The Wolverines trailed 2-0 after 31 minutes and 3-0 at the 50-minute mark, but were able to trim the deficit down to one with just under five minutes to go. Utah Valley was unable to find the equalizer after dominating possession in the final 30 minutes.

UCSB got on the board in the 16th minute after a cross was cleared to the top of the 18, but Peleg Brown’s ensuing shot was able to beat Kolby Sessions at the left post.

Some strong defending prevented the lead from being doubled just over 30 seconds later as Toke Amtrup slid in to block Donovan Sessoms’ shot. Sessoms got his goal in the 31st minute, however, unleashing an unsaveable shot from just outside the box.

Utah Valley was held to just one shot in the first half, a tame effort on a free kick in the 43rd minute.

The Gauchos got their third in the 50th minute following a coach’s challenge that gave the hosts a penalty. Sessoms buried the spot kick.

Utah Valley got its own PK three minutes later as Amtrup was fouled in the box. Jose Luis Martin Montealegre sent the keeper diving the wrong way to make it 3-1.

The Wolverines came inches away from making it a one-goal game in the 68th minute on their first corner of the game. Amtrup’s header was saved off the line by a Gaucho defender and off the post before being fully cleared.

Brayden Tester cut the deficit in half in the 86th minute on a looping cross from Oliver Watts. Ashton Wheeler headed it on for his fellow centerback, who chipped it past the keeper.

Utah Valley got one last shot in the 88th minute, but Montealegre’s shot was off target.

The Wolverines will stay in Southern California for a few more days before facing off with the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Wednesday. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MDT, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and Big West International.

Women’s soccer earns draw with Fullerton

Kate Booth converted a penalty kick in the 89th minute to help Utah Valley earn a 1-1 draw against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night at UCCU Stadium.

Utah Valley moves to 6-4-3 overall and remains unbeaten in Big West play at 2-0-2. Cal State Fullerton is now 5-2-5 overall and also sits at 2-0-2 in conference play.

“When you’re one-nil down in the 88th minute, you’re happy to score, obviously, and get a point out of it, but not happy that we were one-nil down in the 88th minute to begin with,” Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay said. “I thought we created a number of chances, but didn’t do well enough in the final third and didn’t execute in critical moments. To be in the position where we had to crawl ourselves back into this match and preserve a point is pretty disappointing at home. I don’t think we played bad, but we weren’t our best tonight.”

Cal State Fullerton struck first in the sixth minute. Camryn Cruz sent a ball forward across midfield that led to a race for possession. As Utah Valley attempted to play the ball back toward goal, Cassie Villanueva was able to get the first touch and place a shot toward the far post past an oncoming Madeleine Boucher to give the Titans a 1-0 lead.

The Wolverines continued to apply pressure throughout the match before finally finding the equalizer in the closing minutes. Elle Young sent a free kick into the box, where Tess Livingston was pulled down, resulting in a penalty kick in the 89th minute. After a video review, the call on the field was upheld.

Utah Valley’s initial penalty attempt was stopped, but Cal State Fullerton’s goalkeeper was ruled to have come off her line early, giving the Wolverines another opportunity. Booth stepped to the spot for the retake and buried the penalty to level the match at 1-1.

Utah Valley controlled much of the match statistically, outshooting Cal State Fullerton 22-6 while holding a 10-1 advantage in shots on goal. The Wolverines also finished with a 7-1 edge in corner kicks.

Josie Clawson led Utah Valley with six shots, including three on goal, while Addie Olson added five shots with two on frame. Booth’s equalizer was her third goal of the season.

Utah Valley now has a week to prepare for a road matchup at Cal Poly on Saturday, Oct. 10, in San Luis Obispo, California. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT, with the match broadcast live on ESPN+. The Wolverines return home on Saturday, Oct. 17, to host UC Riverside at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at GoUVU.com/GetTix.

Cal Poly sweeps women’s volleyball

Cal Poly defeated Utah Valley 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-19) on Saturday afternoon inside Lockhart Arena.

The Mustangs (8-6, 4-0 Big West) used a balanced attack, with four players recording eight kills, and finished with a .458 hitting percentage. Miley Thunstrom led Utah Valley (4-12, 2-2) with eight kills and seven digs, while right-side hitter Olivia Gloeckner added six kills with just two attacking errors. The Wolverines also found success through the middle, as Alyvia Watkins totaled five kills and Brielle Rueckert added three kills and one dig. Lani Toutai recorded three consecutive service aces during the third set, matching her season high for the third time this season. Her career high of four aces came against Wyoming during the 2024 NIVC. Senior setter Evalyn Medaris finished with 24 assists, two digs and one kill.

Utah Valley will travel to Southern California next week for two Big West matches. The Wolverines face UC Irvine on Friday, Oct. 9, before traveling to La Jolla to take on UC San Diego on Saturday, Oct. 10. UVU returns home Thursday, Oct. 15, to host Long Beach State at Lockhart Arena.

Cross country tops SUU Color County Invite

CEDAR CITY — The Wolverines dominated the course Saturday at the SUU Color Country Invitational with both teams taking first place.

The men set the tone in the 7k, with Mark Boyle leading the team by placing first with a time of 22:10.32. This win was Boyle’s first collegiate career win. Other top runners for UVU included Cameron Jacobs (2nd), Trey Despain (3rd), Porter Whitworth (4th) and Wyatt Mortenson (6th).

The women’s team brought the same energy to their 5k. Reagan Doman claimed her first collegiate career win with a time of 17:46.84. Doman was followed by Sophia Biesinger (2nd), Artana Nice (3rd), Graysen Lanenga (6th) and Natalia Boltz (7th). The Wolverines continued their recent success at the meet. The women’s team claimed their sixth straight team title, while the men won the meet for the third straight year. UVU looks forward to heading back to Indiana for the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational on October 16, the last tune-up before the Big West Championships at the end of the month.