The Utah Valley University women’s soccer team claimed the Western Athletic Conference regular season championship after a 2-0 shutout of the Utah Tech University Trailblazers on Saturday. The Wolverines finish the regular season 13-3-3 and 9-1-1 in WAC play, securing them the number one overall seed in the WAC tournament.
“I’m so proud of our seniors,” said head coach Chris Lemay. “They absolutely deserve this special time and lifting the trophy.”
UVU dominated the offensive side of the ball once again, outshooting the Trailblazers 28-3 and 8-0 in shots on goal. UTU had three saves in each half, however, the Wolverines managed to score two goals in the second half, claiming the win.
“You couldn’t ask for a better season,” said Julianna Carter. “At UVU, that’s just an expectation now to win the WAC regular season.”
The Wolverines had plenty of chances in the first half, including back-to-back shots on target in the fourth and fifth minutes. Nicole Olanda had a chance in the fourth that was saved and a minute later, Hannah Lee fired a shot to the same bottom right side of the net that was also saved. The Wolverines would get one more clean shot before halftime, as Heather Stainbrook fired a ground ball down the center of the net, however, that attempt was saved as well. Going into the break, neither team had claimed an advantage.
Things got rolling in rapid succession for the Wolverines in the second half. After another save by UTU on a Stainbrook shot attempt in the 47th minute, the Wolverines responded in a big way. Stainbrook came back down the field just moments later and scored the Wolverines’ first goal of the night off of an assist from Taylor Nelson in the 52nd minute. Moments later in the 54th minute, Carter set up Faith Webber, who scored for the Wolverines and put them in the driver’s seat with a 2-0 lead. UVU was able to ride their lead to victory, winning the match 2-0.
With the regular season concluded, the Wolverines now set their sights on an NCAA tournament berth. That journey starts with their first matchup in the WAC tournament held in Seattle, Washington. UVU, the #1 seed, will face the winner of #4 Utah Tech or #5 Grand Canyon on Friday, Nov. 4. The match kicks off at 6 p.m. MT and can be streamed on ESPN+.
