WHO: Denver (5-3-0, 0-0-0 Summit) at Colorado State (3-2-1, 0-0-0 MWC)
WHAT: DU's only match of the week
WHERE: CSU Soccer Field (Fort Collins, Colorado)
WHEN: Thursday, September 12, at 7 p.m. MT
LAST TIME OUT:
Denver logged its strongest offensive output of the season with a 5-2 win at Southern Utah on September 8. Senior
Riley Baker opened the scoring with DU's quickest goal so far in 2024 (4:32) before sophomore
Liv Moritz netted consecutive goals – one on either side of halftime – including the eventual game winner in the 61
st minute. Freshman
Megan Murray and redshirt sophomore
Emma Thielbahr added two more to DU's haul in the second half.
QUICK HITS:
- Sophomore Michaela McGowan remains tied for No. 2 nationally in total assists with six so far in 2024.
- Her six assists are already more than a Pioneer had in all of 2023. The last time a DU player had more than six in a season was 2021 (Natalie Beckman with 18 and Sami Feller with 11).
- The Murray sisters both earned points on the same goal when graduate student Vanessa Murray had the assist on younger sister Megan's goal at SUU on September 8.
- It is the first time in DU's Division I history that sisters have each played a role on the same goal.
- The duo became the first sisters to play in the same match together in DU's 2024 season opener and were then starters together on August 25.
- Denver is chasing its 250th Division-I shutout after moving within one of the milestone after three-straight clean sheets from August 25 – September 1.
- Colorado State is DU's third in-state opponent in 2024 after hosting Colorado College on September 1 (a 2-0 win for DU) and playing at Colorado on September 5 (a 1-0 win for CU).
- Thursday night is Denver's only match of the week, marking the first of back-to-back weeks when the Pioneers have a single match-week.
- DU will play at Gonzaga on Thursday, September 19, in next week's only match.
SCOUTING THE RAMS:
CSU has not played since a 1-0 loss at UTSA on September 1, which ended a three-match win streak for the Rams dating back to August 22. Maggie Altman leads Colorado State in goals (3) and points (6) so far while Avery Vander Ven has the team lead in assists (2). Shayna Ross has played every minute in goal for the Rams so far.
Denver and Colorado State enter Thursday night knotted up at 3-3-1 all-time against each other. The teams played to a 1-1 draw at DU last season while Denver came away with a 2-1 win the last time they met at CSU (September 11, 2022).
WHAT'S NEXT:
DU wraps up its non-conference slate with the fourth of its five-match road trip when it plays at Gonzaga on Thursday, September 19. Denver will then begin Summit League play at Kansas City on September 26 before finally returning home to host North Dakota on September 29.
TICKETS
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.
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