University of Central Arkansas Athletics

OREM, Utah - Central Arkansas (0-1-1) came up short in Orem after a hard-fought 90 minutes, falling 1-0 to Utah Valley on Sunday.

The match opened with both teams looking to find their footing offensively. Utah Valley controlled possession early and looked to create opportunities, earning back-to-back corner kicks in the sixth minute. Central Arkansas held strong in its own third and began to create opportunities of its own.

The Bears' first opportunity came in the eighth minute when junior Kyle Schwartz looked to push forward in transition but was called offside. Schwartz was a consistent offensive threat throughout the first half, creating multiple opportunities along the right side of the field.

His first shot came after Central Arkansas won the ball near midfield and quickly transitioned into attack. Schwartz moved from the far side of the field into the middle of Utah Valley's defensive third before sending a shot just wide left. He added two more shots in the 11th and 17th minutes as the Bears continued to pressure the Wolverines.

Despite the efforts from Schwartz, Utah Valley struck at the 24-minute mark when forward Nil Grau scored following a throw-in. Grau was initially ruled offside by the assistant referee, but after an official review, the call was overturned and the goal stood.

As the first half came to a close, both defenses settled in, with neither team able to consistently penetrate the opposing defensive third.

The defensive battle continued into the second half. Despite the Wolverines recording nine corner kicks, the Bears remained comfortable in their own third and limited Utah Valley's opportunities. Senior defender Joseph Mwamba helped shut down several attacks, closing gaps and forcing the Wolverines to find other ways to create chances.

Mwamba also created an opportunity for the Bears in the second half with a pass forward to Schwartz, but the pass was just too long and was collected by the Utah Valley goalkeeper.

As the final 10 minutes approached, the Bears continued to push for an equalizer. Sophomore midfielder Vaclav Kozeny recorded a shot in the 83rd minute, but Utah Valley's defense came up with multiple clearances to keep the Bears off the scoreboard as the final minutes ticked away.

Central Arkansas returns home for its home opener Friday against Belmont at 7 p.m. The Bruins defeated Wright State 6-1 on Sunday.