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OREM — With a young team and a first-year program, Utah Valley men’s soccer is constantly learning on the fly.
What did it learn Friday night against Western Athletic Conference favorite and No. 24-ranked Seattle?
That the Wolverines can mount a comeback.
Karson Payton scored on a free kick in the 63rd minute, and Utah Valley held on for a 1-1 draw in its WAC opener against the RedHawks (5-3-1, 0-0-1 WAC) in front of 1,945 fans at Clyde Field.
“We knew coming into it that Seattle is a very, very good team, and experienced,” Utah Valley head coach Greg Maas said after the match. “We were going to have to have a very good start to the match.”
The Wolverines (4-3-1, 0-0-1 WAC) weren’t as good as they’d hoped in the opening 15 minutes. Seattle came out strong, looking like a top-25 team, and Hamza Haddadi put the RedHawks up 1-0 after 10 minutes.
But rather than fold up the tent, Utah Valley turned to team captain Karson Payton. The freshman Provo native lined up a free kick from 25 yards out and skipped it off the recently watered grass and inside the far post for the equalizer.
“Coming in, we knew they were a good team and how they played,” Payton said of Seattle. “I knew I had to step up, as a captain and a leader on this team. I just took a chance, and hoped to get one for my team.”
Payton’s goal provided a shot in the arm to Utah Valley, which searched desperately for a winner in the final half hour. The Wolverines outshot the RedHawks 12-7 in the second half, and Matt Gay and Austin Buxton nearly pulled one back each in the final 20 minutes.
Payton faked out a defender in the 71st minute, then sent a low shot sailing inches outside of the post as Utah Valley scrambled for the right shot before managing three shots in the two extra periods.
“That’s why he’s the captain,” Maas said of Payton. “He put a great ball on frame, and the goalkeeper has to be honest to the runs. You see that type of goal happen a lot. It was timely, and it gave us a lot of momentum.”
Ian Hines-Ike, who assisted on Hamza’s match-opening goal, nearly salvaged a win for the visitors with two minutes left. The midfielder capped a long spell of possession with a shot from inside the penalty box that goalkeeper Collin Partee tipped wide.
The draw was Utah Valley’s first of the season, and marked the third ranked opponent in four matches for the first-year program. The Wolverines are 1-1-1 against top 25 teams, with a loss to then-No. 4 UC Irvine and a win over then-No. 21 Denver.
“A first-year program playing three nationally ranked teams is unheard of,” Payton said. “We’ve battled in every single one of those games.”
Utah Valley continues WAC play at home Friday against Grand Canyon and Sunday against UNLV.
