UTAH VALLEY OPENS SEASON ON THE ROAD AT BIG TEN FOES MICHIGAN STATE, MICHIGAN
Utah Valley will open the 2019 season at Michigan State on Thursday, Aug. 22, before traveling to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to face the Wolverines on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The games against Michigan State and Michigan will mark the first time that the Wolverines have faced a school from the Big Ten Conference.

Utah Valley returns 12 letterwinners and six starters from last year's squad that made a run to the semifinals of the WAC Tournament. The Wolverines welcome back second-team all-WAC honorees Hannah Bruce and Madeline Moore to the squad. 2017 first team all-WAC honoree Breanna DeWaal also returns to the team after returning from an LDS Church mission in Romania. Leading scorer and point getter Sadie Brockbank also returns to the pitch for her sophomore season.
 
Bruce was a defensive force for the Wolverines in 2018, starting all 21 of UVU's matches last season. She helped anchor the UVU back line to four shutouts during WAC play. She also had one assist and five shots in 2018. Bruce led the team in minutes with 1,852 and earned second team All-WAC honors last season. Moore started and played in each of UVU's 21 matches last season. The midfielder tallied one assist, 14 shots, and three shots on goal in 2018. She played a major factor in UVU's four shutouts last year on the defensive end. Moore ranked second on the team in minutes played at 1,696.

DeWaal led Utah Valley to a WAC Tournament title and the team's second trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. She was named the WAC Tournament MVP and led the team with nine goals, six assists, and 24 points in 2017. She also earned All-WAC first team honors and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Team.
 
Brockbank posted eight goals and four assists for a team-high 20 points last year. She also led the team with 58 shots, including 25 on goal in 2018.

Thursday's game at Michigan State will kickoff at 5 p.m. (MT), while Sunday's match at Michigan will begin at noon (MT).

UVU PLAYS OAKLAND U TO 1-1 TIE IN EXHIBITION
Julianna Carter fired a shot into the back of the net in the 22nd minute to lead the Utah Valley University women's soccer team to a 1-1 draw in an exhibition match against Oakland University on Saturday night at Oakland Soccer Field in Rochester, Mich.

"We played well enough to win but didn't finish the opportunities that we created," said Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay. "The reason we play exhibition matches is to iron out the wrinkles to get ready for the season. We're looking forward to training these next few days so that we are sharper and ready to go against Michigan State on Thursday."

Carter freed herself from a defender and fired a shot to the far post in the 22nd minute to give UVU a 1-0 lead. The goal was unassisted.

Oakland's Alexa Sabbagh scored the game-tying goal in the 59th minute as she got free at the top of the box and found the net for the score.

Allie Jara played the first half in goal and tallied one save without giving up a score. Saydee Bacdad played the second period in the box. Bacdad recorded a pair of saves, including a spectacular save off a free kick.

Amber Tripp led the Wolverines with two shots, including one on frame. Heather Stainbrook, Carter, Sadie Brockbank, Jocelyn Bybee, Brinley Nelson, and Nicole Olanda each tallied one. The Wolverines out-shot Oakland on the night and edged the Grizzlies in corner kicks.

Utah Valley now prepares for Big Ten foes Michigan State and Michigan this next week in the Great Lakes State. The Wolverines will face Michigan State on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 5 p.m. (MT) and Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 25 at noon (MT).

UVU IN SEASON OPENERS
The Wolverines hold an all-time 6-8-2 record in season-opening matches. The Wolverines hold a 1-6-0 record when opening the season on the road and a 3-2-2 record when opening the season at home.

All-Time Results in Season Openers (6-8-2)
2003 vs. Mesa State        W, 5-0
2004 vs. Northern Arizona    T, 0-0 (2OT)
2005 vs. Weber State        L, 0-1
2006 vs. Tulsa (Laramie)    W, 2-1
2007 vs. Southern Utah        T, 1-1 (2OT)
2008 vs. North Dakota        W, 5-0
2009 at Utah        L, 0-6
2010 vs. Southern Utah (Sandy, UT)    W, 2-0

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State has a veteran team in 2019, as the Spartans return all 11 starters and all six goal-scorers from last season. Senior goalkeeper Reilley Ott enters her third season as the Spartan keeper this season. Ott had six shutouts and finished the 2018 season with a 1.16 goals against average. Forward Camryn Evans, who led the team with seven goals and 14 points as a freshman, returns to the lineup for her sophomore campaign. Evans shined in her rookie season and was named to the All-Big Ten Freshmen Team. She was tied for the team lead with two game-winning goals and scored two goals three times, against Green Bay (8/22), Oakland (9/6) and Purdue (9/13).

ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY VS. MICHIGAN STATE
Utah Valley and Michigan State will meet on the pitch on Thursday for the first time in school history.

ABOUT MICHIGAN
Michigan head coach Jennifer Klein enters her second season at the helm of the Michigan women's soccer program after going 9-9-1 in 2018 with an appearance in the Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines return two of their top three scorers from last season as well as a trio of staples on the back line and their entire goalkeeper contingent. Klein brings in eight freshmen in her first recruiting class to round out the 2019 roster. Michigan went 9-9-1 overall in 2018, with eight of those wins at U-M Soccer Stadium as part of a 8-3-0 home record. The Wolverines are 64-9-11 at home over the past seven seasons. The team returns 22 letterwinners from 2018, eight of whom started double-digit matches.

ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY VS. MICHIGAN
Utah Valley and Michigan will meet on the pitch on Sunday for the first time in school history.

TWO WOLVERINES NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM, WOLVERINES PICKED FOURTH IN WAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Utah Valley was selected to finish fourth in the 2019 Western Athletic Conference Preseason Poll and UVU players Breanna DeWaal and Hannah Bruce were named to the Preseason All-WAC team.
 
UVU was projected to finish fourth after receiving one first place vote for a total of 46 points. The Wolverines finished just two points behind UT Rio Grande Valley, which received 48 points. Seattle U was selected to win the conference as the team received six of the first place votes for 61 total points. Kansas City tallied two first place votes and received 52 points to claim the second spot. Grand Canyon (34) was picked fifth, followed by CSU Bakersfield (31) in sixth, and New Mexico State (22) and California Baptist (22) tied for seventh. Chicago State received eight points to finish ninth.
 
DeWaal returns to the team after sitting out the 2018 season while serving an LDS Church mission in Romania. The junior forward led Utah Valley to a WAC Tournament title and the team's second trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. She was named the WAC Tournament MVP and led the team with nine goals, six assists, and 24 points in 2017. She also earned All-WAC first team honors and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Team.
 
Bruce started and played all 21 matches for the Wolverines last season. She helped anchor the UVU back line to four shutouts during WAC play. She also had one assist and five shots in 2018. Bruce led the team in minutes with 1,852 and earned second team All-WAC honors last season.