An unprecedented start for UVU men's soccer


3 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

OREM — There aren't many teams that find success early on in their infancy. Normally they struggle to win games and are seen as the bottom dwellers. A big move here or a much-needed acquisition there help improve the program but that usually takes a good amount of time.

However, that is not the case for the UVU men's soccer team. Two years ago, the program kicked off its inaugural campaign with a 5-1 win in its inaugural match against UMASS in front of 2,610 fans at Clyde Field.

It was an omen of what was to come in a quick period of time.

After finishing the 2014 season with a 9-7-2 record, UVU returned its entire roster for the 2016 season and it showed.

They got off to a 10-2 start and earned the school's first-ever top 25 ranking in any sport. After defeating Cal State Fullerton, UVU came in at No. 25 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll on Sept. 29. The Wolverines got as high as 23rd before a loss to Houston Baptist knocked them out of the rankings.

The Wolverines were about 90 seconds from winning their first conference title but a questionable call in the 87th minute of the 2015 WAC Championship game against Seattle saw UVU come up just short.

However, due to a high RPI ranking and a solid 14-5-2 record, the Wolverines received the school's first-ever at-large berth to the NCAA tournament. They lost 1-0 to 11th-ranked SMU and it left something to be desired.

"The WAC Championship left a sour taste in our mouth," head coach Greg Maas said." It was a nice silver-lining and point of motivation for us to get into the NCAAs. With the experience we gained, I believe we have a tremendous opportunity to build and improve as a program."

UVU midfielder Paul Hoffmeister attempts to dribble around UMKC midfielder Hamish Smylie. (Photo: James Durrant)
UVU midfielder Paul Hoffmeister attempts to dribble around UMKC midfielder Hamish Smylie. (Photo: James Durrant)

The early success is something Maas believed in but with did necessarily see happening so quickly.

"I was quietly confident in the belief that a top-level NCAA DI program could be built here at UVU," Maas said. "Not necessarily this early, especially with the parity in college soccer. We've had a promising two years, but there's a lot of work to be done."

The success has paid off in recruiting as well. Mckay Eves, who was the 9th-rated prospect according to College Soccer News, highlights a recruiting class that was ranked 12th by Top Drawer Soccer. Eves is a member of the U-18 U.S. Men's National Team and also played with the Real Salt Lake Academy.

Joining Eves at UVU will be Alec Felix, Joseph Wheelwright and Kaleb Augat. Felix is also a product of the Real Salt Lake Academy program. Wheelwright is in the Portland Timbers Academy program while Augat has spent time with both the Timbers and RSL.

"This year's signing class is richly talented and will have an immediate impact on our program," Maas said. "Players with a high-level soccer IQ that you can trust, that are willing to work hard and embrace our team-first approach is paramount to the direction of our program."

Maas then added three more players that could have an immediate and lasting impact to the program.

Former Davis High goalkeeper and NJCAA Region XI MVP Mitch Jensen, Akron transfer Elliott Rubio and former RSL product Gui Leme add depth to an already deep lineup that returns nearly its entire roster in 2016.

"We did have an incredible recruiting class this year," Maas said. "We continue to improve our player personnel, the experience that we bring. Our program right now is in a position we're healthy, we're experienced and now we're hungry for a little bit more."

If the 2016 campaign is anything like the first two years of the program, UVU fans have much to be excited about. It all gets started on Aug. 26 with a potential top-25 matchup when UVU hosts Washington in Orem.


Kyle McDonald is an avid sports fan especially for the Chicago Cubs and the Utah Valley University Wolverines. He is currently a communication major at UVU and will graduate in the spring of 2017. Email him at kyleuvu2014@gmail.com

Photos

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

Sports

ARE YOU GAME?

From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast