OREM, Utah — Noah Pogue, Oliver Watts, and Jose Luis Martin Montealegre each scored second-half goals to propel Utah Valley (7-1-2, 3-1 BW) to a 3-0 win over the Sacramento State Hornets (3-7-2, 0-1-2 BW) on Saturday night at UCCU Stadium.
With the win, Utah Valley maintains its lead atop The Big West and secured its best start to the league season through four games since 2019, when the Wolverines started 5-0. The three-goal margin of victory was also the team's largest in league play since 2023 when UVU thumped UTRGV 4-0 at Clyde Field.
"Extremely proud of our guys. We used all of our depth to get that result," said head coach Michael Chesler. "We didn't start great. The subs came on — we actually call them game-changers — and they changed the game. They got us the result, then the starters came back on and finished it for us, so I couldn't be more proud."
Utah Valley used all 20 of its available outfield players in the win, with the first goal coming via the substitutes. The Wolverines let it rip on the offensive end, recording their most shots on goal of the season and their most total shots since the season opener against Pacific.
Jackson Medina made two saves in the opening 18 minutes, saving a well-placed volley from Sean Battistessa in the eighth minute then parrying away a knuckling free kick from Hiroshi Yang in the 18th minute. Medina ended the night with four saves en route to his second clean sheet of the season.
Utah Valley had two quick chances in the 15th minute as Watts' initial effort was blocked, then Luca Wingaa Laursen's shot on the rebound was saved.
After a sluggish end to the first half from both sides, the Wolverines took over in the second, holding the Hornets to three shots and just one on frame.
Utah Valley opened the scoring in the 59th minute on a corner taken by Bismark Ayamba. Pogue lost his man and rose up uncontested to head home the goal and earn Ayamba his first point at the D-I level.
Watts doubled the lead in the 80th minute, pouncing on a loose touch by a Hornet defender and leaving his markers in the dust, burying a shot into the upper 90 from about 20 yards out.
Montealegre capped things off with a well-timed run off a feed from Watts in the 87th minute, curling a shot past the keeper from the right side of the 18.
Utah Valley will now head back to Southern California on Wednesday for its first of three Pac-12 crossover games, facing off with their third and final reigning Big West regular season co-champions in Cal Poly. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MDT, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
