UTAH VALLEY BEGINS NEW ERA WITH NORTHEAST TRIP
Utah Valley University men's soccer begins its new era under first-year head coach Kyle Beckerman this week with games at Canisius College and Niagara University in New York.
The season opener at Canisius is Thursday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT and can be seen live on ESPN 3. The trip concludes on Sunday, Aug. 29 with a 1 p.m. ET/11 a.m. MT kick from Niagara Falls, New York, and will also air on ESPN 3. The trip marks the first time the UVU men's soccer program will play in the state of New York since the program began in 2014.
SEASON OPENER SUCCESS
This fall begins the program's eighth season and marks just the second time the team will begin the season on the road. Last spring's opener was set to be a road contest but was canceled due to the pandemic. Utah Valley is 7-0-0 all-time in season openers, which also includes two wins over ranked opponents. The Wolverines have outscored the opposition 17-4 in season-opening games.
2021 ROSTER
This fall's team returns nearly its entire roster from the spring season including all 11 starters. That list includes top points scorer Alejandro Silva, who was an honorable mention All-WAC selection as a freshman. Silva finished with two goals and three assists in the team's seven contests. Zahir Vazquez, who was also honorable mention All-WAC, and second team All-WAC pick Jojea Kwizera both return as well. Vazquez scored a pair of goals and had two assists while Kwizera finished with a goal and two assists during the spring.
Also returning are three seniors who have at least four seasons of experience in the program. Joseph Wheelwright, the career leader in games played in goal, as well as Zach Maas and Mark Brown also are back for their final campaigns. Beckerman's club also features 10 newcomers, including Notre Dame College transfer and senior Evans Armah, along with eight true freshmen. The Wolverines were picked to finished eighth out of 12 teams in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
SPRING 2021 RECAP
Utah Valley's spring season involved a mid-season coaching change and, like many others, a bevy of uncertainty with four games being lost and several others re-scheduled due to the pandemic. The team finished 3-4-0 overall and 2-4-0 in six WAC games. The four games that were lost were all WAC contests. The Wolverines had three players receive All-WAC recognition, with Jojea Kwizera receiving All-WAC second team honors and both Alejandro Silva and Zahir Vazquez receiving honorable mention All-WAC.
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Canisius and Niagara both hail from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and were selected 11th and seventh, respectively, in the coaches' preseason poll. Thursday will mark the second time that UVU will face Canisius, with the Wolverines winning the prior contest on a golden goal, 4-3, in the second overtime during the 2019 season. Utah Valley and Niagara will meet for the first time on Sunday.
