Utah Valley continues its stretch run on Thursday when it hosts preseason WAC favorite and defending conference tournament champion California Baptist for the penultimate game of the regular season. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. MDT and the match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Thursday's game has huge implications for both sides. As things stand, the Wolverines (3-6-5, 2-2-2 WAC) are in a WAC Tournament spot in sixth place, but face two pivotal games against tough opposition to close out the season. One win in the final two games and losses by either GCU or San Jose State would clinch the Wolverines a spot in the tournament.
The Lancers (6-5-3, 4-1-1 WAC), on the other hand, are still very much alive in the race for the WAC regular season title, sitting three points back of No. 12 Seattle U with two games to play for both, and are also looking to secure a first-round bye at the WAC Tournament.
Utah Valley will also look to extend its program-record unbeaten run at Clyde Field to 11 games on Thursday. The Wolverines have not lost a game at Clyde Field since the 2021 home finale against then-No. 25 GCU, with eight wins and two draws in that time. The Lancers are just one of two teams to score at Clyde Field in the last two seasons, along with the Pacific Tigers.
LAST TIME OUT
Saturday saw four different Wolverines find the back of the net en route to a 4-0 win over UTRGV. Ura Miura opened the scoring in the 27th minute after a turnover forced by Trevor Walk in the attacking third. Miura then set up Owen Knecht for the second goal in the 48th minute, just moments after UTRGV nearly equalized. Walk added his first-career goal in the 71st and Omar Yehya put the icing on the cake with his team-leading 4th goal in the 90th.
BELLINI EARNS WAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Junior defender Kendi Bellini was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Week for the match week ending on Oct. 22. Bellini contributed to a third-consecutive home shutout, and allowed just two SOG from UTRGV on Saturday. Bellini also made a sliding block to prevent a potential UTRGV equalizer early in the 2nd half of Saturday's game.
SILVA CLIMBING LEADERBOARDS
Junior midfielder Alejandro Silva is moving up the UVU leaderboards in numerous categories. On Saturday, Silva passed former Wolverine Karson Payton to move into second place all-time on the career assists leaderboard with 17. Silva has also moved up to eighth all-time in career minutes played, passing former UVU GK Joseph Wheelwright and MF's Connor Salmon and Carter Johnson.
SERIES HISTORY VS CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
The six-game series between the Wolverines and Lancers has been a tight one, with four of the six games being decided by one goal. All four UVU wins were decided by one goal, while the CBU wins have been by 2 or more goals.
Last year's regular season finale featured a dramatic comeback by the Wolverines within the last 15 minutes of regulation. Nico Torres equalized in the 75th minute and Mark Andros added the game-winner in the 88th minute — the latest regulation game-winning goal in program history — to clinch the team a spot at the WAC Tournament. CBU ended UVU's season five nights later with a 3-1 defeat in the WAC Quarterfinals.
UP NEXT
Utah Valley closes out the regular season with a Senior Night showdown against the GCU Lopes. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT, with the Senior Night ceremony taking place 20 minutes prior.
