r Freshman midfielder Breanna DeWaal recorded her first-ever brace with a pair of first-half goals to lead the Utah Valley University women’s soccer team to a 6-2 win over WAC foe UMKC on Saturday night at Clyde Field.
Utah Valley improves to 9-6-2 overall on the season and puts the Wolverines in a tie with Grand Canyon for second place in the WAC standings with a 3-2-1 league record. UMKC falls to 5-9-4 overall and 2-2-2 in WAC play.
“That’s the team we’ve been looking for and that’s the way we have been wanting to play this entire season,” said Utah Valley head coach Brent Anderson. “I thought we did a good job of possessing the ball and moving it around. We were moving the ball in the attacking third which created a number of scoring opportunities. We were more patient in the attacking third tonight than we have been this season. To get that many goals and play as well as we did is just a great reward for the team for the work they have been putting in.”
The Wolverines took a 1-0 lead just one minute and 29 seconds into the match after Libby Weber sent a free kick into the box that deflected off the UMKC keeper. Breanna DeWaal then headed the deflected ball into the left side of the goal for the score.
Melanie Ostler sent a ball into the left side of the box where Taylor Kirk saved it from going out of bounds by heading it to the front of the goal. Breanna McCarter then settled the ball and passed it to DeWaal who then booted a shot into the back of the net with her left foot to give the Wolverines a 2-0 advantage.
Libby Weber scored UVU’s third goal of the first half after connecting on a shot from the top of the box on the right side. Weber’s shot sailed past the keeper to the left side of the goal to give the Wolverines a 3-0 lead. Alexis Peterson was credited with the assist on the score.
UMKC got on the scoreboard in the 63rd minute after Emily Herndon put a ball in the net off a Niekie Pellens corner kick. Utah Valley then scored on an own goal by UMKC to take a 4-1 lead in the 77th minute.
The Kangaroos tallied their second goal of the game in the 80th minute when Pellens sent in a shot from about 25 yards out to cut the UVU lead to a 4-2 advantage.
Senior Lexi Felis fired a shot from 30 yards out over the UMKC keeper’s head for her second career goal. The score also marked Felis’ first goal since her freshman season in 2012. DeWaal earned the assist on the score in the 82nd minute.
Taylor Kirk rounded out the scoring in the 86th minute as she found the right corner of the goal for her fourth score of the season.
Utah Valley out-shot UMKC 23-12 on the night, including a 9-5 advantage on goal. DeWaal led the Wolverines with six shots, including two on goal. Brooklyn Nielsen recorded a pair of saves in the box for the Wolverines as she played all 90 minutes in the box.
Utah Valley will wrap up regular season play when the Wolverines host Seattle U on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
