Trailblazers Host Air Force in Regular Season Home Finale
Utah Tech men’s soccer is set to wrap up its 2026 regular season home schedule at Greater Zion Stadium on Wednesday night, hosting the Air Force Academy under the lights at 7 p.m. MST.
The two sides enter the midweek fixture locked in the Mountain West Conference standings. Air Force arrives in St. George holding a 3-6-5 overall record and a 2-3-2 mark in conference play, sitting comfortably in fourth place. Meanwhile, Utah Tech stands at 2-11-2 overall and 1-5-1 in the Mountain West, tied for fifth place alongside UC Davis.
Momentum from Northern California
Wednesday’s home finale comes on the heels of a breakthrough result for Utah Tech. The Trailblazers secured their first Mountain West Conference victory and their first road win of the year by defeating UC Davis 2-1.
The match began in dramatic fashion when UC Davis earned an early penalty kick following a foul inside the box. Isaac Chacing converted the attempt in the fourth minute to hand the Aggies a 1-0 advantage. Utah Tech goalkeeper Luca Campoli steadied the defense from there, turning away three shots during the opening half.
The Trailblazers responded with sustained offensive pressure, racking up seven corner kicks and eight shots before halftime. In the 31st minute, Vincenzo Jeanfreau connected with Seth Powder deep in Aggie territory. Powder struck a high shot past the netminder to notch his second goal of the season, while Jeanfreau picked up his first assist in a Utah Tech uniform.
Just minutes later, Miguel Regino orchestrated another scoring opportunity, finding Jacob Cinelli near the right side of the box. Cinelli maneuvered past a defender to create shooting space and beat the goalkeeper to his right, securing a 2-1 lead that Utah Tech carried into the break. The second half saw the Trailblazers dictate the tempo with an 8-4 shot advantage, stifling the Aggies over the final seventeen minutes to preserve the result.
Scouting the Falcons
Air Force travels to Utah following a 1-1 draw against San Jose State. Braedon Gehring provided the equalizer in the second half, securing a crucial road point for the Falcons.
Offensively, the Falcons spread their scoring duties. Five different players share the team lead with two goals apiece, while Quinn Muderlak paces the squad with five points. Goalkeeper Hunter Anderson has started all fourteen matches for Air Force this season, compiling 62 saves, two shutouts, and a 1.59 goals-against average.
The historical series between the two programs sits dead even at 3-3-1. Earlier this campaign, the teams battled to a 1-1 draw in Colorado Springs during their inaugural conference clash.
Building for the Future in a New Conference
The 2026 campaign represents a historic shift for Utah Tech athletics. While the majority of the university’s programs transitioned to the Big Sky Conference, men’s soccer and baseball found a home in the newly formed Mountain West Conference men’s soccer league.
In the preseason coaches’ poll, Utah Tech was picked to finish sixth, collecting seven total points just behind Air Force. Grand Canyon and San Jose State shared the top spot with 22 points apiece, with Grand Canyon claiming the favorite designation via a 4-2 edge in first-place votes.
The Trailblazers return a nucleus featuring three players named to the 2026 Mountain West Preseason Watchlist: goalkeeper Luca Campoli, forward Samir Cuevas, and defender Tanner Dutra. They are joined by nineteen newcomers, including eleven freshmen, as the program closes out its home schedule before the conference tournament horizon.
