UTAH VALLEY HOSTS PAIR OF EXHIBITION GAMES IN PREPARATION FOR 2024 SEASON
The Utah Valley women's soccer team will take on crosstown rival BYU on Wednesday night in an exhibition match at Clyde Field in Orem. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The match will be one of two exhibition games that the Wolverines will host in preparation for the 2024 season, which will officially begin at Michigan on Aug. 15. UVU will also host Idaho State on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in an exhibition contest.
The Wolverines head into the 2024 season after going 10-4-5 overall and went unbeaten in league play with a 7-0-2 record to win a second straight WAC regular season championship. Utah Valley returns 15 letterwinners, including five starters from last year's WAC championship team.
Offensive force Faith Webber returns to the team for her senior season after scoring 30 goals over the past two seasons, including a UVU single season record 16 last season. Webber ranked fifth in the nation in scoring last season with 16 goals and 11th nationally in total points with 36. Webber also led the Wolverines in shots on goal per game (2.26) per game (4.05) in 2023, which ranked sixth in the country. Ruby Hladek and Nixan Jackson also return to the team and will join Webber on the front line. Hladek and Jackson each had four goals apiece last year, while Hladek led Utah Valley with eight assists.
CJ Graham will be back in the box for the Wolverines after playing 14 games last season with an impressive 0.78 goals against average. She went 8-1-4 in goal with two solo shutouts and four combined clean sheets.
BROADCAST INFO
Utah Valley's exhibition matches against BYU and Idaho State will not be streamed. All regular season home games and WAC road games will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
ABOUT BYU
BYU went 20-3-3 overall last season and went 7-0-3 in Big 12 play. The Cougars made a second straight College Cup appearance, falling 2-0 to Stanford in the national championship game. BYU finished the season ranked No. 4 in the country. The team returns two starters and welcome 12 newcomers, including four transfers and eight freshmen.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BYU
Utah Valley has played nine official matches against BYU with the Cougars holding an all-time 8-1 series advantage. Seven of the nine games in the series have been played on South Field in Provo. Utah Valley picked up its first win over BYU in 2022, taking a 4-2 come-from-behind win in Provo on Sept. 10, 2022. The two teams played last season with the Cougars taking a 6-1 win at Clyde Field.
ABOUT IDAHO STATE
Idaho State went 4-13-2 overall in 2023 and finished Big Sky Conference play with a 2-4-2 record. The team dropped a 4-1 decision to Portland State in the first round of last year's Big Sky Tournament.
SERIES HISTORY VS. IDAHO STATE
Utah Valley and Idaho State have played 14 official games against each other. Utah Valley holds an all-time 7-5-2 advantage in the series. The Wolverines have won five straight games against the Bengals, including a 6-0 shutout in Pocatello last season.
BACK-T0-BACK REGULAR SEASON WAC CHAMPIONS
Utah Valley won its second straight Western Athletic Conference regular season championship last season, going unbeaten in league play with a 7-0-2 record. Utah Valley outscored WAC opponents 35-3 last year. The Wolverines have won three WAC regular season championship over the past four seasons. UVU has won WAC regular season titles in 2020, 2022, and 2023. UVU has also won three WAC Tournament championships (2015, 2017, 2021).
CLYDE FIELD MAGIC
Utah Valley holds an impressive 104-43-15 (.688) all time record at Clyde Field. The team has lost just four matches over the past five seasons on the home pitch. UVU went 6-1-1 in 2022, 8-1-1 in 2021, 4-1-2 in 2020, 8-1-1 in 2019, 3-4-1 at home in 2018, 5-1-0 in 2017, 5-2-1 during the 2016 season and were unbeaten at home during the 2015 season with a 9-0-1 mark. UVU ranks sixth in the nation in attendance per game at 2,021 fans per game.
GUESS WHO'S BACK....... BACK AGAIN
Faith Webber's journey from Grand Blanc, Michigan, to becoming a standout forward at Utah Valley University is marked by her exceptional talent. Last season, she tied for fifth in the nation with 16 goals, earning First Team All-WAC honors for a second straight season. Webber's impressive achievements include two All-Pacific Region honors and two of the 13 hat tricks in UVU history. Off the field, she excels academically with Academic All-District, United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American, and Academic All-WAC honors. Faith's diverse background includes a deep connection to her Michigan roots and the rapper Eminem (her newborn brother, Cooper Marshall Thomas, is named after Eminem (Marshall Mathers) as, as well as her recent experience becoming an ordained minister to officiate her mom's wedding. Her commitment to community involvement and environmental advocacy, along with her diverse hobbies (skateboarding, hiking, snowboarding, climbing), showcases her multifaceted personality. As she enters her final season at UVU, Faith is poised to leave a lasting legacy both on and off the field.
ABOUT UVU'S ATHLETICS NCAA HISTORY
Until 2003, Utah Valley University competed as a NJCAA athletic program. The 2003-04 season was the school's first competing at an NCAA Division I level. In the summer of 2009, UVU'S provisional status was lifted and the program became a full member of NCAA Division I on July 8, 2009. Until then, UVU teams and individuals were not eligible to compete in NCAA championship events. The Wolverines spent six seasons as an independent before the Great West Conference became an all-sports league in 2008 and began its first full season in 2009. UVU also became a university in 2008, changing its name from Utah Valley State College (UVSC) to Utah Valley University (UVU). Utah Valley is the first and last school ever to jump from the junior college ranks to NCAA Division I status.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE
Season tickets are still up for grabs! By purchasing a season ticket, you'll gain access to the UVU vs BYU women's soccer game, along with the rest of the season. Visit GoUVU.com/Tickets.
