DENVER – The University of Denver women's soccer team (2-0-3, 0-0-0 Summit) saw goals from four different student-athletes in the team's 4-1 victory over Southern Utah on Sunday afternoon.
 
Two goals in each half sealed DU's second win of the season and extended its unbeaten start to the year to five matches. Three of the four Denver goals scored were the first for their players in a Pioneer uniform, and the fourth came from a DU player who had only scored once before entering the day.
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS:                                 

• The victory was Denver's 100^th as a program at University of Denver Soccer Stadium, which opened in 2009. DU is now 100-25-15 at the venue.
• Denver is unbeaten through its first five completed matches for the second time under head coach Julianne Sitch and the fourth time in the program's NCAA Division I history (also: 2008, 2013, 2023).
• For the first time this season, Denver scored in the first half with its two goals on Sunday.
• Denver still has not allowed an opponent to score in the first half.
• DU's four goals are its most since putting five past Southern Utah on the road last season.
• Denver's 13 first-half shots were the most in a single half since logging 15 in the second half against Omaha on October 17, 2024, and the most in a first half since putting up 16 against North Dakota on September 29, 2024.
  • The Pioneers finished with 18 total shot attempts, a new season high.
• For the second time this year, Denver held an opponent without a corner kick after not allowing one to the Thunderbirds in the second 45 minutes.
  • DU also held Colorado College without a corner kick in the first half on August 17.
• Junior Alanna Raimondo, redshirt sophomore Shay Payne and freshman Lilly Lund all netted their first Denver goals with Payne's and Lund's becoming the first of their collegiate careers.
  • The fourth Denver goal came off the head of redshirt junior center back Emma Thielbahr, who had scored once before in similar fashion – also against Southern Utah off a corner kick.
  • Payne and Lund also notched their first collegiate points.
• Senior Isabella Chidiac had two assists on the day, doubling her previous career total. All three of her collegiate assists have come this season.
• Raimondo's goal at 4:07 becomes the 41^st fastest is DU's DI history.
• Lund's goal at 85:19 becomes the 54^th latest in regulation in DU's DI history.
• Twelve of the 19 Pioneers who saw minutes in the match registered at least one shot attempt. Eight of them put at least one on target, led by a match-best two from redshirt senior Samantha Dreiling.
• Two Pioneers made their first starts of the season in senior Lily O'Grady – her first since 2023 – and Raimondo.
• Redshirt freshman Grace Dreiling made her collegiate debut as a substitute in the 81^st minute.

FIRST HALF:
5' | S. Dreiling sent a cross through the six-yard box, perfectly timing it with an approaching Raimondo at the far post for the easy tap in.

First Denver goal for Alanna Raimondo to get things started early!#GoPios | @ncaasoccer pic.twitter.com/Fn1l2XJv8I

— Denver Women's Soccer (@DU_WSoccer) August 31, 2025

 
13' | From the top corner of the box, S. Dreiling tried to curl the ball between the keeper and the near post but had it saved.
 
20' | Raimondo sent a ball into the box from the right side of the pitch, looking for Chidiac but narrowly missing her on the approach.
 
30' | Senior Brooke Ahern tried to chip the ball over the keeper from inside the penalty area. SUU' keeper made the finger-tip save, but allowed Payne to eventually collect the rebound and push the ball across the endline for the eventual game winner.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Denver Women's Soccer (@denver_wsoccer)

 
42' | Payne was inches away from a first-half brace, only to see her shot cleared off the line by a Thunderbird defender.
 
SECOND HALF:
56' | SUU's Whitney Garnder slid into the six-yard box just as a cross from teammate Avery Kyle landed, pushing the ball up and off the underside of the crossbar and across the line to bring the Thunderbirds within one at 2-1.
 
68' | Chidiac took Denver's second corner kick of the day, sending it toward the penalty spot where an awaiting Thielbahr headed it past the keeper.
 
86' | Chidiac fed Lund up through midfield, meeting the freshman in stride, who went on to beat the keeper into the back corner.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
The University of Denver women's soccer team begins a three-match streak against Big 12 Conference opponents, starting with a trip to Arizona on Thursday, September 4.
 
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2025 Denver women's soccer season are now on sale and available for purchase online, by calling 303-871-4625 or by visiting the Ritchie Center Box Office.