OREM, Utah — At long last, the Utah Valley men's soccer team opens its regular season schedule with a home match against the Kansas City Roos on Thursday at Clyde Field.
Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. MDT and the match will be the first half of a doubleheader, as women's soccer hosts No. 19 Clemson at 7:30 p.m. MDT. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats will be available at UVUStats.com.
The Wolverines will look to build off of a strong home campaign in 2022 that saw the team go a perfect 5-0 at Clyde Field and out-score opponents 10-1. Utah Valley will also look to extend its impressive home opener and season opener streak. In nine seasons, the Wolverines have never lost a season opener, going 8-0-1. Utah Valley is also a perfect 9-0 in home openers.
While there are many new faces in the fold this year, many stalwarts from last year's campaign return for the Wolverines. First-team All-WAC and preseason All-WAC selection Alejandro Silva returns for his fourth season. The COVID junior from Salt Lake City led Utah Valley in assists in 2022 with six, and currently stands tied for third in career assists with 13.
Also returning are preseason All-WAC selections Leon Olacio and Mark Andros. Olacio is the leading returner in minutes played from last season, and was a key member of the Utah Valley back line that posted a WAC-best seven clean sheets. Andros led the team in goals scored with five despite playing the 12th-most minutes among outfield players.
Coach Beckerman welcomes in 12 newcomers to the 2023 squad, including eight transfers that have prior collegiate experience. Among those newcomers is St. Francis Brooklyn grad transfer Michele Signorelli, who has scored 48 goals in 74 collegiate games between St. Francis and Arizona Western (JUCO).
Dutch defender Floris van Nijnanten is another newcomer that brings valuable experience to the Utah Valley squad. Van Nijnanten played two seasons at D-II Nova Southeastern in Florida, where he helped lead the Sharks to the Final Four in 2021. Van Nijnanten played over 1,300 minutes in both of his seasons at NSU, and was the captain of the NAC Breda academy team in Amsterdam prior to coming stateside.
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Utah Valley will face off against a familiar foe in Kansas City. The two schools were WAC rivals for six seasons, from 2014-2019, during which they met seven times. The Wolverines hold a 5-2 lead in the all-time series, including a 3-0 win in the most recent meeting at the 2019 WAC Tournament hosted by Air Force.
The Roos now compete in the Summit League, and are coming off a 7-5-5 record (4-1-3 Summit) in 2022. Kansas City is led by fourth-year head coach Ryan Pore, who has posted a 15-20-11 record in his first three seasons. French forward Christian Koffi is the leading returning goal-scorer and assister for the Roos with five goals and five assists in 2022.
UP NEXT
Utah Valley will head up I-15 to America First Field in Sandy where the Wolverines will play host to the Western Michigan Broncos. Admission is free and gates will open at 12 p.m. MDT. Fans should park on the west side of the stadium and enter up the Spanish Steps in the northwest corner of the stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. MDT, and the match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
