DENVER – The University of Denver women's soccer team (0-1-0, 0-0-0 Summit) fell in its 2024 season opener, 2-1, to No. 8/13-ranked North Carolina on Thursday night at University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
 
DU overcame a 1-0 deficit heading into halftime to level the score with a converted penalty kick from senior Ella Frost in the 51^st minute. The Tar Heels reclaimed the lead 11 minutes later, however, with what would be the game winner.
 
COACH'S NOTES:
From head coach Julianne Sitch: "We came out and weren't quite playing our game. We made some adjustments and came out at halftime, played our game and believed in what we could do. There's no reason for us to walk off this field and hang our heads. We hold our heads high and walk off with pride. I thought we left everything we had out on the field and at the end of the day, that's all you can ask of your team. Of course, everyone wants to win. But for me, I think it's most important that we gave UNC a game."
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS:                                 

• Frost converted the third penalty kick of her career, doing so at least once in each of the last three seasons.
• After not registering a shot in the first half, Denver rebounded with four – two of them on target – in the second half.
• Neither team earned a corner kick in the first half while DU logged four in the second half to UNC's one.
• Two Pioneers saw their first collegiate minutes played in freshman Megan Murray and redshirt freshman Kera Nguyen.
  • Junior Isabella Chidiac and sophomore Michaela McGowan made their first career starts, and redshirt sophomore transfer Emma Thielbahr started in her first match as Pioneer.
  • Redshirt senior Addisyn Hyrup made her return to the pitch after missing the entire 2023 season with an injury.
• For the first time in Denver history, two sisters played on the pitch at the same time with graduate student Vanessa Murray starting the match and younger sister Megan making her DU debut in the 28^th minute.

FIRST HALF:
13' | Sophomore goalkeeper Molly Wissman successfully fended off a UNC challenge near the edge of the penalty area.
 
33' | UNC's Tessa Dellarose broke the scoreless tie, putting the ball above Wissman's outstretched hands from 25 yards out.
 
SECOND HALF:
51' | Senior Jadyn Goodrich sent a well-placed cross into the box from the right sideline but narrowly missed sophomore Liv Moritz.
 
51' | Moments after Goodrich's cross, play was stopped for a video review to check for a possible foul inside the box. Following the review, the foul was confirmed just inside the area and sending Denver to the penalty spot. Frost converted for the DU equalizer.
 
62' | After UNC failed to get a ball successfully toward the net on a first attack inside the box, they settled the ball for a second attempt. UNC's Bella Sember snuck the ball into the lower left corner of the net to reclaim the lead.
 
64' | Vanessa Murray sent a dangerous ball up the center of the pitch and into the box but missed an approaching Samantha Dreiling by one step.
 
70' | On a bouncing ball from a Denver corner kick, Frost found the ball at her feet but tipped it over the net.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
DU (0-1-0, 0-0-0 Summit) continues its opening weekend when it hosts Idaho State on Sunday, August 18, at 1 p.m. MT at University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
 
TICKETS
Season and single-match tickets for the 2024 University of Denver women's soccer season are now on sale and can be purchased at denverpioneers.com/tickets or by calling the Ritchie Center Box Office at 303-871-4625.
 
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