The two sides were nearly inseparable for over an hour, but the Wolverines finally broke through in the 67th minute when Toke Amtrup’s header broke the seal.

The win improves Utah Valley to 2-0 to start the season for the first time since spring 2021, and also means the team has started off unbeaten through two games in seven of the last eight seasons. It is also the second time the Wolverines have started a season with two 4-0 victories, alongside the 2018 team that beat Evansville and FAU.

“Gonzaga gave us a tough fight tonight. The scoreline was what it was, but they made us earn it,” said head coach Kyle Beckerman. “I was just proud of the guys for sticking with it. We want to improve each game, and I thought we made some improvements tonight.”

For the second straight game, the Wolverines held a heavy advantage in shots and shots on goal, owning a 19-8 and 9-2 margin in each category respectively. Utah Valley held Gonzaga without a shot for 42 minutes before Alex Bazia’s long-range effort went high.

After being deadlocked for over an hour with few true scoring opportunities for either side, the Bulldogs nearly broke through in the 65th minute when Morgan Olson’s shot was deflected behind for a corner. On the ensuing corner, Gonzaga had two shots in quick succession, the first saved from going in by a Wolverine defender and the second going well over the crossbar.

Utah Valley got its opener less than two minutes later after Elijah Gozo earned a free kick in the attacking third. Gilles Aurelien took the set piece and lofted a cross that found Amtrup, whose looping header found its way past the Bulldog keeper.

A second yellow card shown to Gonzaga’s Robbie Mora in the 69th minute meant the Bulldogs had to play the final 21 minutes down a man, and the Wolverines took full advantage.

Lewis Knecht doubled the Wolverine advantage just over a minute later. Mason Abdella played a ball to Noah Pogue down the right wing, who beat his man to the end line and lifted a cross to Knecht near the penalty spot. Knecht settled it down and blasted a left-footed strike into the right side of the goal.

Another stellar goal from another Wolverine freshman came in the 77th minute as Jordan Mangatal opened his D-I account with a rocket from the top of the box. The Bulldogs cleared a corner out only as far as Mangatal, whose blast from just outside the penalty area went just inside the left post.

Isaac Emojong capped the scoring in the 85th minute when Keegan Oyler beat his man down the left flank and found the sophomore unmarked inside the six. Emojong guided the ball home with an easy volley that left the keeper stationary.

Through two games, the Wolverines are off to a flying start with a +8 goal differential that is best in the nation among teams that have only faced Division I competition to start the season. Utah Valley is also the only WAC team to have not allowed a goal so far this season.

The Wolverines cap off the season-opening three-game homestand with a visit from the FGCU Eagles on Thursday at 5 p.m. MDT. Tickets can be purchased at GoUVU.com/MSOCtix, and will be honored for both the men’s and women’s games being played that night.