LAS VEGAS, Nev. – In what has become a spirited I-15 rivalry, Utah Valley University held off UNLV to win 3-2 on Friday night at Peter Johann Field, securing three important points in the WAC standings.
 
Las Vegas local Blake Frischknecht scored his first career goal for the Wolverines, Karson Payton notched his first goal of the season, and Paul Hoffmeister moved into first all-time at UVU in goals scored with the game-winner, giving him 21 in his career.
 
"It's pretty exciting. Coming here feels like home. I've played on this field probably more than at Clyde Field. It was a good experience," Frischknecht said. "I knew it was going to be heated game. I know almost all the guys on that (UNLV) team so I knew what to expect."
 
The Wolverines (6-8-2, 3-3-2) are unbeaten in their last four matches, going 3-0-1 during that time while the third-place Rebels (8-9-0, 5-3-0) lost for just the first time at home during the WAC regular season.
 
"We knew it was going to be a very intense match and it certainly lived-up to that. Our backs are against the wall and we need points. This win was massive on so many levels," said UVU head coach Greg Maas. "Today was about grit and heart and that was Utah Valley at its very best. Credit to UNLV for battling back, but we dug-in deep and got the result that we deserved."
 
In the first half, Utah Valley took advantage of one of its only opportunities to score when Frischknecht split two defenders and found the back of the net in the 43rd minute.
 
After halftime, Payton lifted a free kick into the box, where it bounced once and found the right corner in the 55th minute, making it a 2-0 game. Payton factored into the third goal-scoring opportunity as well, when he got in front of the UNLV back line and was fouled in the box for a penalty kick, which Hoffmeister converted in the 60th minute.
 
The Rebels made it interesting, getting a goal from Marco Gonzalez in the 62nd minute and then a deep goal from Timo Mehlich with just over two minutes to go on a ball that was deflected out on a corner kick.
 
The Wolverine defense staved off a would-be equalizer, including on a corner kick in the final seconds when goalkeeper Joseph Wheelwright punched out a service into the box. Wheelwright recorded eight saves in the match with UNLV recording 20 shots with 10 on goal. Hoffmeister's goal was his team-high fifth of the season and was his third in the last four games.

The teams have now split six games all-time, 3-3, and each team has knocked out the other in the past two WAC Tournaments. UVU defeated UNLV, 1-0, in Kansas City during the 2015 tournament and the Rebels returned the favor, by the same score, last season in Orem. Both games were in the tournament semifinals. 
 
Utah Valley travels to Grand Canyon for a Sunday night match against the Lopes in what is another pivotal contest as the Wolverines seek a berth in the WAC Tournament, which happens to be back in Las Vegas. UVU enters Sunday's match in a tie with UT Rio Grande Valley for fifth place with 11 points while Grand Canyon drew with Seattle U on Friday night and is tied with San José State for seventh with 10 points.