TEMPE, Ariz. – After conceding an early penalty kick, the University of Denver women's soccer team (2-2-3, 0-0-0 Summit) fought back to draw level late in the second half at Arizona State on Sunday morning but finished with a 1-3 loss to the Sun Devils.
 
ASU took a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute off a penalty kick and maintained the scoreline well into the second half. Denver senior Brooke Ahern equalized with a spectacular swinging-kick goal in the 78^th minute, but the 1-1 score held for only two and a half minutes before ASU answered with two more goals in the 81^st and 86^th minutes to seal the win.
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS:                                 

• Ahern now owns two of Denver's three equalizers on the season, both coming late in the second half (also: 76^th minute against Seattle on August 24).
• Ahern joins redshirt senior Samantha Dreiling with a team-best two goals on the season.
• Redshirt senior Audrey Miller had the service on Ahern's goal, giving her two helpers on the year, second most on the roster.
• For the fifth match in a row, redshirt junior Alina Santos made at least five saves, adding seven on Sunday, which was just one off her career high.
• Miller played the full 90 minutes for the first time in her career.
• After earning just one corner kick in the first half, Denver came back with five in the second half.
  • DU also improved in shot attempts in the second half with six compared to just four in the first half.

FIRST HALF:
6' | After a handball call against the Pioneers in the box, ASU's Tatum Thomason stepped to the mark and converted the subsequent penalty kick for a 1-0 ASU lead.
 
17' | The Pioneers earned the match's first corner. Senior Isabella Chidiac found freshman Annie Philbin at the back post on the kick, but the freshman's header said over the net.
 
30' | ASU's Peyton Marcisz sent a shot in from outside the 18-yard box that started to dip as it approached the goal. Santos got up in time to tip the ball up and, with a little help from the crossbar, keep it out of the net.
 
SECOND HALF:
55' | Chidiac nearly saw her corner kick dip in at the back post off a rebound from the keeper, but the ball bounced out clear. Multiple Pios found the ball at their feet in the subsequent scramble with redshirt sophomore Shay Payne and junior Alanna Raimondo getting shots off that were blocked away.
 
71' | Redshirt sophomore Kera Nguyen made a run down the left side of the pitch and sent the ball toward the far post, finding redshirt junior Emma Thielbahr, who was ruled offside.
 
78' | Miller beat a defender in time to send a cross into the box from the right side of the pitch. With her back toward the goal, Ahern spun in the air with an outstretched leg that blasted the ball into the back of the net.

Goal of the Year candidate that deserves another watch! #GoPios pic.twitter.com/yuUIrCMFzX

— Denver Women's Soccer (@DU_WSoccer) September 7, 2025

 
81' | ASU's Izzy Monck approached the far post on a corner kick and was able to push the ball across the line to retake the lead for the Sun Devils.
 
86' | After DU blocked away an initial corner kick from Arizona State, Sierra Bergen collected the ball in a bit of a scramble and found a seam past Santos.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
The University of Denver women's soccer team returns home to host its final two non-conference matches of the season, starting by taking on Colorado on Thursday, September 11, at 7 p.m. MT.
 
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.