With new head coach Kyle Christensen and new assistant coach Collete Smith, Weber State University’s women’s soccer team is gearing up for a new era when the 2025 fall season begins in August.

The Wildcats had a conference record of 1–6–1 in the Big Sky and went 2–13–5 overall in the fall 2024 season, scoring 18 goals and conceding 48 in 20 games. The Wildcats will look for new inspiration in front of the goal as forward Ali Swensen, who topped Wildcat scoring with seven goals as a junior last season, transferred to the University of Utah. Christensen plans on integrating “high tempo, attack minded” tactics that will excite fans.

For the coming season, WSU’s women’s soccer team will aim to play their way into tournament qualification while developing their roster along the way. Christensen believes that his squad, led on the pitch by his upperclassmen, has the heart to produce something special.

“I’m excited about the buy-in from this team,” Christensen said. “I am super pleased with how committed everyone is and how much work is being put in. The foundation is there, and we just need to keep taking the right steps forward to improve. If we do that, I think we’ll have success in the near future.”

Christensen, who was crowned the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference Player of the Year as a senior at the University of Denver before playing at the semi-professional level and winning national championships with Weber State’s men’s club team, has spent the previous 10 seasons occupying various positions on Utah Valley University’s coaching staff. During this period, Christensen helped the Wolverines to four Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular season championships, three WAC Tournament titles, and four NCAA tournament appearances. Christensen has also been coaching at the club level for La Roca for the past nine seasons.

To Christensen, seeing his players excel in all areas of life, such as in the classroom, is everything.

“My greatest privilege as a coach is to watch players set goals and achieve them,” Christensen said. “I love to play a little part in helping them become the best versions of themselves.”

Christensen is not the only new face on the touchline for Weber, as the 2025 season will also be the first in purple for Smith, who signed on as an assistant coach in late 2024.

As a collegiate player, Smith was the top scorer for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, during her freshman season before transferring to Brigham Young University to earn newcomer of the year honors and don the captain’s armband.

After playing professionally for the Utah Royals in 2018, she began a coaching career that has thus far seen five high school state championships in six years, Utah High School Activities Association Coach of the Year and United Soccer Coaches Regional Coach of the Year honors, and an assistant coaching position on the Royals’ reserves during a year in which the club won staff of the year and franchise of the year in the Women’s Premier Soccer League.

Christensen and Smith have similar attitudes and aspirations concerning the upcoming season: they want to develop a championship culture that will bring them closer to titles and tournament qualifications.

“I’m passionate about helping these players reach their full potential, both on and off the field, and creating a program where they feel supported and empowered,” Smith said. “I fully believe in head coach Kyle Christensen and our shared vision for creating a team and environment where success thrives both on and off the field.”

The Wildcats are currently undergoing spring training and holding friendly matches against other teams in Utah, such as Utah Tech University, UVU, Snow College, Utah and Utah State University.

Sophomore defender Isabella Sackett is ready and committed to doing what is required to be at her best when the season begins.

“We’re learning a lot about our fitness levels and how we can make them better,” Sackett said. “We can learn a lot about that from playing high-level teams like Utah. I definitely need to get back into fall shape, but conditioning is obviously something we’ll be working on as well as winning our aerial battles.”

With their intentions and methods outlined clearly, Weber State will be one to watch next season.

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