air Force's defenders to break the scoreless tie in the 20th minute. The Falcons responded quickly, maintaining their intensity. In the 26th, Rippley pulled up the middle and threaded a pass forward to Jost, who drew the goalkeeper out and slotted the ball around the left side into the back of the net for the equalizer, 1-1. Nelms kept the Falcons level through the half with six key saves.
In the second half, Air Force created several strong opportunities with shots on goal from Maddy Walsh, Eleanor Musgrove, and Elizabeth McCarron, but couldn't break through the Tigers' defense. On the other end, the Falcon back line stayed composed while Nelms continued to shine, turning away five more saves to keep the score even.
Mission: Mountain West Conference Tournament
Following the Falcons tie with Colorado College, Air Force clinched the No. 2 seed in the MW Conference tournament, the highest seeding in program history. The Falcons qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2017 and their ninth appearance overall. Prior to the semifinal round, AF saw seven selected for conference accolades, the second-most of MW institutions.
Air Force's debut at the MW tournament was on Nov. 3, 1999, where they defeated UNLV 5-2. In their most recent appearance, the Falcons lost to Boise State, 2-0, on Oct. 31, 2017. Overall, AF holds a MW Conference tournament record of 3-7 and has scored 14 goals.
Busby at the Helm: MW Coach of the Year
Head coach Laura Busby earned her first Mountain West Coach of the Year honor, becoming the first Air Force women's soccer coach to receive the award since the program's inception in 1992. Busby guided the Falcons to an 8-6-4 overall record, the team's most wins since 2019, and a 6-2-2 conference record, marking Air Force's best regular season finish since 1995.
No Stopping Jost: MW Offensive Player of the Year
Annika Jost capped off a standout season for the Falcons, becoming the first Air Force player since 2019, and just the second in program history, to earn Mountain West Player of the Year honors. She also joins an elite group as only the tenth women's athlete in Academy history to earn a conference player of the year award. In addition to her top honor, Jost was named to the Mountain West All-Conference First Team after leading the league in points (25) and points per game (1.39), both career highs. Her impressive numbers place her eighth all-time at Air Force and 48th nationally. The sophomore from Temecula, Calif., tallied 10 goals and four assists, ranking second in the Mountain West for goals (0.56 per game) and tying for sixth in the Falcons' record book. She also recorded the program's first hat trick since 2021, scoring three times against San Jose State. In conference play alone, Jost totaled eight goals and four assists for 20 points.
Flying Forward
The Falcons are averaging 1.72 goals per game, with 31 total on the year. The attackers have been active in the final third with13.8 shots per game, 248 combined shots, of which 112 were on goal. 11 individual Falcons have scored at least one goal, while Annika Jost currently leads Air Force with 25 points off ten goals and five assists. Behind Jost, Kendall Rippley has logged four goals and four assists for 12 points. Sophomore Chase Borntreger has recorded three goals and assists apiece to earn nine points.
On Lockdown
Defensively, Jordan Dillingham has totaled a team-high 1,410 minutes playing an aggressive backline along with one goal against Northern Colorado, the first of her career. Team captain Samantha Sharp and Raine Komata, along with Ava Carpentier have made statements in the midfield, making strong decisions to begin the attack and apply pressure to opponents.
Freshmen on Fire
The Falcon freshmen have been showing up in full force, with AJ Heap, Zahra Friess, Sammi Kinoshita, Ellie MccCarron, and Trishelle Lopez making statements. Heap scored her first collegiate goal against Northern Colorado. The Ogden, Utah native has totaled 17 shots with seven on goal in her 838 minutes of play, across 15 starts and appearances in all 18 matches. Friess has played 542 minutes and scored four goals with one assist for nine points. During an exciting game against Nevada, Kinoshita recorded her first pair of collegiate goals for the Falcons' first brace of the season, earning her MW Freshman of the Week honors. McCarron has taken three starts with an appearance in every match and logged three assists and nine shots.
In Goal
Freshman, Trishelle Lopez, has claimed the starting spot in 15 Falcon matches this season to total 1,260 minutes of play. The Cape Coral, Fla., native has managed 55 saves for a .724 save percentage. She posted a season-best performance against Rutgers, collecting her first collegiate shutout, a career-high six saves, and USAFA's Cadet Athlete of the Week honors. Lopez has recorded a trio of six-save matches.
Lopez earned her second career shutout in a 1-0 win at Wyoming while making eight saves across two matches to earn Mountain West Freshman of the Week, the Falcons' first weekly award of the 2025 season.
Veteran goalkeeper, Kylie McElroy has taken a pair of starts to open the season, most recently at Gonzaga. She asserted her dominance in goal, collecting her first shutout of the season, 2-0, and recording a season-high seven saves.
Sydney Nelms has made three appearances and took her first career start at the City for Champions cup against Colorado College. The freshman has totaled 180 minutes of pla and logged 17 saves for a save percentage of .850.
How Air Force Stacks Up
The Falcons are currently ranked second in the Mountain West, behind Boise State. Their 31 goals and 1.72 goals/game line up at third in the conference standings and 85th on the national level. Their 88 points sit at 4th in the MW and 90th nationally. Air Force's 26 assists and 1.44 assists per game sit at fourth in conference and 105th across all Division I. Scoring offense (1.72) sits at 89th in the national rankings. Nationally, Jost is ranked 43rd for her 10 total goals, 46th in total points (25), 49th in goals per game (.56) and 50th in points per game (1.39). Junior Kendall Rippley ranks 81st in game winners (3), on the national level.
A Look at Utah State
The Aggies hold an overall record of 9-6-5 with a MW record of 5-2-3. They entered the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed behind Air Force and clinched their spot in the semifinal round with a 1-0 shutout over New Mexico. Aggie Kunie Hirai was responsible for the lone goal late in the 71st minute. Overall, Kaylie Chambers marked a team-high six goals and five assists for 17 points. Utah State as a whole has recorded 36 goals, averaging 1.80 per game, with 129 shots on goal out of 296 attempts. On the defensive side, goalkeeper Taylor Rath has managed 34 saves with 5 shutouts while allowing 16 goals.
Up Next
The Falcons will fight for a placement in the Mountain West championship match, to be held on Saturday November 8 at 7 p.m. MT in Boise, Idaho.
Players Mentioned
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