WOLVERINES HEAD TO VEGAS FOR TWO CONTESTS
With WAC play right around the corner, Utah Valley University soccer will face a pair of West Coast Conference teams in Las Vegas, Nevada, starting with Santa Clara on Thursday at 8 p.m. PT/9 p.m. MT. The Wolverines will also take on No. 6 Saint Mary's on Sunday at noon PT/1 p.m. MT in what will be the first time UVU plays both programs.
"This is an exciting week as we're traveling our entire roster to Las Vegas for the Peter Johann Memorial Classic to wrap up non-conference play against Santa Clara and Saint Mary's," UVU head coach Greg Maas said. "We have two very difficult matches, on very short rest, but I know the boys are eager to get back on the pitch in our final preparations before conference play kicks off in the WAC next week."
This will be Utah Valley's third time competing at the UNLV-hosted classic. The Wolverines have gone 3-1-0 in four matches played in their first two mid-season trips to Las Vegas, in 2014 and 2015. In 2014, the Wolverines played No. 4 UC Irvine which, to date, is the highest ranked opponent UVU has faced in program history. This Sunday's contest against the sixth-ranked Gaels will be the second-highest coaches poll ranking for a UVU opponent.
UVU enters this week's play at 2-2-1 after splitting a pair of double-overtime contests at Clyde Field. Last Friday, Alec Felix scored the golden goal to defeat Canisius, 4-3, before UC Irvine scored in the second extra frame to knock off the Wolverines on Monday, 2-1.
Aidan Dayton, Zach Maas, Leo Fuchs and Felix all scored in the win over Canisius while Blake Frischknecht scored in Monday's match. Felix, Maas and Frischknecht have two goals each to lead the Wolverines.
The games in Las Vegas will be a homecoming for four Wolverines who are from the area: Frischknecht, Ahmed Longmire, Sterling Penniston-John, and Becca Rice.
UP NEXT
Next week is Homecoming Week on the UVU campus and the Wolverines will cap the week with the WAC opener against Houston Baptist on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. MT.
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Santa Clara (2-2-1) drew with San Diego State last Saturday to end a strech of five straight home matches to begin the season. SCU has faced two WAC schools so far this season, defeating San José State, 5-1, and falling to Grand Canyon, 1-0.
Saint Mary's (5-0-0) is ending a stretch of five straight WAC opponents at this week's classic and has wins over Grand Canyon (1-0), San José State (5-2), and CSU Bakersfield (3-2, OT) in its last three matches. The Gaels will play UNLV on Thursday prior to UVU's match with Santa Clara. Saint Mary's is 24-0-5 in its last 29 matches and has not recorded a loss since Oct. 21, 2017. The Gaels are also ranked No. 2 in the country by Soccer America and No. 3 in the College Soccer News poll.
