Nothing friendly about Utah Valley's 2-0 exhibition win over BYU

Faith Webber scored the go-ahead goal with just over 10 minutes remaining, and Marie Quentel converted a penalty to go along with her go-ahead assist as the Wolverines stunned BYU, 2-0.

There was nothing “friendly” about Utah Valley’s exhibition opener Wednesday night against crosstown rival BYU.

Nothing ever is when these two teams get together.

Faith Webber scored the go-ahead goal with just over 10 minutes remaining, and Marie Quentel converted a penalty to go along with her go-ahead assist as the Wolverines stunned BYU, 2-0 in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 700 fans due to ongoing construction at Clyde Field in Orem.

“It doesn’t matter to me that it’s an exhibition,” UVU coach Chris Lemay said. “They were trying to win the game to the best of their ability and obviously we were trying to do the same. But in the community and the rivalry between the two programs, this is a big moment for us.”

BYU out-shot the hosts 11-3 in the first half, but CJ Graham made six saves to keep the match level through 70 minutes.

Utah Valley found more in the offensive third, but BYU’s Lynette Hernaez made a couple of saves and a back line led by center back Avery Frischknecht kept the zero until late.

“It’s weird to me that I have to act like a lunatic at halftime to get some of our players to, you know, give the effort that we should be able to expect from them, day in and day out,” Lemay said. “That was disappointing.”

Webber broke through in the 79th minute, converting the Wolverines’ fifth attempt on frame of the night from Quentel past an outstretched Hernaez to give UVU the 1-0 advantage.

“We hadn’t gotten a ton of opportunities like that, where it was just me and the keeper. I got two in the first half, and didn’t put them away,” Webber said. “But I knew if I got the chance in the second half, I was going to do it, and Marie set me up for success. You saw what happened.”

Quentel converted a penalty kick five minutes later, putting away a shot after Mika Krommenhoek was called for a foul on the edge of the area.

Allie Fryer had a game-high eight shots, including three on goal, for a BYU side that out-shot UVU 20-10.

But the night belonged to UVU and its senior forward from Grand Blanc, Michigan with 30 goals and 11 assists in 40 games for the Wolverines.

“Faith has the ability to be the best forward in the country,” Lemay said. “That’s my opinion. Maybe I’m biased, but if she plays consistently, then I think she’ll score a lot of goals again for us this year.”

“It was going to be a dog fight,” added Webber, whose team fouled BYU 9 times to the Cougars’ 13. “It got ugly a couple of times; it wasn’t pretty soccer. But great teams find a way to win, and that’s what we did in the second half.”