Utah Valley returns home for its final Big West home game to host the CSUN Matadors with an opportunity to clinch the program’s first conference title in 10 years.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MDT and will be the second half of a single-admission doubleheader with women’s soccer, who will host UC Riverside at 5. Tickets for both games can be purchased at GoUVU.com/GetTix.

To clinch The Big West title on Saturday, the Wolverines will need the following to happen: 

• Utah Valley beats CSUN
• Sac State ties or beats UC Irvine
• Fullerton ties or beats UC Santa Barbara (a UCSB loss with the other two results would guarantee UVU the No. 1 seed)

GAME DAY INFO

MATCHUP: Utah Valley (7-2-2, 3-1 BW) vs CSUN (6-5-2, 1-1-1 BW)

KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. MDT

GATES OPEN: 4 p.m. MDT

TICKETS: GoUVU.com/GetTix

LIVE STREAMS: ESPN+ / Big West International

LIVE STATS: GoUVU.com/stats 

UTAH VALLEY GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT

Utah Valley fell in its midweek Pac-12 crossover game at Cal Poly, 3-1. UVU fielded a heavily-rotated squad with 5 starters making either their first or second starts of the season, and multiple regulars sitting or playing limited minutes. Only 1 starter from Saturday's win vs Sac State started at CP.

Luca Wingaa Laursen scored the lone goal for UVU, tapping in a rebound after his initial PK was saved. With the goal, all 18 of Utah Valley's goals have been scored or assisted by an international player, believed to be the only team in the country who can claim that distinction.

Jose Montealegre was named The Big West's Offensive POTW this week after picking up a pair of goal contributions against CSF and Sac State. Montealegre assisted on Wingaa Laursen's opener at CSF, then scored the final goal of UVU's win over Sac State.

Freshman MF Oliver Watts continued his breakout run of form, picking up a goal and an assist vs Sac State. Watts has a goal contribution in three of four Big West games. Jackson Medina secured his 2nd clean sheet of the season vs Sac State, improving his season GAA to 0.60, which ranks 8th in the nation. Medina made 7 saves at CSF and 4 more against Sac State.

Saturday's game will pit The Big West's top scoring offense in CSUN (1.84 goals/game) against the top scoring defense in UVU (1.00 goals allowed/game). The last time UVU faced the top scoring offense in the league, the Wolverines shut out UC Irvine, 2-0.

SCOUTING THE MATADORS

CSUN comes into Saturday’s match winners of two straight and three of its last four, picking up a midweek non-conference win at UC Riverside on Wednesday. The Matadors hold the top scoring offense at 1.84 goals/game, but five of their 24 goals came against NAIA school The Master’s. 

SERIES HISTORY VS CSUN

Of all the current Big West teams, CSUN is the team UVU has the most history with in past non-conference games at six games. The Wolverines lead the series at 3-2-1, and have won each of the last two meetings. In 2022 in Northridge, UVU scored two second-half goals to win, 2-0. In 2021 in Orem, the Wolverines ran riot with a program record-tying five goals in a 5-1 win. That game saw a spectacular bicycle kick goal from Aaron Nixon, which landed at No. 2 in that night’s Sportscenter Top 10 Plays.

UP NEXT

The Wolverines will head to San Diego for their second Pac-12 crossover match, facing off with former WAC rival San Diego State. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MDT, and the game will be streamed live on the Pac-12’s YouTube channel.