Stop if you’ve heard this one before — Blake Frischknecht scored a game-winner. If you know Frischknecht and you didn’t stop, you may be lying. The senior forward scored in his seventh-straight game on Thursday, Oct. 10, as Utah Valley topped Cal State Bakersfield 2-0.
UVU returned home after a two game Texas road trip, where they won both matches. The Wolverines welcomed CSUB Thursday for just the second time ever at Clyde Field. The last visit from the Roadrunners was in 2016, and they went home with a 3-0 loss.
Frischknecht got things going early for UVU, scoring in the 10th minute. A brace was in the cards for Frischknecht, but his second goal in the 19th minute was waved off as he was ruled offsides.
“It’s my job you know what I mean, it’s my job as a forward to score goals,” said Frischknecht. “Last year I think I ended up with six and I was the leading scorer, so I didn’t think that was good enough for me.”
The Wolverines wouldn’t be satisfied with a one goal halftime lead, so they made it two in the 41st minute. It was senior midfielder Luis Vargas who got on the board this time for UVU. Vargas was assisted by junior defender Mark Brown and sophomore forward Zahir Vazquez.
The goal was Vargas’s second on the season and second in as many home matches. He is now up to six total points on the season.
The second half was full of steady ball control and defense for UVU, helping them preserve the shutout on the evening. UVU improved upon their all-time winning record over the ‘Runners, which is now at 4-2-1 after Thursday’s result.
“I’m proud of the boys, you know they did a fantastic job over the past couple weeks here they’ve really dialed in as we entered WAC play,” said UVU head coach Greg Maas. “We knew tonight was an important game against a very good Bakersfield team. A difficult environment and conditions, very cold and breezy, but I thought we settled into the game very well and executed.”
UVU was predicted to finish seventh in the WAC preseason coaches poll, but they’re now on track to show that prediction as false, as they currently sit at 4-0 almost half way through conference play.
“I think we were predicted to finish sixth or seventh, so I knew from the end last season that we were going to be good with the guys that we had coming back,” said Frischknecht. “We’re right where we should be and we got another big one on Saturday and we’re hoping to go 5-0.”
The Wolverines will be at home once again on Saturday, Oct. 12. They will welcome California Baptist to Clyde Field for the first time ever with kickoff set for 5 p.m. MST.
