This year marks Kyle Beckerman’s second season as the head men’s soccer coach at Utah Valley University. The former Real Salt Lake team captain had great success in his first year at UVU, going 9-6-12 in 2021-22. That success, Beckerman says, is only the beginning.
“We want to be considered one of the top teams in college, that’s our goal. Every year we want to win the WAC regular season, we want to win the WAC tournament and we want to win the NCAA…If we want to be considered a top team in the country we’ve got to play them.”
The Wolverines will get their shot to play against the top teams in the WAC this season, as they face off against three top-25 opponents in #5 Oregon State, #3 Washington, and #22 Santa Clara.
So far, Beckerman’s club is off to a great start in their quest to be one of the best, starting this season 1-0-1, picking up an impressive 2-0 home win against UC Riverside and a draw on the road at #5 Oregon State. The Wolverine’s toughest test of the season comes next on the road at #3 Washington on Friday, Sep. 2.
The Wolverines narrowly lost to the Huskies 1-0 in overtime last season at Clyde Field. This Huskies team ties last year’s squad for the highest-ranked opponent UVU has ever faced in men’s soccer, who’s program began in 2014. A win would mean history for the Wolverines, who’s highest-ranked win came in 2017 against #13 Akron.
This year’s team is incredibly young, with 13 freshmen joining the team and five new starters joining the lineup. With all the personnel turnover, Beckerman says each year is a new team with new challenges.
“It is a constant trying to find the right recipe, getting guys to play together and seeing what makes us play the best…We have positive energy all over the field and the bench as well,” said Beckerman “We’re just trying to create a culture and team unity as we get more and more together. Hopefully we can gel as quickly as possible.”
Beckerman expressed his pride for the players and the trajectory of the program. This past offseason, two Wolverines from the 2021-22 club signed professional contracts: Jojea Kwizera and Sterling Penniston-John.
“It’s great to see, I was so happy for both of them…It gives a ton of encouragement to these guys. We make sure [they know] that stuff all comes from team wins. The individual stuff doesn’t come from going after it by yourself…those pro clubs, they want winners. Credit to those guys, they really got after it and took their opportunity and ran with it.”
Beckerman tells his team that there is one main key to help them be successful. “First and foremost just be a good teammate. When things are going good for you, it’s easy to be a good teammate. When things aren’t going the way you expect it can you still be a good teammate that’s all we can ask.”
