After finishing 1-1 on their two-game road trip, the Southern Utah University women’s soccer team is home to face California Baptist University on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 4 p.m. SUU will then host Utah Valley University on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 1 p.m.
Both games will be played on the Thunderbird Soccer Field and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Southern Utah
It has been an up and down start to conference play for Kai Edwards and the SUU soccer team. Southern Utah is 1-2 in the Western Athletic Conference and is being outscored 3-6 in goals. The T-Birds are 2-7-2 on the regular season.
Southern Utah has struggled to score on offense since league play has begun. The T-Birds are averaging one run a game in all 11 games, ranking last in the WAC. Sarah Assumma and Whitney Gardner lead the team with three goals a piece.
Defensively, SUU has shown inconsistencies on the back end. The T-Birds are giving up 2.18 goals a game which ranks last in the conference. Their defense will be tested when they host UVU who has the No. 1 offense.
California Baptist
Entering the week, the Lancers are 6-6-1 on the season, 2-1 in WAC play and rank No. 2 in the conference standings. Despite the strong record, CBU got dismantled by Utah Valley, losing 7-1 on the road.
Offensively, California Baptist has been led by junior Ava Westlund. The forward from Arden Hills, Minnesota leads all Lancers with 6 goals and 14 total points. Westlund is first on the team with 18 shots on goal.
On the flip side, Mikayla O’Brien has been the leader for CBU in front of the net. O’Brien has started and appeared in 11 games with a 5-6 record. In those 11 games, O’Brien has had 52 saves and has given up 17 goals.
Utah Valley
The Wolverines have been dominating the competition, making them the best team in the WAC.. Utah Valley is 7-4-1 for the year and 3-0 in conference play. UVU has outscored their opponents 17-2 in WAC play.
Utah Valley has one of the most potent offenses in the nation, averaging 2.83 goals a game. The Wolverines are led by Faith Webber and Ruby Hladek. Webber has been the conference’s best player, leading the league with nine goals. Hladek ranks No. 3 in the WAC with eight goals and is first on the team with 23 points.
In front of the net, Leah Wolf has been the leader for UVU. Wolf, a senior from Rochester Hills, Michigan has been very impressive in three conference games. Wolf has allowed only one goal in her last three games, recording four saves.
Author: Jack Paul
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Brooklyn Beard