BOULDER, Colo. – The University of Denver women's soccer team (4-3-0, 0-0-0 Summit) dropped its opening match of a five-game road trip with a tight 1-0 decision at No. 18-ranked Colorado on Thursday night.
 
For the fourth time through the season's first seven matches, Denver entered halftime in a scoreless tie. The night's only goal came in the 78^th minute when DU junior Alina Santos stopped an initial free kick from just beyond the 18-yard box before CU found the back of the net off the rebound.
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS:                                 

• Redshirt senior Addisyn Hyrup returned to the starting lineup for the first time since the 2022 season finale after missing the entire 2023 season with an injury.
  • She also played the full 90 minutes for the first time in her career.
• Sophomore Michaela McGowan led the team with five shot attempts, doing so for the second match in a row.
• Also for the second-straight match, Santos had six saves to match her personal best while senior Riley Baker added a save of her own. Baker also had two more critical clears from deep in the six-yard box.
• After allowing seven corners to the Buffs in the first half, Denver held CU to just a single corner in the last 45 minutes – the ninth time this season that the Pioneers have held an opponent to no more than one corner in a given half.
• DU used its fewest number of players so far this season, subbing on only three student-athletes while seeing five Pioneers play for the full 90 minutes.

FIRST HALF:
12' | M. McGowan had DU's first attacking chance of the day with a run into the box but had her shot blocked.
 
14' & 15' | Twice, sophomore Liv Moritz had looks at the net, first seeing the CU keeper punch her ball just clear of the crossbar and then having her shot off a corner kick blocked.
 
22' | Santos faced her first real test of the contest and successfully dove to her left to block a CU shot clear.
 
30' | M. McGowan connected on a great service from Hyrup into the box but again had her shot blocked from just a couple yards out.
 
34' | CU had a look at the net, but Baker kept her cool to clear the shot from just in front of the goal line.
 
SECOND HALF:
56' | CU put two shots towards net from inside the 18-yard box, but both were cleared away including with a Baker header from the goal line.
 
67' | Redshirt sophomore Emma Thielbahr successfully ended a CU attack with a perfectly-timed tackle.
 
73' | After a CU shot rang off the crossbar, Baker yet again stepped up to push the ball away from net.
 
76' | Senior Ella Frost connected on a pass back from Moritz, sending her shot with some heat near the right post and forced the CU keeper to make the save.
 
78' | CU earned a free kick from just outside the penalty area. Santos made a decisive save on the initial shot through traffic, but the Buffs' Ava Priest was able to send the rebound into the back of the net.
 
85' | The Buffs cleared a late Denver corner, but M. McGowan collected the ball only to see her shot sail high.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
DU (4-3-0, 0-0-0 Summit) heads west for the first time this year, making the trip to Southern Utah for a meeting on Sunday, September 8, at 12:30 p.m. MT.
 
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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