For Southern Utah’s Rylan Tebbs, Cedar City isn’t just the place she represents while playing defender for four seasons in college.
It is, quite literally, home.
Tebbs matched a program record Sunday as the junior out of Cedar High made her 41st career appearance for the Thunderbirds in a 1-0 win over Portland State at Thunderbird Soccer Field.
Tebbs’ 41 appearances are tied for the most by a Cedar City native in an SUU uniform, and the most since Rachael Hunt did the same from 2020-22.
The junior played all 90 minutes in the shutout victory, going the distance along with Ashlyn Woodbury and Dakota Hansen as Ashlyn O’Malley scored the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute.
It’s been a rough go for the Thunderbirds (4-6-1, 1-1 Big Sky), who picked up their first win in the Big Sky since returning to the conference following a four-year hiatus.
But Sunday’s moment provided a special mark for Tebbs, who can claim sole possession of the local record in her next match. The Thunderbirds will head out on a two-match road trip beginning Thursday at Idaho State before returning home Oct. 15 to host Northern Arizona.
Headed south in the Big Sky …
Cotter helps Utah Tech go 2-for-2 in Big Sky opening weekend
Utah Tech scored on an own goal in the 17th minute, and Ella Cotter scored just over 20 minutes later as the Trailblazers improved to 2-0 in Big Sky play with a 2-0 win over defending champion Montana on Sunday at Greater Zion Stadium.
It’s the first goal of the year for Cotter, the junior who prepped at nearby Crimson Cliffs High who last scored in the team’s Nov. 5, 2025 season finale against California Baptist.
Elle Rafajko made three saves to earn the shutout for Utah Tech, which improved to 6-4-1 with a weekend sweep of the Grizzlies and Portland State before heading out on a two-match road trip beginning Thursday at Big Sky preseason favorite Weber State (7 p.m. MT, ESPN+).
Weber State holds off second-half rally to earn first Big Sky win
Oakley Anderson had a goal and an assist as Weber State jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held off Eastern Washington, 3-2 for the Wildcats’ first Big Sky win over the season Sunday afternoon.
Anderson, a junior out of Woods Cross, found Blum, the senior from Olympus High, in the 12th minute to open the scoring.
Anderson took a pass from Harlee Thomas to find the back of the net herself in the 17th minute, and Woods Cross alum Mina Nydegger added another to push the Wildcats out to a 3-0 lead at halftime.
Maya Bossenbrook pulled one back for Eastern Washington (6-3-2, 0-1-1 Big Sky) in the 48th minute, and Deanna Montero converted a penalty kick in the 82nd minute for the Eagles.
But Lauren Butorac made four saves in goal as Weber State held on for the win.
And finally, jumping to the other side of the Rockies in the Pac-12 …
Utah State stays unbeaten in Pac-12 with road win at Colorado State
Hadli Barrera scored a brace as the 19th-ranked Aggies improved to 2-0 in the Pac-12 with a 3-0 win Sunday afternoon at Colorado State.
After a scoreless first half, Solena Selers opened the scoring in the 60th minute, finishing one of two assists from Kaeda Wilson to breakthrough at the hour mark.
Barrera doubled the advantage in the 72nd minute, then finished off her brace eight minutes later as the Aggies (9-2-2, 2-0 Pac-12) out-shot the Rams 20-6 with 12 shots on goal to just two against.
