WOLVERINES CLOSE OUT HOME SLATE VS WAC LEADERS
Utah Valley closes out its home schedule with its toughest stretch of the season with matches against WAC co-leaders Air Force and No. 25 Grand Canyon. Air Force will be in town on Thursday and GCU on Saturday with both matches slated for 2 p.m. starts. The games will also air live on ESPN+.
The Wolverines (7-4-2, 4-3-0) enter play this week in sixth in the WAC table, including fifth place among those schools eligible for the six-team tournament, which takes place starting Nov. 10 in Phoenix.
Prior to Saturday's game, UVU will honor all 11 of its graduating seniors, including the seven who are exhausting their eligibility: Evans Armah, Mark Brown, Erik Lyons, Zach Maas, James Peña, Sterling Penniston-John, and Joseph Wheelwright. Four others are also graduating and will be recognized as well: Conner Dearden, Mckay Eves, Zahir Vazquez, and Caleb Wight.
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines had split results on the team's two-game road trip last weekend. On Friday, Utah Valley recorded its largest margin of victory in program history, a 5-0 win at Chicago State before dropping a 2-0 decision at Houston Baptist two days later.
In the win, both Aaron Nixon and James Peña recorded a brace, with Penã collecting the first of his career. For Nixon, it was the second time this season he has scored twice in the same game and he leads the team and ranks fifth in the WAC with six goals. Diego Castillo also scored for the Wolverines, who also recorded seven assists on the five goals including two from Jojea Kwizera. Kwizera is currently tied for the WAC lead in that category with three other players with seven assists.
UP NEXT
The Wolverines finish up the WAC regular season next Friday, Nov. 5 at California Baptist in a 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT start.
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Air Force is 8-5-2 overall and tied with Grand Canyon at 7-1-0 atop the WAC table. The Falcons are led by Tristan Trager, who is tied for the WAC lead with both 11 goals and seven assists and leads all players with 29 points. UVU is 5-0-2 all-time against the Falcons, including a 2-0-1 record at Clyde Field.
Grand Canyon has been ranked throughout much of the season in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll, and enters the week at 12-2-0 with a match Thursday night at California Baptist. The Lopes are tied for the league lead with 34 goals as a team, while allowing only 12 goals on the season to lead the conference. The Wolverines are 4-3-0 all-time against GCU including 3-0-0 at home. The last four meetings between the teams have all gone to overtime.
REAL SALT LAKE TO HONOR COACH BECKERMAN
Utah Valley University men's soccer coach Kyle Beckerman is being honored for his playing career by Real Salt Lake on Nov. 3 in the the team's 2021 home finale against Portland. Tickets are available to UVU fans, staff, faculty and alumni for just $15 in selected areas at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. "Kyle Beckerman Night" will honor the club's longtime captain with a series of festivities in and around the match, which begins at 8 p.m. MT and airs on ESPN2. Tickets are available by clicking HERE.
