UTAH VALLEY OPENS WAC PLAY AT CSU BAKERSFIELD
After wrapping up non-conference play with a 5-5-1 record, Utah Valley travels to The Golden State to open Western Athletic Conference play against CSU Bakersfield on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (MT)

The Wolverines have won two straight matches and have a three-match unbeaten streak. The team most recently picked up a 3-2 win over North Dakota State last Saturday at Clyde Field. Julianna Carter broke a 2-2 tie against the Bison with a game-winning goal in the 86th minute to lift Utah Valley to the 3-2 win. UVU's Jenna Shepherd and Heather Stainbrook also recorded goals in the win over NDSU. 

CSU Bakersfield wrapped up non-league play last week with a program-best 5-5-1 record since joining the WAC in 2013. The Runners dropped a 3-0 decision at home to UC Santa Barbara to finish non-league play last Sunday. With its loss to Sacramento State, CSUB has dropped two straight. The team opens WAC play against California Baptist on Friday before welcoming the Wolverines to Main Soccer Field on Sunday. Senior midfielder Sophie Freeman and junior forward Eszter Toth lead the Runners with three goals each. Junior keeper Andrea Neves leads CSUB in the box with 36 saves. 

Carter leads the team with six goals and 12 points this season. Carter leads the team with 24 shots, including a team-best 19 on frame. She also fronts the team with four game winners. Amber Tripp has three goals, while Jocelyn Bybee, Breanna DeWaal, Shepherd, and Stainbrook each have one. Allie Jara leads the team in the box with 855 minutes played. She has a team-best 34 saves and holds a .756 save percentage.  She also holds a 1.16 goals allowed per game average. The keeper has two shutouts this year. 

CARTER RANKS SECOND IN THE NATION IN SHOT ACCURACY, THIRD IN GAME WINNERS
Utah Valley sophomore forward Julianna Carter ranks second in the nation in shot accuracy with a .792 mark. She also ranks third in the country with four game-winning goals. She also ranks 56th nationally in shots on goal per game (1.73) and 61st in the nation in total goals (6). UVU keeper Allie Jara ranks 35th in the nation in saves per game.

CLYDE FIELD MAGIC, UVU RANKS 10TH NATIONALLY IN ATTENDANCE
Utah Valley holds an impressive 78-38-11 all time record at Clyde Field. The team has lost just seven matches over the past five seasons on the home pitch. UVU suffered its first losing record at home in 2018, going 3-4-1. UVU went 5-1-0 in 2017,  5-2-1 during the 2016 season and were unbeaten at home during the 2015 season with a 9-0-1 mark. The Wolverines are a 4-1-1 at home this season. UVU ranks 10th in the nation in attendance this season as the Wolverines average 1,309 fans per game at Clyde Field.

ABOUT CSU BAKERSFIELD
CSU Bakersfield enters Sunday's match against Utah Valley with a 5-5-1 overall record. The 5-5-1 mark is the CSUB's best non-league record since joining the WAC in 2013. The team holds a 2-5-0 record at home this season, but has been successful on the road with a 3-0-1 mark. The Runners have dropped two straight, including a 2-0 loss at home to Sacramento State and a 3-0 setback to UC Santa Barbara at home. The team opens WAC play on Friday against California Baptist before welcoming UVU to Main Soccer Field on Sunday. Senior midfielder Sophie Freeman and junior forward Eszter Toth lead the team in scoring this season with three goals each. Junior keeper Andrea Neves has played 10 matches in the box for the Runners, collecting 36 saves with a .692 save percentage. As a team, CSUB has scored 14 goals in 11 matches, while allowing 16 goals. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. CSU BAKERSFIELD
Utah Valley and CSU Bakersfield will meet on the pitch for the 12th time on Sunday. The Wolverines hold an all-time 9-2-0 series advantage over the 'Runners. UVU took a 3-0 win at home over Bakersfield last season and has won nine of the last 10 matches in the series. The Wolverines hold a perfect 5-0-0 record against CSUB at Main Soccer Field. UVU won its first-ever WAC tournament title in 2015 at Main Soccer Field with a win over Seattle U in the championship match.

All-Time Results vs. CSU Bakersfield (UVU leads series 9-2-0)
Oct. 12, 2018    Utah Valley def. CSU Bakersfield, 3-0    Orem, Utah
Oct. 22, 2017    Utah Valley def. CSU Bakersfield, 1-0    Bakersfield, Calif.
Oct. 07, 2016    CSU Bakersfield def. Utah Valley, 1-0    Orem, Utah
Oct. 25, 2015    Utah Valley def. CSU Bakersfield, 3-2    Bakersfield, Calif.
Oct. 18, 2015    Utah Valley def. CSU Bakersfield, 3-2    Orem, Utah
Oct. 10, 2014    Utah Valley def. CSU Bakersfield, 2-1    Orem, Utah
Oct. 03, 2014    Utah Valley def. CSU Bakersfield, 2-1    Bakersfield, Calif.
Sept. 22, 2013    Utah Valley def. CSU Bakersfield, 2-0    Bakersfield, Calif.
Sept. 20, 2013    Utah Valley def. CSU Bakersfield, 2-0    Orem, Utah
Oct. 02, 2012    Utah Valley def. CSU Bakersfield, 1-0 (OT)    Bakersfield, Calif.
Oct. 23, 2008    CSU Bakersfield def. Utah Valley, 3-1    Orem, Utah

CARTER AND SHEPHERD EARN WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Utah Valley's Julianna Carter and Jenna Shepherd were selected as the Western Athletic Conference Women's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for Sept. 16-23, respectively.

Carter, a sophomore forward from Jasper, Texas, scored three goals on the week, including the game-winner on the road at UNLV. She recorded her first brace of the season as she netted a second goal against the Runnin' Rebels. Carter was also responsible for the equalizer that led to a 1-1 tie against San Diego. With her three goals, Carter ranks second amongst goal-scorers in the conference.

Shepherd, a redshirt freshman defender from American Fork, Utah, was the centerpiece for a Wolverine defense that held No. 10 BYU to just one goal. Shepherd and her teammates held MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List player Elise Flake to just two shots and no goals. The young defender also helped UVU limit San Diego to just one goal in a 1-1 double overtime tie. In the Wolverine's third game of the week, Shepherd anchored the defense in a 3-0 shutout victory over UNLV. Shepherd also managed to assist fellow player of the week, Julianna Carter, on her second goal against UNLV