DENVER – The No. 15 ranked University of Denver women’s soccer team fell 1-0 to Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in front of a record 1,394 fans at CIBER Field Friday evening. The lone goal in the game was scored in the 84 minute by the Buffaloes’ Anne Stuller.

“In the end I think that’s why they say soccer is such a cruel game,” head coach Jeff Hooker said. “I think we were very good with our ball movement and possession in the second half. We fouled them and they made us pay. We had the wall set up great; Cassidy (Rey) did everything right to have it covered. The ball deflected off someone’s shoulder and went the other direction in the top corner. Things like that, there is nothing you can do. I have to credit Anne Stuller for getting the ball on goal.”

Inside the 84th minute, Colorado’s Brianna Hooks was tackled by junior defender Sam Harder (Centennial Colo.) just outside the right edge of the 18-yard box, drawing the free-kick. Stuller took the free kick, which was deflected off the Pioneer’s wall and redirected into the net passed Denver’s goalkeeper Cassidy Rey (Arcadia, Calif.). The Buffs gained a 1-0 lead with only six minutes remaining in the match.

Despite several chances, No. 4 seeded Denver could not capitalize with an equalizer. With only 49 seconds to play, junior Anna Willis (Centennial, Colo.) attempted a header off of a corner kick from senior Cassidy Larson (Eldorado Springs, Colo.), but a Colorado defenseman blocked the opportunity.

Through 84 minutes of play, the game remained scoreless. Both teams had a several chances to gain a lead, but each team’s defensive lines remained solid. In the 18th minute Rey made a break away save off a shot from Stuller. Stuller collected the ball inside the box and made a shot attempt to the far post, but Rey dove and made the save to keep the game scoreless.

Denver’s best opportunity to score came in the 25th minute when Willis found unmarked redshirt-freshman Francesca Garzelloni (Parker, Colo.) inside the box. Garzelloni dribbled around a defender before shooting the ball high over the crossbar.

“I felt like if we would have put one of our two chances in the first half in the goal, it would have been a little bit different of a game, but it wasn’t,” Hooker stated. “We were a little bit upset at half time. I thought we gave them a little bit too much of the ball. We made some changes and I was really pleased with the chances and felt they were going to continue to come, even right up until the end to tie as well. Sitting here after what we felt was a tremendous season, but not moving on is a big disappointment at this point in time.”

Garzelloni made four shot attempts for Denver, with only one on goal. Harder and DiGiacomo both added two to the Pioneers’ 13 shots.

Rey finished the game with five saves, while Colorado’s keeper Anne Stuller recorded three.  

“This season has been great. I couldn’t have asked for a better season,” DiGiacomo said. “This game was a big loss to us; we wish it would have gone differently, but the season as a whole we’re really happy with and I’m glad to have shared it with these girls and parents and the whole family we’ve created. These last four years have been amazing. I’m really sad to see it end, but I know this team is going to go far in the future. I’m excited to see how far they progress next year.”

The Pioneers ended the 2013 season with an overall record of 18-2-1. They were crowned The Summit League’s regular season champions as well as the tournament champions. Denver graduates eight seniors.

“These seniors kind of laid the foundation, ” Hooker said. “When we recruited this group of seniors, we felt like we got some of the best players from Colorado to stay in state. We were very please and felt like we were going in the right direction. What these guys did last year was look at the senior leadership and the positivity that creates within a team. They did a great job of not only emulating that class, but going a step beyond and saying we’d like to get further than the round of 16. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. It wasn’t because of effort; it wasn’t because of preparation; it wasn’t because of anything like that. The players and the coaches felt we were prepared for this game, just unfortunate to come out on the losing side tonight.”

Denver notes:

·         The crowd of 1,394 fans was the largest crowd since 2010 when CIBER Field was completed and dedicated.

·         This is the eighth time Denver has made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It has an overall record of 2-9 in the tournament. Last year marked the first year the Pioneers advanced to the second round with a 3-1 win over Colorado College at CIBER Field. Denver went on to beat Maryland 3-2 in overtime, before falling to Stanford 3-0 in the Round of 16.

·         Denver has hosted two consecutive First Round games, both against Colorado schools (Colorado College 2012, Colorado 2013).

·         The Pioneers are 0-2 against the Buffs in the NCAA Tournament. Before today’s contest, Denver fell to Colorado in 2006 2-1 in Boulder, Colo.

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