BROOKINGS, S.D. – The University of Denver women's soccer team (10-5-2, 4-1-2 Summit) earned its first win at South Dakota State in program history with a 2-1 victory on Thursday night.
 
All three of the match's goals came within nine minutes of each other in the second half, starting with sophomore Liv Moritz in the 65^th minute. SDSU found an equalizer four minutes later off a corner kick before DU senior Payten Ivins scored the first goal of her career to reclaim the Denver lead in the 74^th minute.
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS:                                 

• Entering Thursday night, DU was 0-4-3 all-time in Brookings.
  • Thursday was Denver's fifth win over its Summit League rival SDSU and its second in a row after earning a 4-2 win at home on October 5, 2023.
• Ivins joins freshman Megan Murray in scoring her first career goal and also having it be a game winner this season.
• The Pioneers had 22 shots attempts – tying for the team's second most this season – including 10 on target, which equaled the fourth most by DU in 2024.
  • Denver has now had at least 22 shot attempts in four of its last six matches.
• Moritz moved into second on Denver's team leaderboard for total goals this season with her fifth and trails only senior Ella Frost, who has seven.
• Denver became the first team to outshoot South Dakota State all season long. DU finished with a 22-8 shot margin over the Jackrabbits and held SDSU to its fewest shot attempts this year.
• Thursday's win was Denver's 10th on the year, giving DU at least 10 victories in seven of the last eight seasons.
• With its three points earned, DU moved into second place in the Summit League standings with only one match remaining.
  • Denver (4-1-2) has 14 points, behind only North Dakota State (5-1-1) with 16 points.

FIRST HALF:
6' | On Denver's first attack inside the final third, redshirt sophomore Hannah Tate headed a cross into the back of the net but had the goal called back due to an offside call.
 
10' | Moritz sent a cross into the center of the box where sophomore Michaela McGowan got a shot off but lifted it over the crossbar.
 
25' | Sophomore Molly Wissman passed her first test of the contest, successfully coming off her line to challenge an SDSU attack and blocking a shot clear of her net.
 
32' | Senior Riley Baker took a look from 25 yards out and had some heat on the ball but missed just wide right.
 
SECOND HALF:
48' | Tate fed M. McGowan at the right edge of the box. The sophomore carried the ball toward the six-yard box but bounced her shot off the underside of the crossbar.
 
58' | M. McGowan sent a cross through the 18-yard box, connecting with an approaching Frost, whose shot narrowly missed the far post.
 
65' | Moritz stole the ball from an SDSU defender and snuck a shot around the near post and into the back of the net.
 
69' | SDSU's Ava Grate sent a header in at the far post off a Jackrabbit corner.
 
74' | Ivins put one near the left post, bounced it off the SDSU keeper's hands and into the back of the net.

Less than five minutes after the SDSU equalizer, Payten Ivins finds the back of the net for a 2-1 DU lead!#GoPios | #SummitWSOC pic.twitter.com/gUxWyDmJhT

— Denver Women's Soccer (@DU_WSoccer) October 25, 2024

 
76' | Senior Jadyn Goodrich took a free kick from just beyond the edge of the box but sent it wide of the left post.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
DU (10-5-2, 4-1-2 Summit) ends the 2024 regular season at South Dakota on Sunday, October 27, at 1 p.m. CT/12 p.m. MT. Denver has secured a spot in the 2024 Summit League Women's Soccer Championship and will await final seeding following Sunday's slate of matches.
 
Denver's Home for College Sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Soccer on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_WSoccer on Twitter
Follow @denverpioneers and @DU_WSoccer on Instagram