No. 16 Utah Valley closes out non-conference play at home on Saturday, hosting the Santa Clara Broncos at UCCU Stadium.

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. MDT, and tickets can be purchased at GoUVU.com/MSOCtix. Tickets from last week's canceled game against UC Davis will also be honored at Saturday's game.

Saturday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Brice Larson on the call. Live stats will also be available at GoUVU.com/stats. 

LAST TIME OUT

Utah Valley blanked the UC San Diego Tritons, 3-0 in a tough road test on Monday night. The win officially secures the best start in program history at 6-0, and extends what is both a program and WAC record for consecutive shutouts to six games.

After withstanding a few waves of Triton pressure in the first half, Utah Valley broke through early in the second half, after Keegan Oyler's corner kick in the 51st minute took a fortuitous bounce off a UCSD defender and into the back of the net.

Jose Luis Martin Montealegre opened his UVU account in the 73rd minute after his aggressive defensive pressure forced a turnover deep in Triton territory, then was fouled in the box on his ensuing run. Martin Montealegre converted the PK, sending the keeper diving the wrong way.

Dan McKay capped the scoring with an impressive shot through traffic in the 77th minute. After Gilles Aurelien's corner was partially cleared, McKay struck a half-volley just outside the six-yard box that went untouched through a crowd of bodies.

Utah Valley's six-game win streak is the team's longest since the 2016 season, when the team rattled off a program-record eight straight wins. It is also the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Lindenwood and Delaware's seven-game streak. Utah Valley, Lindenwood, and Delaware are the only teams remaining nationally with a perfect record.

As of Wednesday, Utah Valley is one of three teams nationally who have yet to allow a goal, and the only team among those three to have won every game. Utah Valley's +19 goal differential is tied for the third-best in the nation, with only No. 2 NC State (+23) and Delaware (+21) holding better marks.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS

SCU is off to a strong start to the season, with a 3-2-3 record that includes wins over UNLV, Sac State, and SDSU, as well as ties with CSUB, UC Davis and Cleveland State. The Broncos took a narrow 2-1 defeat to then-No. 4 Stanford on Aug. 28, and were blown out 4-0 by an upstart GCU squad in Phoenix. Junior MF Niv Berkovitz is on a hot streak to start the season, with five goals in eight games.

HISTORY VS SANTA CLARA

The Wolverines and Broncos have met twice on the pitch, splitting the two previous meetings. SCU won the most recent meeting in 2022, rallying back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 at home. Utah Valley took the other game, winning a 1-0 neutral-site contest in 2019 in Las Vegas.

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Through Wednesday's games, Utah Valley ranks among the top 10 nationally in both goals against average (t-1st, 0.000) and scoring offense (4th, 3.17 goals/game). The Wolverines are one of three teams to currently hold that distinction — Portland and Delaware being the others — and along with the Blue Hens are the only teams to have done it exclusively against D-I opposition.

GOALS COMING IN BUNCHES

While Utah Valley has been on an unprecedented defensive streak to start the season, the offensive prowess has gotten somewhat overshadowed. The Wolverines have been equally impressive offensively, setting the program record for most consecutive multi-goal games at six in a row. The previous best stretch was four in a row, which occurred three times in 2015, 2016, and 2019.

UP NEXT

Utah Valley will enjoy a two-week break before opening WAC play against GCU on Oct. 4 in Phoenix. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. MDT, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.