- Utah Valley men's soccer achieves five consecutive shutouts, ranking 18th nationally.
- Kolby Sessions, a transfer goalkeeper, contributes significantly with a season-high five saves.
- Coach Kyle Beckerman praises team's play style and individual contributions from players like Noah Pogue.
OREM — When Kolby Sessions graduated from Judge Memorial, he didn't think he'd be part of a historic run for Utah Valley men's soccer by his sophomore season.
The Holladay native didn't think he'd be part of the Wolverines' men's soccer program at all before he spent two seasons at Saint Mary's. But there he was Thursday, collecting a season-high five saves to help UVU extend the best start in school history with a 3-0 win over Sacramento State with a fifth consecutive shutout.
It's been quite the start for Sessions, whose teammates call him "Fish" as a nod to his middle name. But the former Deseret News Best XI and 2021 state champion with the Bulldogs couldn't have found a better fit than Kyle Beckerman's team in Orem.
"The style of play was one of the biggest things," the 6-foot-2 goalkeeper who transferred to be closer to home in the spring told KSL.com. "I really enjoy how we play. I knew two of the guys coming in, and that helped me transition, too. I came with my best friend at my old school, and that made it even easier."
Sessions' rise in goal has highlighted a Utah Valley squad that ranks among the best in the country through five matches. The 18th-ranked Wolverines are one of just 11 teams nationally to not allow a goal, and the first group in Western Athletic Conference history to open a season with five consecutive shutouts.
The fifth shutout, which included goals by Toke Amtrup, Dan McKay and former Corner Canyon standout Noah Pogue, tied the program's all-time run of consecutive clean sheets at any point of the season — a mark the group can surpass next Thursday against UC Davis at the newly renovated UCCU Stadium (7 p.m. MDT, ESPN+).
In a state where college football reigns in the fall, the Wolverines are standing out in college fútbol. That was especially true Thursday, when the school's women's team beat LSU 3-2 for the program's first-ever win over an SEC opponent.
"We're just flying, man," said Keegan Oyler, the Oregon State transfer from Meridian, Idaho who leads the nation with five assists. "The team's playing great together. It's not one person doing everything, but we're clicking together and it's allowing individuals to show up."
The junior anchored a defense last year that led the WAC with a 1.11 goals-against average in 2024, when he started 13 of his 17 matches en route to 1,205 minutes in a bounceback campaign from injuries the year prior.
But the first five games of 2025 have taken the run even further, solidifying a 10-match streak dating back to last season where the Wolverines have allowed just one goal from the run of play.
Plenty of players have bought into a system that is working under Beckerman and assistant coaches Michael Chesler, Ty O'Connor and Brett Jacobs. Ten different players have found the score sheet for Utah Valley, which is already the third-most for a full season in program history.
The Wolverines' 16 goals and 17 assists are the most nationally for a team that has only played Division I opponents.
But a few players have been able to stand out, including the transfer keeper with a penchant for playing the ball at his feet since he grew up watching his coach play with Real Salt Lake at what was then Rio Tinto Stadium just 15 minutes from home.
"Every day, it's crazy," Sessions quipped of playing for Beckerman in Orem. "You really don't get used to it. But here we are."
Sessions has also been a fit since the day he stepped foot on campus, his coach said in noting his friendly demeanor and comfortability with an environment surrounded by a dozen Utah native teammates that includes reigning Gatorade Utah player of the Year Lewis Knecht.
The freshman's three goals is tied for the most on the team with breakout sophomore Isaac Emojong.
"In terms of soccer," Beckerman added of Sessions, "we want to play with the ball as much as we can. One of Fish's strengths is he can play well with the ball at his feet. It's a credit to his hard work and his commitment to his craft."
Beckerman also credited Pogue, the converted forward whose transition to wing back has gone as well as can be expected with two goals and two assists in 383 minutes.
"He's been incredible for us," the fifth-year head coach said. "In our system, those guys are super important to get up and down. He's taken on the role, and it's a perfect fit for him.
"Whether he scores or not," he added, "he's a defensive presence and brings the energy every game that we need."
