Weber State University’s men’s club soccer team kicked off their season by beating Utah State University 4–0 in Logan on Sept. 6.

A few days later, on Sept. 8, WSU hosted their first home game of the season at the Wildcat Soccer Field against the University of Utah where the Wildcats defeated the Utes 2–1.

“We want to go back to where we were; we felt like it was unfinished. We felt like we should have advanced further. So, the goal is to go a step further than we did last year,” head coach Mike Genta said.

In the 2022 fall season, the Wildcats men’s soccer club had a record of 11–6–2. The team made it to regionals but was tragically cut short in game two, losing 3–0 to the Utes.

They were then invited to the 2022 National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association nationals in Round Rock, Texas, where they made it to round 16, but unfortunately lost in penalty kicks against the University of Texas.

“Our focus is to show everybody that last season wasn’t a fluke, right? We’re bringing the club back, and we want people to know that we have good quality players in Northern Utah who are proud to represent Weber State University,” Genta said.

On Sept. 8 against the Utes, the men’s team did just that; they proudly represented the Wildcats on their home field. Having a slower start to the game but a strong defense, they were able to stop the Utes from scoring and opened themselves up to a few shots on goal.

The Wildcats were unlucky until Matt Ferre found teammate Ben Putnam on a corner kick, who beautifully headered the ball into the net. This gave the Wildcats a 1–0 advantage over the Utes heading into the second half.

That goal provided a much-needed spark and was the first collegiate goal for Ben Putnam.

“It’s fantastic, especially to help get ahead in the game where it sets the tone to help us keep going, keep driving,” Putnam said. “Before the game, I said, you know, you just got to go up and get it on corners. So, I saw the cross in, and no one was going for it. I said I gotta make my first play there. I jumped up and nailed it.”

The Wildcats held onto this spark going into the second half, coming out stronger than before, and Dallin Mauerman drilled the ball into the left bottom corner of the goal within minutes of the half starting. Unfortunately, later in the game, a handball was called in the Wildcat’s penalty area, giving the Utes a penalty kick and making the score 2–1.

The Wildcats fought hard the rest of the game and kept the score in their favor, ultimately ending in a victory.

The men’s club team will play their next game against Utah Valley University on Sept. 12, at the Spence Eccles Sports Complex at 7:30 p.m.