Thursday, August 13
Greeley, Colo.
7 p.m. MT
University of Denver
at
Northern Colorado
Photo by: Sophie Hamill/Denver Athletics
Denver Women’s Soccer Opens Season at Northern Colorado
8/11/2026 9:11:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DU set for first of back-to-back in-state road matches for opening weekend, plays at UNC on Thursday evening
WHO: Denver (0-0-0, 0-0-0 WCC) at Northern Colorado (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big Sky)
WHAT: DU's 2026 season opener
WHERE: Jackson Stadium (Greeley, Colorado)
WHEN: Thursday, August 13, at 7 p.m. MT
LAST TIME OUT:
Denver played two exhibition matches to wrap up its preseason, one at home and one on the road. DU first played Colorado Albion SC at home on August 5, finishing with a dominant 8-0 final score. Five different Pioneers found the back of the net led by a hat trick from freshman Caitlin Staats. Staats and fellow freshman Reese Morgan combined for 10 points in the match with R. Morgan also scoring a goal and assisting on Staats' first two goals.
Senior Kera Nguyen, sophomore Lilly Lund and sixth-year Samantha Dreiling also found the back of the net on August 5.
To wrap up the weekend, Denver made the trip north to Wyoming on August 9 where the only goal of the day was off a quick redirection in the 86th minute for the home team.
In total, 18 Pioneers played between the two exhibition matches.
QUICK HITS:
Denver makes another trip up I-25 for its second match of opening weekend, playing at Colorado State on Sunday, August 16, at 3 p.m. MT.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2026 season are now on sale, starting at $79, and are available for purchase online or by visiting the Ritchie Center Box Office.
WHAT: DU's 2026 season opener
WHERE: Jackson Stadium (Greeley, Colorado)
WHEN: Thursday, August 13, at 7 p.m. MT
LAST TIME OUT:
Denver played two exhibition matches to wrap up its preseason, one at home and one on the road. DU first played Colorado Albion SC at home on August 5, finishing with a dominant 8-0 final score. Five different Pioneers found the back of the net led by a hat trick from freshman Caitlin Staats. Staats and fellow freshman Reese Morgan combined for 10 points in the match with R. Morgan also scoring a goal and assisting on Staats' first two goals.
Senior Kera Nguyen, sophomore Lilly Lund and sixth-year Samantha Dreiling also found the back of the net on August 5.
To wrap up the weekend, Denver made the trip north to Wyoming on August 9 where the only goal of the day was off a quick redirection in the 86th minute for the home team.
In total, 18 Pioneers played between the two exhibition matches.
QUICK HITS:
- Denver is entering its first season as a member of the West Coast Conference after completing the transition to its new home on July 1.
- DU spent the last 13 seasons in the Summit League, winning nine regular-season titles – including last year – and four tournament titles.
- Head coach Julianne Sitch begins her fourth year in charge of the Pioneers.
- Through her first three seasons, she owns a 29-13-13 record.
- Sitch has registered a winning record in all three seasons at Denver including last year's 9-5-4 record.
- In season openers, DU is 14-10-4 since becoming an NCAA Division I program in 1998.
- The team is 3-1-1 in its last five season openers following its 2-1 win at Air Force last year.
- In season openers played on the road, Denver is 5-6-2 including 2-3-2 in true road matches.
- Denver has scored at least one goal in 19 of its openers with its most being five goals against Air Force in 2021.
- For the second year in a row, Denver begins its season with four consecutive matches away from home.
- Prior to 2025, DU had not opened a season on the road since 2015.
- During its non-conference schedule, DU will face five of its fellow Colorado teams, beginning with both of its opponents for opening weekend in Northern Colorado and Colorado State.
- Two Pioneers have garnered preseason attention from Top Drawer Soccer in senior Liv Moritz and freshman R. Morgan.
- Moritz was recognized as a TDS West Coast Conference Breakout Candidate in what will be her return season to the pitch after missing 2025 while pursuing an Olympic spot with Team USA in alpine skiing.
- R. Morgan, the 2026 Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year, was named by TDS as one of 10 of the winners singled out as players to watch. The freshman also earned a spot on the TDS Spring High School Best XI second team for her final season before joining Denver.
- Former DU starting goalkeeper Alina Santos signed her first professional contract in August, doing so with English club Southampton FC Women.
- S. Dreiling and senior Nora Zelazny are Denver's captains for 2026.
- Dreiling was a co-captain in 2025. This will be Zelazny's first year as co-captain.
- Denver returns 14 to its roster including five starters from the 2025 postseason: defenders Annie Philbin, Luci Vincent and Zelazny; and midfielders S. Dreiling and Rowan LaPiano.
- Of DU's 14 returners, 13 saw playing time last season.
- The 14 returners combined for more than 9,700 minutes on the pitch.
- S. Dreiling and senior Alanna Raimondo lead the team's field players in career matches played, each at 51 entering the season. Raimondo has the lead in minutes played (2895).
- S. Dreiling was granted a sixth year of eligibility via medical hardship waiver after missing her first two NCAA seasons with injury.
- The NCAA's new "five for five" age-based eligibility model allows student-athletes who were on rosters for 2025-26 to use either the new eligibility model or the old model – including redshirts – if it benefits the student-athlete, as is the case for S. Dreiling.
- For the third season in a row, Denver has a set of sisters on the roster in S. Dreiling and Grace Dreiling.
- The duo is the fourth pair of sisters to play for Denver and the second to be on the roster at the same time.
- The Dreilings have played in the same together four times and been on the pitch at the same time once (September 25, 2025, at North Dakota).
- Despite sharing a last name, freshmen Maeve Morgan and Reese Morgan are not related.
- This will be the ninth meeting between Denver and Northern Colorado with DU winning all eight previous meetings.
- They last played three years ago in a 3-1 win for Denver at home on August 31, 2023.
- DU has only once previously visited Greeley, doing so in its first year as an NCAA Division I program on October 24, 1998, and coming away with another 3-1 victory.
- The Bears played one preseason exhibition, traveling to future DU regular-season opponent Colorado College on August 6, though a result was not made public.
- UNC was picked to finish ninth in the Big Sky Conference this year after ending the 2025 season eighth in the conference standings.
- Senior Lexi Tuite was named to the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team and led Northern Colorado in goals (6) and points (12) a season ago.
- Bears' head coach Tim Barrera is entering his 28th season at UNC and holds a 224-231-59 record after going 3-10-6 last year.
Denver makes another trip up I-25 for its second match of opening weekend, playing at Colorado State on Sunday, August 16, at 3 p.m. MT.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2026 season are now on sale, starting at $79, and are available for purchase online or by visiting the Ritchie Center Box Office.
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