ORLANDO, Florida – Utah Valley's Ruby Hladek scored in the 81st minute to secure a 1-1 draw against Big 12 foe UCF in the Knights' home opener on Thursday night at the UCF Soccer Complex.
 
With the draw, Utah Valley remains unbeaten, moving to 2-0-1 on the season. The Wolverines have played all three of their games on the road this season. UCF is now 1-0-1.
 
"UCF is a really talented team that will have a great season, and they were all over us early on," said Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay. "I'm proud of how our players settled in and battled. A 1-1 tie is a fair result when you look at the game as a whole, but when you have the lead with five minutes left, you get greedy and really want the win. This match had the feel of a late-round NCAA tournament game in the second half. It was a great game against a strong team, and I'm proud of our effort. We've played all three of our matches this season on the road, and now we're nearing the end of a 14-day road trip, with our toughest test still ahead of us against a nationally-ranked Virginia team that just knocked off No. 3 Penn State tonight."
 
Hladek's goal came after Manthy Brady made a crucial play to keep the ball from going out of bounds near the end line. Brady delivered a cross to Hladek in front of the goal, and she slotted the ball across the line to put the Wolverines ahead.
 
UCF responded in the 85th minute when Chloe Netzel fired a left-footed shot into the back of the net to level the score.
 
UCF outshot Utah Valley 23-17 and held an 8-5 edge in shots on goal. Faith Webber led the Wolverines with a match-high six shots, including two on goal, while Hladek registered four shots with one on frame. Nixan Jackson contributed two shots.
 
CJ Graham was strong in goal for Utah Valley, recording seven saves in 90 minutes of action. She remains unbeaten in the box this season.
 
Utah Valley will conclude its four-game road trip with a match at No. 21 Virginia on Sunday in Charlottesville, Virginia. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. (MT). The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.