UTAH VALLEY SET TO CONTINUE WAC PLAY AT UTAH TECH AND SOUTHERN UTAH THIS WEEK
Utah Valley continues Western Athletic Conference play this week with a pair of in-state matchups. The Wolverines will travel to St. George to take on Utah Tech on Thursday at 5 p.m. MT at Greater Zion Stadium. UVU will then head to Cedar City to face Southern Utah on Sunday at 1 p.m. MT at Thunderbird Soccer Field.

The Wolverines enter the week with a 7-4-1 overall record and a 1-0-0 mark in WAC play after securing a 5-2 victory over Tarleton State in their conference opener last week. UVU has now won four consecutive matches and five of its last six.

Last week, Utah Valley extended its winning streak to four matches in a 5-2 win over Tarleton State on the road. Faith Webber and Nixan Jackson each recorded braces in the win. Webber's two goals brought her season total to 10 and tied her for the all-time UVU career goals record with 40. Grace Lester added a stunning 30-yard goal just before halftime, while CJ Graham and Leah Wolf combined for a clean sheet in the box. UVU outshot Tarleton State 19-6 and controlled the match with 14 shots on goal compared to the Texans' two. 

Faith Webber leads the team with 10 goals and 22 points, along with 76 shots, 39 of them on frame. She also has three game-winning goals this season and is now tied for the all-time UVU career goals record with 40, needing just one more to set the record. Nixan Jackson is second on the team with four goals, followed by Ruby Hladek with three goals. Hladek also leads the team with five assists, tied with teammates Manthy Brady and Kate Shirts. CJ Graham leads UVU in goal with 36 saves, holding a 5-3-1 record and a 2.04 goals-against average.

BROADCAST INFO
Utah Valley's matches at Utah Tech and Southern Utah this week will be broadcast live on ESPN+. 

ABOUT UTAH TECH
Utah Tech enters the week with a 3-3-4 overall record and an 0-1-0 mark in WAC play after a narrow 2-1 loss at Grand Canyon last week on the road. The Trailblazers took an early lead in the match with Ella Rusick scoring in the fourth minute, but GCU responded with goals in the 32nd and 87th minutes to secure the win. Despite a strong defensive performance from goalkeeper Brianna Frey, who tallied nine saves, Utah Tech was unable to hold off the late surge. Lacy Fox leads Utah Tech with five goals and 11 points this season, pacing the team with 19 shots, including nine on target. Lataya Brost has contributed two goals, while Frey has been solid in goal, recording 56 saves and a 1.30 goals-against average through the season.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE TRAILBLAZERS
Utah Valley and Utah Tech will meet up on the pitch for the 11th time in the two team's histories. Utah Valley holds an all-time 7-2-1 advantage in the series. The Wolverines have won six straight over the Trailblazers. Utah Tech's last win in the series was a 2-1 win in St. George on Oct. 5, 2007. The series is tied at 2-2 in games played in St. George.

ABOUT SOUTHERN UTAH
Southern Utah comes into the week with a 2-6-3 overall record and an 0-1-0 start in WAC play after suffering a 5-1 defeat at California Baptist last week. The Thunderbirds leveled the match in the first half with a goal from Sarah Assumma, assisted by Yui Fujii, but CBU took control in the second half with three unanswered goals. Darya Mosallaei made seven saves in the match, but the T-Birds were outshot 23-11. Whitney Gardner leads Southern Utah with four goals and 11 points this season, adding three assists to her totals. Gardner, along with Sarah Assumma, has been a key contributor on offense, with Assumma scoring three goals this year. Chelsea Loeser has added two goals, while Mosallaei anchors the defense in goal with 52 saves and a 1.76 goals-against average.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE THUNDERBIRDS
Utah Valley and Southern Utah will meet up on the pitch for the 16th time in the two team's histories. Utah Valley holds an all-time 8-4-3 advantage in the series.  Utah Valley has won four straight over the T-Birds. UVU holds an all-time 3-3-1 record against the T-Birds in games played in Cedar City. UVU defeated SUU 3-0 in the last matchup against the team on Oct. 23, 2023 in Orem. UVU's last loss against SUU was a 2-1 setback on Sept. 6, 2015 in Cedar City.

FAITH WEBBER NAMED WAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Utah Valley senior forward Faith Webber has been named the WAC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring a brace in UVU's 5-2 win over Tarleton State in the team's WAC opener. Webber scored in the ninth minute to give the Wolverines an early 1-0 lead and then added another goal in the 90th minute to secure the victory. The two goals bring her season total to 10 and tie her with former Wolverine Heather Stainbrook as UVU's all-time career goal scorer with 40 goals. 

ROAD WARRIORS
Utah Valley has spent a significant amount of time on the road this season, with nine of the team's 12 games taking place away from home. The Wolverines have traveled a total of 8,730 miles, including flights to Ann Arbor, Detroit, Orlando, Charlottesville, Davis, California, Spokane, San Diego, and Dallas, Texas, followed by a round trip bus journey to Stephenville, Texas. Despite the demanding travel schedule, UVU has managed to come away with an impressive 6-2-1 record in road matches.