Utah Valley hits the road for the first time this season, heading to Omaha, Neb., to take on the Omaha Mavericks of the Summit League on Sunday afternoon at Caniglia Field.

Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. MDT, and the match will be streamed live on the Summit League Network. Live stats will also be available at OMavs.com. 

LAST TIME OUT

Utah Valley picked up its third straight shutout win on Thursday, blanking the FGCU Eagles 2-0. The Wolverines have opened the season with three straight clean sheets for the first time in program history.

Sharif Sayawu scored his first collegiate goal in the 26th minute of Thursday's match, heading home a cross from Keegan Oyler. Fellow freshman Lewis Knecht scored the second and final goal of the night, a rocket from outside the box in the 41st minute.

Utah Valley has had eight different goal scorers so far this season, led by two apiece from Isaac Emojong and Knecht. Among Utah Valley's 10 goals scored, six have been scored by newcomers. Two of those have been scored by transfers (Nil Grau & Toke Amtrup) and four have been scored by freshmen (Knecht x2, Jordan Mangatal, & Sayawu).

Through Thursday's games, Utah Valley has the best goal differential in the nation among teams that have only played D-I opponents at +10. Utah Valley's 3.33 goals/game is also tied for 6th best in the nation.

Utah Valley is one of 24 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 five teams nationally thus far to start the season with three-straight shutouts.

As of Thursday, Utah Valley is 2nd nationally in total assists with 12. The Wolverines trail only West Virginia among teams that have only played D-I opponents. Utah Valley's leading assister is Oyler, who has a nation-best four assists through three games.

SCOUTING THE MAVS

Omaha opened the season with a pair of defeats in Florida to FIU and FAU, 4-1 and 2-0 respectively. Bradley Takamo scored the lone Maverick goal from the penalty spot. Along with Takamo, one of the top Omaha returners from 2024 is forward Italo Jenkins, who was named second team All-Summit League after scoring four goals.

HISTORY VS OMAHA

The Wolverines and Mavericks have met twice on the pitch, with Omaha winning both back in 2017 and 2018. Then-No. 9 Omaha beat Utah Valley 3-1 in the first meeting back in 2017, then topped the Wolverines 2-0 in the return trip at Caniglia Field in 2018.

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 last Thursday's 4-0 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.

OYLER NAMED TO TDS NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK

RS-JR. wingback Keegan Oyler was named to TopDrawerSoccer's national Team of the Week after the first week of competition. Oyler had the 18th multi-assist game in program history last Thursday against CSU Bakersfield — assisting on the first two goals of the UCCU Stadium era — then set up Isaac Emojong's strike to cap off a 4-0 win over Gonzaga on Sunday. Oyler also played a pivotal part in the defensive effort in the two wins. Oyler is the first Wolverine to win a national weekly award since 2019.

SHUTTING DOWN THE OPPOSITION

Through three games, Utah Valley has held opponents to just five shots on goal, and are outshooting opposition 46-22 overall. The Wolverines have yet to allow a goal so far this season, the first time in program history the team has started the season with three-straight shutouts. Utah Valley's longest streak of shutouts at any point during the season is five games, a total stretch of 544 minutes without allowing a goal during the 2016.

OFF TO A HOT START

Utah Valley is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2018. In the program's 12-season history, the Wolverines have started 3-0 two other times (2016 and 2015). The longest winning streak to start a season is five, which occurred in 2015. The longest unbeaten streak to start a season was seven, which came just last year in 2024 (5-0-2).

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 return home for a pair of games against Big West foes, beginning on Thursday, Sept. 4 against the Sac State Hornets. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. MDT, and tickets can be purchased at GoUVU.com/MSOCtix.