Utah Valley closes out its season-opening homestand at UCCU Stadium on Thursday with a visit from the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.
Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. MDT, and tickets can be purchased at GoUVU.com/MSOCtix. Tickets for Thursday's match will also be honored for the women's soccer game against California immediately following the men's game.
Thursday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Brandon Crow, Amber Tripp, and the WAC's Kendra Sheehan on the call. Live stats will also be available at GoUVU.com/stats.
LAST TIME OUT
Utah Valley picked up its second straight 4-0 win on Sunday at America First Field in Sandy, blitzing the Gonzaga Bulldogs for four goals in the final 23 minutes to put the game away.
For the second game in a row, the Wolverines got all four of their goals from different players. Isaac Emojong netted his second of the young season, while Toke Amtrup, Lewis Knecht, and Jordan Mangatal each opened their UVU accounts with their firsts of the season. In total, Utah Valley has had seven different goal scorers through two games.
RS-Jr. defender Keegan Oyler picked up his third assist of the young season on Sunday, assisting on Isaac Emojong's 85th-minute score. Oyler is tied for second in the nation in assists at the end of Monday's games.
It is the second time in program history that the team has opened up the season with consecutive 4-0 victories, joining the 2018 squad that beat Evansville and FAU to begin the campaign. It is also the fourth time the team has opened the year with back-to-back shutouts, joining the 2022, 2018, and 2015 groups.
Through Monday's games, Utah Valley is tied for the best goal differential in the nation among teams that have only played D-I opponents. The Wolverines' +8 total is tied with NC State for best in the country.
Utah Valley is one of 30 teams nationally to have not allowed a goal so far this season, and the only team in the WAC. The Wolverines are also one of 21 teams to start the season with back-to-back shutouts.
As of Monday, Utah Valley is also tied for second nationally in total team assists with 10. The Wolverines trail only West Virginia among teams that have only played D-I opponents.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
FGCU made a coaching change after a 4-10-3 2024 campaign, bringing in Oliver Twelvetrees from D-II CSU-Pueblo. Twelvetrees posted an impressive 74-21-12 record over five seasons in Colorado that included three trips to the D-II College Cup Final Four. FGCU's top returner from 2024 is Brazilian defender Victor Lopes, who started and played in 15 games last season and was named to the ASUN All-Tournament team.
HISTORY VS FGCU
Utah Valley has faced the Eagles just once on the soccer pitch, and that game came just last season. The Wolverines ground out a 2-0 victory in Fort Myers courtesy of an Omar Yehya brace while being outshot 13-4 and 4-2 on goal. Gilles Aurelien assisted on Yehya's second goal that night.
POGUE EARNS WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
RS-JR. wingback Noah Pogue earned WAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for matchweek one, the WAC announced on Tuesday. Pogue scored the first goal in UCCU Stadium in Thursday's 1-0 win over CSUB, then had the primary assist on Lewis Knecht's 70th-minute goal against Gonzaga that made it 2-0 and gave the Wolverines a much-needed cushion. Pogue also played a pivotal role in the team's defensive dominance, helping hold CSUB and Gonzaga to a combined three shots on goal.
SHUTTING DOWN THE OPPOSITION
Through two games, Utah Valley has held opponents to just three shots on goal, and are outshooting opposition 34-13 overall. The Wolverines have yet to allow a goal so far this season, the fourth time in program history the team has started the season with two shutouts and the first since 2022. If Utah Valley shuts out FGCU on Thursday, it'd be the first time in program history the team started the season with three consecutive shutouts.
WOLVERINES CHECK IN AT NO. 3 IN FAR WEST REGION POLL
Utah Valley is ranked third in the United Soccer Coaches Far West regional poll after the first week of play. The Wolverines are behind No. 1 UC Irvine and No. 2 San Jose State in the poll that consists of schools from the Big West and WAC. Both teams ahead of UVU are currently receiving votes in the USC Top 25 national poll, coming in at No. 28 and No. 30.
UP NEXT
Utah Valley will hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Nebraska to face the Omaha Mavericks this Sunday, August 31. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. MDT, and the match will be streamed live on the Summit League Network.
