Wide open

Every ending could very well be a new beginning, and with the regular season out of the way for Utah Valley, the United Soccer Conference Tournament may be the fresh start the Wolverines are looking for.

The old sports cliché of throwing out the records couldn’t be truer in the Wolverines situation this season. The poor record Utah Valley has accumulated is a little misleading when you consider the fact that the Wolverines have only one conference loss this year.

Strong play in conference has secured Utah Valley the second seed for the upcoming tournament, which will be held at Wolverine Field Thursday through Sunday.

With games yet to be played among conference opponents, as it stands now, the Wolverines will square off most likely with the third seeded team, likely NJIT, which Utah Valley beat 5-0 earlier this season, after a first round bye.

"It’s a good position for us," Coach Brent Anderson said. "We match up well with all the conference teams and we’ve had some good success there."

The lone loss for the Wolverines in conference play came against Longwood who will be the first seed in the tournament. Utah Valley will look to redeem that loss and claim the conference crown.

"Our mind-set is to win," junior forward Shantae Adams said. "We’re just going in there knowing that we’re going to give it our all."

The five teams along with Utah Valley that make up the United Soccer Conference and will play in the tournament this week are as follows:

Longwood-The Lancers finished conference play undefeated at 5-0 including a 2-1 win over the Wolverines in September. With an overall record of 13-10, Longwood will look to continue its tough play in the tournament.

NJIT-The Highlanders conference record as it currently stands is 2-2 with an upcoming game against conference foe South Carolina State. With a total record of 2-13 the Highlanders will be looking to get some much-needed wins.

Howard University-With a season record of 2-15 the Bison will look to improve on their 2-3 conference record as they enter the tournament as the likely four seed.

South Carolina State-Yet to win a conference game the Bulldogs will finish the season as either the five or six seed. A dismal record of 3-13 leaves the Bulldogs hungry.

Delaware State-The Hornets are in the same boat as the Bulldogs and haven’t won a conference game. The two teams will face of this week determining the final two spots in the tournament.