CEDAR CITY— Utah Valley scored three goals in a five-minute span in the first half to secure a 3-0 shutout road win over Southern Utah on Sunday afternoon at Thunderbird Soccer Field. The victory marks UVU's sixth straight, including its fourth consecutive road win.
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With the win, Utah Valley improves to 9-4-1 overall and remains undefeated in WAC play with a 3-0 record. The Wolverines have won six straight and seven of their last eight matches. SUU drops to 2-7-4 overall and 0-2-1 in league play.
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"We're happy to have earned a shutout and three points, but if we continue to play like we did in the second half, we're going to lose games,"Â said Utah Valley head coach
Chris Lemay. "That said, we're looking forward to coming home for three straight matches at Clyde Field in front of our fans."
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Utah Valley opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when
Nixan Jackson recovered the ball and slotted a pass to
Manthy Brady at the top of the box. Brady settled and fired a shot into the net, giving the Wolverines a 1-0 lead.
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Just two minutes later,
Taylor Nelson delivered a long lead pass from midfield to Jackson on the right flank. Jackson raced toward the end line and crossed the ball into the box, where
Cortney Cobabe one-touched it past the keeper for a 2-0 advantage in the 25th minute.
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The Wolverines capped their scoring spree in the 27th minute when
Haley Funn sent a pass from the back line to a sprinting Jackson down the right side. Jackson found
Ruby Hladek near the top of the six-yard box, and Hladek fired it into the goal to extend UVU's lead to 3-0.
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UVU outshot SUU 13-6, with a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal, and earned six corner kicks compared to SUU's two.
Sarah Oyler led UVU with three shots, while Brady added two shots on frame. Jackson recorded an impressive three assists, with Nelson and Funn each tallying one assist.
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CJ Graham played the first half in goal, making one save, while
Leah Wolf took over in the second half, recording two saves. The duo, along with UVU's defense, combined for the shutout.
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After opening WAC play with three straight wins, Utah Valley returns to Orem for a three-game homestand against Abilene Christian, California Baptist, and Grand Canyon. The Wolverines will face ACU on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Clyde Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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