The Utah Valley University women's soccer team wraps up non-conference play this week as the Wolverines host Seattle U in a non-league game at Clyde Field on Saturday before traveling to play No. 23 Texas A&M on Monday.
Saturday's match against WAC rival Seattle U marks just the third home match of the season for UVU. The team holds a 1-1-0 record at home this season with a win over Wyoming and a double-overtime setback to Washington State. The team then plays at No. 23 Texas A&M on Monday night.
Utah Valley heads into the new week fresh off a 3-0 loss at crosstown rival BYU last week. Utah Valley outshot BYU, 10-8, on the night, including a 5-4 advantage on goal. The Cougars took advantage of their opportunities to hand the Wolverines their fourth shutout loss of the season. Breanna DeWaal led the way for UVU with three shots followed by two apiece from Tori Smith and Leesa Stowe. Brooklyn Nielson recorded one save in goal for Utah Valley.
DeWaal leads UVU and the WAC with 45 shots and 22 shots on goal this season. She also leads the Wolverines and ranks tied for seventh in the WAC with three goals through 11 matches. Beanna McCarter and Sydney Fitzpatrick each have two goals, while Doriana Moul, Ashlyn Farnes, Libby Weber and Amber Tripp have each recorded one goal this year. Brooklyn Nielsen leads UVU in the box with 21 saves and a 1.75 goals allowed average. As a team, Utah Valley ranks third in the WAC in shots and first in the WAC with 80 corner kicks this season.
Seattle U enters Saturday night's match with a 4-5-1 overall record. The team has gone 1-3-1 in its last five matches. The Redhawks went 0-1-1 last week with a 1-1 double-overtime tie at home against Portland and a 2-1 double-overtime setback at Gonzaga. SU has been successful on the road this season, picking up all four of its wins away from Championship Field. SU holds a 3-3-0 record on the road and a 1-0-0 neutral site record. Sophomore forward Jessie Ray, this week's WAC Offensive Player of the Week, scored SU's goal against Portland and leads the team with seven goals this season, which ranks her 25th nationally in total goals. SU keeper Mackenzie Curry was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after collecting seven saves in the loss at Gonzaga. She also made a pair of key saves in the final minute to secure the tie against Portland.
Utah Valley and Seattle U meet on the pitch for the 15th time on Saturday. Seattle U holds an all-time 12-1-1 advantage over UVU. After dropping eight-straight matches to the Redhawks, Utah Valley was finally able to tie things up in a double-overtime match in 2015. The Wolverines then picked up their first-ever win over SU in the 2015 WAC Tournament championship match, defeating the Redhawks, 2-0, to claim the team's first-ever WAC soccer title. Since UVU picked up the win in the 2015 WAC Tournament title match, Seattle U has won three straight. The Redhawks defeated UVU, 2-1, in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament last year in Kansas City.
Texas A&M enters the week with a 6-2-1 overall record. The team picked up a pair of big wins last week with a 2-1 victory at home over sixth-ranked Florida and a road win at Missouri. The wins catapulted the Aggies into the United Soccer Coaches top-25 poll at No. 23 this week. Texas A&M holds a 2-1-1 record at home with its only loss coming against Butler on Sept. 8, 2-0. Senior forward Haley Pounds leads the team with four goals this season, including a pair in the win over Missouri. Sophomore forward Cienna Arrieta has three goals this season after scoring a goal in each game last week.
Monday's matchup at Texas A&M will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools. In fact, it will mark Utah Valley's first-ever matchup against a school from the Southeastern Conference. The matchup at No. 23 Texas A&M will also mark the fifth time the Wolverines have faced a ranked opponent. UVU last faced a ranked opponent on August 21, 2016, at No. 20 Arizona, dropping the match, 5-1. UVU has never beat a ranked opponent.
Utah Valley has logged 11,810 miles this season. The team has already played in six states this year. Utah Valley spent nearly a month on the road before the team opened its home slate against Wyoming on Sept. 8. UVU opened the season with a pair of matches in Hawaii. The team then traveled to Las Vegas; Northridge, California; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. UVU opened the season with a 2-4-0 record over the month-long roadie. The Wolverines have played nine of their 11 matches away from Clyde Field. UVU holds a 1-7-0 road record and a 1-0-0 record at a neutral site this season. Monday's match at Texas A&M marks the 10th game on the road for UVU this year.
Utah Valley has lost four players to injury this season, including Alexis Peterson, Sara Callister, Sheridan Fox and Sadie Brockbank. Peterson led UVU with five goals last season, while Callister scored two and Fox had one. In 2015, Fox led UVU with eight goals while Callister tallied three.
Utah Valley has played four overtime games this season. The Wolverines opened the season with a 2-1 loss at Hawaii in overtime. The team then dropped back-to-back 2-1 overtime decisions at UNLV and at CSUN. The Wolverines also lost in double overtime at home to Washington State, 3-2. UVU is 0-4-0 in overtime games this year.
Utah Valley is tied for 11th in the nation in corner kicks per game this year (7.27). The Wolverines also rank tied for 12th in the nation in corner kicks (80). The Wolverines lead the WAC in both categories.
Utah Valley holds an impressive 67-34-10 all-time record at Clyde Field. The team has lost just five matches the past four seasons on the home pitch. UVU went 5-2-1 last season, including a double-overtime tie against in-state rival Utah and wins over Southern Utah, UNLV, Grand Canyon, Chicago State and UMKC. The Wolverines were unbeaten at home during the 2015 season with a 9-0-1 mark. UVU is 1-1-0 at home this season with a win over Wyoming. UVU ranks 26th nationally in attendance, averaging 1,050 fans per match.
Saturday night's match against Seattle U will be broadcast live on the WAC Digital Network with Brandon Crow and former UVU soccer player Melanie Ostler on the call. Monday's match at Texas A&M will be broadcast live on the SEC Network and online via WatchESPN.
Jason Erickson works in the communications office at the Utah Valley University athletic department. For more information on Wolverine athletics, visit GoUVU.com.