OREM, Utah — Since conference play began in Utah Valley’s first season in the Big West, Sadie Beardall hasn’t been able to stop scoring.
The trend continued Wednesday night.
Beardall had two goals and two assists as the Wolverines stayed unbeaten in Big West play with a 6-1 win over Sacramento State in front of an announced crowd of 1,283 fans at UCCU Stadium.
The senior scored her ninth and 10th goals of the season for Utah Valley (10-4-3, 6-0-2 Big West) with four goals in three-straight matches. Beardall’s 10 goals rank her among the top-30 in the country in total goals after Wednesday night, and just two goals behind Long Beach State’s Cherrie Cox for the most in the Big West.
With the win, Utah Valley clinched a spot in the six-team Big West Conference tournament, with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye in the tournament scheduled to run from Nov. 4 through Nov. 14.
But the secret to the Wolverines, who won their fourth consecutive match, isn’t just Beardall, a pure finisher in the air as well as her right foot. It’s from the service she receives.
On Wednesday night, she got all of it, rising up to meet Sam Curtis’ corner kick with her forehead in the seventh minute to open the scoring and adding another off a through-ball from Tylie Miller, who had two assists.
“All of us have just been clicking; we know how to find each other, sometimes by eye contact,” Beardall said. “It doesn’t have to be calling for the ball anymore.
“Nixan Jackson really knows how to find those balls. I think all of us do; we just need to find each other’s feet, and we keep having each others’ backs.”
Jackson also had a goal and an assists on 10 shots for Utah Valley, including four of the Wolverines’ 10 shots on target. In all, the hosts out-shot Sacramento State 28-4 and got goals from Mia Owens and Josie Clawson, while Addie Olson and Kate Booth also provided an assist for a team that benefitted from an own goal.
Beardall served up a perfect pass for a goal in the 30th minute, taking a throw-in from Jackson to the end line before crossing to an open Clawson in the middle of the penalty box for the finish.
The senior from South Ogden with a fifth year available notched her second goal in the 49th minute, finishing a pass from Miller six minutes before Jackson stretched the advantage to 4-0 with a right-footed shot after Miller forced a turnover.
After an own goal, Beardall helped push the lead to 6-0 finding Owens for a left-footed goal in the 74th minute.
“I’m really proud of my girls,” Beardall said. “They really helped me get those two goals, and I think we just stuck our foot on the gas. From the opening whistle, it was good to get on the board early, too.”
Marely Velazquez Varela pulled one back a minute later for Sacramento State (5-6-5, 1-4-3 Big West) to prevent the shutout.
The Wolverines hit the road again to face UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. The Gauchos (8-2-6, 3-1-3 Big West) lost their first match in conference play Wednesday night, 2-0 to Cal Poly and fell 8 points behind the league-leading Wolverines.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT on ESPN+.
