Utah Valley men's soccer dropped its first contest of the 2026 season on Saturday, October 3, 2026, falling 3-2 to preseason Big West favorite UC Santa Barbara at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.
According to a report published October 4, 2026, the Wolverines trailed 2-0 after 31 minutes and 3-0 at the 50-minute mark before trimming the deficit to one goal with less than five minutes remaining.
The Gauchos opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Peleg Brown beat keeper Kolby Sessions at the left post. Donovan Sessoms added a second goal in the 31st minute with a shot from just outside the box. Sessoms also converted a penalty kick in the 50th minute following a coach's challenge.
Utah Valley responded when Jose Luis Martin Montealegre scored a penalty kick three minutes after the UCSB goal to make it 3-1. Brayden Tester scored the Wolverines' second goal in the 86th minute on a cross from Oliver Watts, but the team could not find an equalizer despite dominating possession late in the match.
In other UVU sports news, the women's soccer team earned a 1-1 draw against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night at UCCU Stadium. Kate Booth converted a penalty kick in the 89th minute to level the match after a video review upheld a foul on Tess Livingston.
Utah Valley women's soccer moves to a 6-4-3 overall record and remains unbeaten in Big West play at 2-0-2. The team held a 22-6 advantage in total shots and a 10-1 advantage in shots on goal during the match.
Cal Poly defeated Utah Valley women's volleyball 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-19) on Saturday afternoon at Lockhart Arena. Miley Thunstrom led the Wolverines with eight kills and seven digs, while Alyvia Watkins and Brielle Rueckert also contributed to the effort.
At the SUU Color Country Invitational in Cedar City, Utah Valley cross country saw both the men's and women's teams take first place. Mark Boyle led the men's 7k with a first-place finish of 22:10.32, while Reagan Doman won the women's 5k with a time of 17:46.84.
The UVU men's soccer team will travel to face the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Wednesday, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. MDT. The women's soccer team will travel to Cal Poly on Saturday, Oct. 10, for a 7 p.m. MT matchup.
