Utah Valley opens WAC play this week with a pair of home games at Clyde Field against the Seattle U Redhawks on Thursday and the San José State Spartans on Saturday.

Thursday's game against the defending WAC regular season champions is slated for a 5 p.m. MT start. Saturday's matchup against the Spartans is scheduled for a 6 p.m. MT kickoff. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live stats available at UVUStats.com.

Utah Valley (5-2-2) heads into league play with its best record in four seasons under Kyle Beckerman. It's also the first time the Wolverines have had five or more wins at the end of non-conference play since the 2016 season. 

Utah Valley is looking to give Seattle U its first WAC regular season loss in nearly two calendar years. The Redhawks — who won the league regular season title with an unbeaten 7-0-1 record in 2023 — last lost a conference game to SJSU on Nov. 4, 2022.

Omar Yehya has been on a tear so far this season, netting a team-best seven goals and adding two assists. As of Oct. 1, Yehya ranks tied for ninth in the nation in goals scored and 11th in total points (16). Against Lindenwood, Yehya tied a program record with a goal contribution in seven straight games, matching the record set by Blake Frischknecht in 2019. Yehya's seven goals also already ranks t-sixth most in a single season in program history. 

Freshman Isaac Emojong has burst onto the scene with four goals in his first nine collegiate games. As of Oct. 1, Emojong is one of just 11 freshmen in the nation with four or more goals at this point in the season. 

SERIES HISTORY VS SEATTLE U & SJSU

Utah Valley holds a 1-8-3 record all-time against the Redhawks, with two of the ties resulting in shootout losses at the WAC Tournament. The Wolverines lone win in the series came back in 2018, also at Clyde Field. Assistant coach Blake Frischknecht scored a goal in that win. Seattle U won 5-2 last season at home. 

SJSU owns most of the recent success in the series against Utah Valley, as the Wolverines are 3-6-2 against the Spartans. The Wolverines are winless in the last eight meetings against SJSU, but picked up a gritty 1-1 road draw in San Jose last season.

UVU STATISTICAL RANKINGS IN THE WAC & NATION

As of Oct. 1, Utah Valley ranks among the best in the WAC and in the nation in many team and individual categories: 

Goal Differential: 1st WAC (+5)

Scoring Offense: 2nd WAC (1.78/game)

Assists: 2nd WAC (14)

Total Goals: 2nd WAC (16)

Game-Winning goals: Omar Yehya, 1st WAC, 21st NCAA (2)

Goals (individual): Omar Yehya, 1st WAC, 9th NCAA (7); Isaac Emojong, t-3rd WAC (4)

Total Points: Omar Yehya, 1st WAC, 11th NCAA (16)

UP NEXT

Utah Valley will head out on the road for the first time in six games and in over a month when the team heads to Edinburg, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona to take on UTRGV and GCU. The Wolverines will face the Vaqueros at 5:30 p.m. MT on Oct. 10 and the Lopes at 8 p.m. MT on Oct. 13. Both games will air live on ESPN+.