DENVER – The University of Denver women's soccer team (9-1-5, 5-0-1 Summit) notched a 1-0 win over Kansas City in its regular-season home finale on Thursday night.
 
Freshman Michaela McGowan scored the only goal of the match, capitalizing after finding herself with a clean look at the net in the 35^th minute. Sophomore Lily O'Grady and junior Jadyn Goodrich had the helpers.
 
COACH'S NOTES:
From head coach Julianne Sitch: "I think we created some really good opportunities to score. I thought (Kansas City's) goalkeeper did great tonight. She had some really big-time saves and a great PK save as well. They put some good pressure on us, and we were still able to create a lot of good opportunities. I would have loved to have gotten two or three more of those inside-the-six-yard-box shots put away, but I was happy with how we are continuing to create opportunities and continuing to get after teams."
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS:                                 

• McGowan became the eighth different Pioneer to score a game winner this year. Fellow freshman Liv Moritz is the only DU player with multiple game winners in 2023 with two.
• Freshman goalkeeper Molly Wissman collected her sixth cleansheet of the season.
• DU's defense held Kansas City to just three shots and only one on target, both marks matching the lowest allowed to a DU opponent this year.
• Denver's 12 first-half shots were tied for the second most in the first 45 minutes of a match this season, equaling the 12 against Northern Colorado on August 31 and behind only the 17 at Oregon on September 10.
• DU set a new season high for corners with 15 on Thursday, three more than the previous high at Colorado College on August 20.

FIRST HALF:
5' | Denver earned the first corner of the night. Senior Jordan Crockett placed it well inside the box, but sophomore Hannah Tate's shot sailed high.
 
24' | Senior Megan Prazich nearly dipped her shot from 25 yards out under the crossbar, but KC's keeper punched it clear.
 
27' | On Kansas City's first offensive chance, Wissman came out to challenge the attacker and kicked the shot away from her net.
 
35' | McGowan found a clear look at the net after quick taps from O'Grady and Goodrich, and the freshman easily sent it into the back of the net.
 
40' | McGowan nearly had a second goal just minutes after giving DU the lead but bounced her shot off the underside of the crossbar.
 
SECOND HALF:
67' | Graduate student Camryn MacMillan fed the ball up toward the box where Moritz redirected it well toward net, but KC's keeper grabbed it.
 
73' | After MacMillan was taken down inside the 18-yard box, junior Ella Frost took the penalty shot but had it saved.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
DU (9-1-5, 5-0-1 Summit) begins the final week of the regular season when it travels to North Dakota State on Thursday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. MT.
 
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