Utah Valley travels to Colorado to face the Air Force Falcons on Sunday to cap off a stretch of three straight road games. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. MDT, and the match will be streamed live on WAC International.
The Wolverines return to action for the first time in a week after drawing UTRGV and falling to GCU in last week's games. Omar Yehya scored his 10th goal of the season to lead Utah Valley to a draw in Edinburg on Thursday, but the Wolverines were blanked in a 1-0 shutout in Phoenix on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Yehya was named to TopDrawerSoccer's midseason top 100 list, coming in at No. 25. Yehya is the first Wolverine to be named to TDS' midseason list, and the second overall, joining Paul Hoffmeister, who was ranked No. 21 in the preseason ranking back in 2017.Â
Yehya is the second Wolverine to reach double-digit goals in a season, joining Blake Frischknecht who netted 13 in 2019 en route to WAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Yehya is currently ahead of Frischknecht's 2019 pace, reaching 10 goals in 12 games while Frischknecht reached double digits in 16 games. Earlier this season, Yehya matched another one of Frischknecht's UVU records, tallying a goal contribution in seven consecutive games.Â
The Wolverines are looking to get back into the win column after going winless in the first four WAC games of the season. Utah Valley has been a strong road team this season, posting a 3-1-2 record. The Wolverines were unbeaten on the road before suffering their first defeat away from Clyde Field last Sunday at GCU. It was the second-longest unbeaten start on the road in program history, behind the 2021 squad that went seven games before taking a loss.Â
SERIES HISTORY vs AIR FORCE
Utah Valley is looking to avenge its lone loss in the all-time series against Air Force, which came the last time the Wolverines played at the USAFA. Thaddaeus Dewing netted a hat trick to lead the Falcons to a 3-1 win back in 2022. Utah Valley is 7-1-2 all-time against the Air Force Academy, including a 2-0 win at Clyde Field last season.
UVU STATISTICAL RANKINGS IN THE WAC & NATION
As of Oct. 14, Utah Valley ranks among the best in the WAC and in the nation in many team and individual categories:Â
Goal Differential: 3rd WAC (+2)
Scoring Offense: 3rd WAC (1.54/game)
Assists: t-1st WAC (18)
Total Goals: 2nd WAC (20)
Goalie minutes played: B. Williams, t-1st WAC, 2nd NCAA (1,170)
Shutouts: Ben Williams, t-1st WAC, 36th NCAA (2)
Points/Game: Omar Yehya, 1st WAC, 18th NCAA (1.69)
GW goals Omar: Yehya, t-1st WAC, 39th NCAA (2)
Assists (individual): Gilles Aurelien, t-3rd WAC (4)
Goals (individual): Omar Yehya, 1st WAC, t-4th NCAA (10)
Total Points: Omar Yehya, 1st WAC, 6th NCAA (22)
UTAH VALLEY AGAIN PUTTING UP IMPRESSIVE ATTENDANCE NUMBERS
Despite having a reduced capacity at Clyde Field due to construction, Utah Valley is ranks among the top 40 teams in the nation in home attendance at 981, good for fourth-best in the WAC. The team also ranks 7th in the nation in percent capacity at 93.41% of the temporary 1,050 maximum. After UCCU Stadium is complete, the new capacity will be approximately 3,000.
UP NEXT
Utah Valley will return home for the final two games of the regular season when the Wolverines host UNLV on Oct. 24 and Utah Tech on Oct. 28. The game against the Trailblazers will be the team's Senior Night, with a pregame ceremony prior to kickoff. Both games are slated for 6 p.m. starts, and both will be streamed on ESPN+.
