OREM—Utah Valley women's soccer wraps up its inaugural Big West regular-season campaign on Saturday afternoon as the Wolverines travel to Northridge, California, to take on CSUN at Matador Soccer Field. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. MT (1 p.m. PT), with the match broadcast live on ESPN+.
Utah Valley enters Saturday's contest with a 12-4-3 overall record and an unbeaten 8-0-2 mark in Big West play. The Wolverines sit alone atop the conference standings with 26 points, three ahead of Cal State Fullerton (23) and five ahead of UC San Diego (21). UVU has won six consecutive matches and is unbeaten in its last 11 contests (9-0-2).
The Wolverines clinched at least a share of the Big West regular-season championship with a 2-0 shutout victory over Long Beach State on Wednesday night at UCCU Stadium, securing the first Big West championship in Utah Valley University history. The title marks the program's fifth consecutive regular-season conference championship after winning four straight Western Athletic Conference crowns from 2022-25 and its sixth regular-season title overall.
Utah Valley can secure the outright Big West championship and No. 1 seed in the conference tournament with a win or draw at CSUN. The Wolverines would also claim the outright title if Cal State Fullerton draws or loses its regular-season finale against California Baptist. UVU has already secured a top-two seed and first-round bye into the Big West Championship semifinals, which will be played Nov. 7 at UCCU Stadium at 6 p.m. (MT).
Against Long Beach State, Nixan Jackson opened the scoring in the 35th minute off an assist from Addie Olson before Sadie Beardall added an insurance goal in the 83rd minute off a feed from Quinn Rustand. The Wolverines outshot the Beach 15-9, including a 9-5 advantage in shots on goal, while goalkeeper Madeleine Boucher recorded five saves to secure her sixth individual shutout of the season.
The victory extended Utah Valley's regular-season conference unbeaten streak to 42 consecutive matches, dating back to Oct. 8, 2022, at Seattle U. The Wolverines also pushed their regular-season conference home unbeaten streak to 32 matches. UVU has outscored its opponents 34-7 during its current 11-match unbeaten streak and 18-2 during its six-match winning streak.
Utah Valley has held the No. 1 spot in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches West Region rankings for three consecutive weeks and enters the weekend with the highest NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) ranking in The Big West at No. 49 nationally. The Wolverines' résumé includes a 2-1 win over Kansas, which ranks No. 14 nationally in the RPI, and a 1-1 draw against No. 43 Michigan.
Senior forward Sadie Beardall leads the Wolverines with 12 goals, seven assists and 31 points. Beardall ranks 10th nationally in total points and 18th in total goals while leading the Big West with 11 goals and 28 points in conference play. She has scored in five consecutive matches, recording six goals during that stretch.
Senior forward Nixan Jackson follows with seven goals and 11 assists for 25 points. Jackson ranks second nationally and leads the Big West in total assists. Her 31 career assists rank second in UVU history, just one shy of Ruby Hladek's (Hladek currently plays professionally for the Seattle Reign of the NWSL) school record of 32. Josie Clawson has added six goals, while freshman midfielder Sam Curtis has one goal and eight assists, ranking 19th nationally in total assists.
Freshman goalkeeper Madeleine Boucher owns a 12-2-3 record with a 0.76 goals-against average, 55 saves and a .809 save percentage. Boucher has recorded six individual shutouts and one combined shutout and ranks ninth nationally in goalkeeper minutes played.
Utah Valley continues to rank among the nation's top offensive teams, ranking fifth nationally in shots on goal per game (8.74), total assists (49) and total points (137). The Wolverines rank seventh in total goals (44) and shots per game (18.42) and eighth in goal differential (+28). UVU leads The Big West in scoring offense, assists per game, points per game, shots per game and shots on goal per game.
CSUN enters Saturday's regular-season finale with a 6-7-6 overall record and a 4-3-3 mark in Big West play. The Matadors are coming off a 2-1 home win over UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday night, with sophomore Lia Peterson scoring both goals and goalkeeper Hayden Mauldin recording five saves. CSUN is 2-1-5 at home this season and will celebrate Senior Day against Utah Valley.
Senior midfielder Yasmin Azar leads the Matadors with five goals, five assists and 15 points, while Peterson has five goals and three assists for 13 points. Senior midfielder Jordyn Canister has four goals and four assists for 12 points, and junior forward Ariana Lopez-Angel has also recorded four goals and four assists for 12 points.
Senior goalkeeper Hayden Mauldin has started all 19 matches for CSUN, posting a 6-7-6 record with a 1.68 goals-against average, 109 saves and a .773 save percentage. Mauldin ranks third nationally in total saves and leads the Big West in that category. She has recorded three shutouts this season.
Saturday's match will mark the fourth all-time meeting between Utah Valley and CSUN, with the Matadors holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. CSUN won the first two meetings, earning a 2-1 double-overtime victory in Orem in 2004 and a 2-1 overtime win in Northridge in 2017. Utah Valley claimed its first victory in the series with a 3-1 win in Orem on Sept. 1, 2022. Saturday will mark the first meeting between the programs as Big West opponents.
The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Ghizal Hasan and Ellen Blankenship on the call. Utah Valley will return home for the Big West Championship semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 7, at UCCU Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. MT. The conference championship match will be played Nov. 14 at the home site of the higher remaining seed.
