OREM, Utah — Isaac Emojong scored his fourth goal of the season and Omar Yehya netted a brace to lead Utah Valley (5-0-2) to a 3-1 come-from-behind win over the Lindenwood Lions (3-3-1) on Monday night at Clyde Field.
Yehya's goals were his sixth and seventh of the season, moving him to third place nationally in goals scored. Yehya also tied the school record for most consecutive games with a goal contribution at seven.
"Our group is really together, it's an indivisible group," said Yehya. "I'm scoring goals and getting assists, but it's a 31-man effort. It's not just me, it's a team effort."
The win also prolongs the best start to a season in program history, as the team is now unbeaten through seven games for the first time in program history. Through Monday's games, Utah Valley is one of just 10 teams nationally to be undefeated and have five or more wins.
"I thought the guys did well, they gave us some high energy," said head coach Kyle Beckerman. "We slipped up a little on their goal, but credit to them. They came out fighting and they're a strong team. We had to come from behind, which shows some good character. All in all, I'm really pleased."
After a slow start from both teams, the Lions put some sustained pressure on the Wolverine defense that culminated in Lindenwood scoring the first goal of the match in the 28th minute. Off of a set piece, Matteo Boasso ripped a shot that hit the left post, but took a tough-luck deflection off of Ben Williams' back as he was diving and trickled into the net.
Utah Valley wasn't behind for long, with Emojong netting the equalizer in the 32nd minute. Emojong pounced on a Lindenwood clearance following a corner and beat his defender toward the endline before ripping a shot past the keeper just inside the left post.
Yehya earned and converted a PK to give Utah Valley the lead in the 52nd minute. Yehya was tripped up just inside the 18 while making a move along the endline, then stepped up and sent the keeper diving the wrong way on the spot kick.
The Wolverines kept the pressure on after taking the lead, with a number of close scoring opportunities either being saved or narrowly going off target. Yehya put the game on ice in the 86th minute after receiving a feed from Manuel Cordeiro and blasting a rocket past the keeper into the roof of the net.
Utah Valley returns to action on Thursday against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, who are currently receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll. The Wolverines have faced UCSB each of the last two seasons, with the Gauchos getting the upper hand in both games. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. MDT and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tickets are available at GoUVU.com/MSOCtix.
