RIVERSIDE, Calif.—Trailing 1–0 in the 77th minute, Utah Valley scored twice in a 40-second span to storm back and defeat California Baptist, 2–1, in a critical Western Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday night at CBU Soccer Stadium. The comeback marks UVU's first-ever win over the Lancers in Riverside.
Heading into the top-of-the-table showdown, Utah Valley held a one-point lead over CBU in the WAC standings after previously defeating the Lancers, 7–1, earlier this season in Orem. With Saturday's win, the Wolverines (9-4-2, 5-0-1 WAC) strengthen their hold atop the league standings with 16 points—four clear of second-place CBU (12 points)—and remain unbeaten in WAC regular-season play since Oct. 8, 2022.
"I thought Cal Baptist made some really good adjustments from the first time we played them," said Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay. "They were organized and brought a lot of energy. I'm just really proud of our team for how composed and mature we were after going down a goal. We didn't put our heads down—we stayed resilient and kept playing our brand of soccer. I felt comfortable that one was coming, and I felt even more comfortable that we'd find the winner. Both came true."
After conceding a goal early in the second half, UVU found its equalizer in dramatic fashion. In the 77th minute, Tylie Miller sent a driven cross into the box from the right side, where Marie Quentel rose above the defense to head home the tying goal at 77:07.
Just 40 seconds later, Mia Owens broke free down the left flank, beating two CBU defenders before delivering a sharp pass across the face of goal. Ruby Hladek was there to slot it home with her left foot at 77:47, capping the Wolverines' stunning turnaround and giving UVU a 2–1 lead it would not relinquish.
"I thought we were good the whole night, even when we were down," Lemay added. "The energy within the group was great, and I felt like we were always going to find a way. It's a big win for us, and it feels really good to finally get our first win here."
Utah Valley outshot CBU 15–9 overall and held a commanding 10–3 advantage in shots on goal. The Wolverines also earned seven corner kicks to the Lancers' four. Hladek led the attack with six shots, including a match-high four on frame, while Quentel tallied three and Faith Webber and Jacey Wood each recorded two. Leah Wolf made two saves in goal to preserve the win.
The Wolverines now return home to Orem for back-to-back in-state WAC matchups, hosting Southern Utah on Thursday, Oct. 23, and Utah Tech on Monday, Oct. 27, at UCCU Stadium. Tickets are available at GoUVU.com/Tickets.
