OREM — Ruby Hladek recorded a brace and added an assist for five points to lead Utah Valley to a 5-3 win over Gonzaga on Monday night at UCCU Stadium.
The Wolverines improve to 3-2-1 overall and 3-1-1 at home this season, while Gonzaga drops to 2-4-0.
Hladek opened the scoring in the 16th minute after
Faith Webber led her into the box on the left side. Hladek maneuvered around a defender and fired the ball into the back of the net for the early 1-0 advantage.
Jacey Wood then doubled the lead in the 35th minute, finishing a cross from
Sadie Beardall at the goal line for her first career goal.
Just before halftime,
Jasmine Lim sent a ball into the box that deflected off the Gonzaga keeper to Wood, who laid it off to
Lulie MacFarlane. MacFarlane buried the shot with her left foot in the 45th minute for her first goal as a Wolverine, giving UVU a 3-0 lead at the break.
Hladek then created another scoring opportunity in the 53rd minute, stealing possession at midfield and threading a pass to Webber, who beat a defender and slotted home her fourth goal of the season to extend the lead to 4-0.
Gonzaga stormed back with three goals in a six-minute span, striking in the 72nd, 73rd, and 77th minutes to trim the deficit to 4-3. But Hladek sealed the match in the 82nd minute after being fouled in the box and converting the ensuing penalty to secure the 5-3 victory.
Utah Valley finished with a 17-11 shot advantage, including 9-6 on frame. Both Hladek and Webber fired a match-high four shots apiece, with two on target. Goalkeeper
Leah Wolf tallied three saves in 83 minutes of action.
"We're excited about another win," said UVU head coach
Chris Lemay. "We're excited about Jacey scoring her first collegiate goal, Lou scoring her first goal for us, Ruby getting a brace, and obviously Faith striking again. There's plenty we can celebrate, and that's what we're choosing to do tonight. Stacking wins on top of wins is a good thing, especially another one at home in front of a great crowd. We want to thank the fans and now prepare for a big one on Friday."
Hladek, who notched her first multi-goal performance of the season, said she was proud of how the Wolverines capitalized in key moments. "I thought we pulled together a good win. We definitely capitalized in moments where we needed to, given that we had five goals. Every win is obviously a great thing, but we have things to learn from. We're just going to celebrate tonight and get back at it tomorrow," she said.
She also credited UVU's home environment for fueling the team's performance. "I love playing at home. We all love playing at home. The stadium's amazing and we're so grateful for everyone that's made it happen. Playing at home just gives us such an advantage with the elevation and the fans. It's such an amazing environment and we're so lucky to play here."
Looking ahead, Hladek said the Wolverines are eager for Friday's rivalry clash. "We're super excited for BYU on Friday night. I think that will be a good test for us. We just want to make sure that we're staying consistent and touching up the things we need to work on. We couldn't be more excited."
Utah Valley now turns its attention to a rivalry matchup at seventh-ranked BYU on Friday night at South Field in Provo. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT, with the game broadcast live on ESPN+.
