OREM—Nixan Jackson and Sadie Beardall each scored to lead Utah Valley to a 2-0 shutout win over Long Beach State on Wednesday night at UCCU Stadium, securing at least a share of the Big West regular-season championship in the Wolverines' first season in the conference.
Utah Valley has now claimed five consecutive conference regular-season championships after winning four straight Western Athletic Conference titles from 2022-25 before making the move to the Big West this season. The championship marks the sixth regular-season conference title in program history and the first Big West title for the Wolverines, who were picked fourth in the league's preseason coaches' poll.
"I'm really excited for the group," said Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay. "They put in the work, the sacrifice, the commitment, the trust, and they've been increasingly getting better. I'm super proud and so excited for this group. Obviously, it's a brand-new conference, and to come out here and do what we've done has been impressive."
Utah Valley improves to 12-4-3 overall and remains unbeaten in Big West play with an 8-0-2 record. The Wolverines extend their winning streak to six matches and their overall unbeaten streak to 11. UVU also pushes its regular-season conference unbeaten streak to 42 consecutive matches and its home regular-season conference unbeaten streak to 32 matches.
The Wolverines, who have held the No. 1 spot in the West Region rankings for three consecutive weeks, have not lost a regular-season conference match since Oct. 8, 2022, at Seattle U. UVU's last regular-season home conference loss came against California Baptist on March 11, 2021.
"We were forced to be more consistent," said Lemay of the transition to the Big West. "We didn't have games that we could take the day off and get a result. Long Beach is a really good team, and the level of this conference is better than what we were playing in prior to. For us to be able to come out and do it again in a more difficult schedule and a more difficult conference has been a tribute to how good this team can be."
Utah Valley got on the scoreboard in the 35th minute after Addie Olson raced down the left side of the field, beat a defender and worked her way into the box. Olson then sent a cross through the box to Jackson, who redirected the ball with a left-footed, one-touch finish into the back of the net to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. The goal was Jackson's seventh of the season, while Olson picked up the assist.
The Wolverines doubled their lead in the 83rd minute after Quinn Rustand combined with Bailey Peterson on a give-and-go near the box. Rustand received the return pass and sent a ball into the area that deflected to Beardall, who finished from close range to give UVU a 2-0 advantage. The goal was Beardall's team-leading 12th of the season, while Rustand was credited with the assist.
"We definitely weathered a little bit of a storm at the beginning of the second half, but then I thought we got our rhythm back," said Lemay. "Obviously, the final goal tonight kind of sealed the deal."
Utah Valley outshot Long Beach State 15-9, including a 9-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Wolverines also held a 6-2 edge in corner kicks. Rustand led UVU with five shots, including four on frame, while Jackson recorded four shots. The victory marked Utah Valley's first-ever win over Long Beach State, improving its all-time record against the Beach to 1-1-1.
Freshman goalkeeper Madeleine Boucher collected five saves to record her sixth individual shutout of the season and help the Wolverine defense secure its seventh team shutout. Boucher improves to 12-2-3 on the year.
Utah Valley will wrap up its inaugural Big West regular-season campaign on Saturday, Oct. 31, with a road match against CSUN at Matador Soccer Stadium in Northridge, California. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. MT, with the match broadcast live on ESPN+. The Wolverines will have an opportunity to secure the outright Big West regular-season championship after clinching at least a share of the title Wednesday night.
"We're going to celebrate tonight, we're going to get back to business tomorrow, and we're going to come out and try to win another game on Saturday," said Lemay.
