Sunday, August 30
Greeley, Colo.
12 p.m. MT
University of Denver
0-3-2, 0-0-0
1
at
1
Northern Colorado
1-1-2, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Northern Colo. | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Players Mentioned
Midfielder/Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Defender
/ Women's Soccer
Defender
/ Women's Soccer
Defender
/ Women's SoccerTeam Stats
DENV
UNCO
Goals
1
1
Shots
20
6
Shots on Goal
14
1
Saves
0
13
Corners
9
5
Fouls
4
10
Scoring Plays
Hannah Schmitt (1)
Assisted By: Francesca Jordan
GOAL by UNCO Schmitt, Hannah Assist by Jordan, Francesca.
58:30
Olivia Kroska (1)
Assisted By: Caitlin Staats , Luci Vincent
GOAL by DENV Kroska, Olivia Assist by Staats, Caitlin and Vincent, Luci.
74:17
Game Leaders
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
3
SOG
3
Goals
0
Assists
1
def
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
3
SOG
3
Goals
0
Assists
0
Photo by: Sophie Hamill/Denver Athletics
Kroska’s Equalizer Earns Denver Women’s Soccer 1-1 Draw at Northern Colorado
8/30/2026 4:23:00 PM | Women's Soccer
DU sophomore nets first career goal to pull Pioneers to second consecutive tie
GREELEY, Colorado – The University of Denver women's soccer team (0-3-2, 0-0-0 WCC) again rallied from a goal deficit in the second half to find an equalizer but was unable to find a second goal, finishing in a 1-1 draw at Northern Colorado on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday marked a resumption play after the match originally began play on August 13 but was suspended at 19:52 due to weather and was unable to resume play due to ongoing weather and field conditions.
When play picked up again on Sunday, the match was scoreless, leaving slightly more than 70 minutes to play. The score remained 0-0 at halftime before UNC found the opening goal in the 59th minute. A little more than 15 minutes later, Denver sophomore Olivia Kroska found an equalizer off a Denver free kick.
DU had a look at a potential winner five minutes later in the 80th minute on a penalty kick but had the attempt saved.
SCORING SUMMARY:
58:30 (UNC): Hannah Schmitt (Jordan)
74:17 (DEN): Olivia Kroska (Staats, Vincent)
SIGNIFICANT STATS:
12' (played on August 13) | Staats registered the first shot attempt for either team, putting it on target from 20 yards out. UNC's Thordis Melsted made the save but did not control it on the first touch.
20' (played on August 13) | Senior Kera Nguyen took Denver's first corner of the night, finding freshman Keirra Venson in the center of the six-yard box. The freshman's header bounced toward the far post but was saved. Staats eventually found the bouncing ball at her feet and added another shot for DU but also had it saved.
23' | At the edge of the six-yard box, sophomore Camila Palacios turned and immediately took a shot but had it saved by UNC's Melsted.
23' | A cross from Vincent near the corner nearly dropped in under the crossbar but was deemed not to have crossed the line.
37' | Vincent again nearly dropped a service into the back of the net, this time on a free kick from near the DU bench and forcing a fingertip save from Melsted.
58' | UNC's first notable offensive attack of the second half ended with a block from senior Nora Zelazny just off the line to deny the Bears' a goal.
59' | UNC's Hannah Schmitt was able to beat sophomore Lucy Garnsey from inside the 18-yard box on the second UNC chance its first corner of the second half.
75' | Vincent took a free kick from midfield and perfectly placed it inside the six-yard box. Staats was there to tap it toward the center of the area and found Kroska, who turned and pushed is over the line to draw the score level at 1-1.
78' | On DU's eighth corner of the match, Nguyen found herself on the end of a Palacios' service and headed it toward the net but missed wide left.
79' | At the end of Denver spell inside the box, the referee went to a video review to take a second look at a possible foul against Staats inside the 18. Following the review, the foul was given, awarding DU a penalty kick. Palacios stepped to the point but had her attempt saved UNC's Melsted, leaving the score tied at 1-1.
87' | Nguyen again found herself with the ball around the left edge of the six-yard box but sent her shot just a tad left of the post and out.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The University of Denver women's soccer team returns home for its only match of the week to host Montana on Sunday, September 6, at 1 p.m. MT.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2026 season are now on sale, starting at $69, and are available for purchase online or by visiting the Ritchie Center Box Office.
Sunday marked a resumption play after the match originally began play on August 13 but was suspended at 19:52 due to weather and was unable to resume play due to ongoing weather and field conditions.
When play picked up again on Sunday, the match was scoreless, leaving slightly more than 70 minutes to play. The score remained 0-0 at halftime before UNC found the opening goal in the 59th minute. A little more than 15 minutes later, Denver sophomore Olivia Kroska found an equalizer off a Denver free kick.
DU had a look at a potential winner five minutes later in the 80th minute on a penalty kick but had the attempt saved.
SCORING SUMMARY:
58:30 (UNC): Hannah Schmitt (Jordan)
74:17 (DEN): Olivia Kroska (Staats, Vincent)
SIGNIFICANT STATS:
- All three Pioneers involved in the DU goal notched their first points of the year with Kroska and freshman Caitlin Staats posting the first of their collegiate careers.
- Senior Luci Vincent 's secondary assist on the goal was the second of her career.
- Denver moves to 8-0-1 against Northern Colorado and 1-0-1 in Greeley.
- DU is now 0-3-2 in its last five matches and 3-4-3 in its last 10, dating back to the 2025 season.
- With Kroska's goal in the 75th minute, both Denver goals in 2026 so far have been equalizers.
- Kroska's goal became Denver's first of the year from a set piece and its fifth in its last 10 goals scored dating back to last year.
- Denver has now held opponents scoreless in the first half in four of its first five matches.
- In total, DU has only allowed one first-half goal (August 23 at Northwestern).
- Denver's 19 shot attempts and 14 on target were both season highs.
- DU's 20 shots were its most since September 28, 2025, at North Dakota State (also 20).
- DU's 14 shots on goal were its most since October 27, 2019, when the Pioneers put 20 on target against Purdue Fort Wayne.
- Denver's 12 shot attempts the second half were its most in a single half since having 14 in the second half at St. Thomas on October 9, 2025.
- Denver outshot Northern Colorado, 20-6, its largest shot margin over an opponent since October 24, 2024, against South Dakota State (also a +14 shot margin).
- UNC's single shot on goal was the fewest Denver allowed to an opponent since October 2, 2025, against Kansas City at home (also: one SOG) and the fewest in an away match since September 12, 2024, at Colorado State (also: one SOG).
- DU also set a new season high for corner kicks (nine).
- For the second match in a row, DU had a substantial advantage in time of possession, sitting at 66 percent on Sunday.
- Sophomore Avery Baker made her first appearance of the 2026 season as a substitution in the 44th minute.
- Staats and Palacios each had three shot attempts and put all three on target, both match-high marks.
- Palacios set a new career high for most shots in a single match.
- Staats has now had three shots in each of the last two matches.
- Kroska, too, had three shot attempts – with two on target – also a personal best.
12' (played on August 13) | Staats registered the first shot attempt for either team, putting it on target from 20 yards out. UNC's Thordis Melsted made the save but did not control it on the first touch.
20' (played on August 13) | Senior Kera Nguyen took Denver's first corner of the night, finding freshman Keirra Venson in the center of the six-yard box. The freshman's header bounced toward the far post but was saved. Staats eventually found the bouncing ball at her feet and added another shot for DU but also had it saved.
23' | At the edge of the six-yard box, sophomore Camila Palacios turned and immediately took a shot but had it saved by UNC's Melsted.
23' | A cross from Vincent near the corner nearly dropped in under the crossbar but was deemed not to have crossed the line.
37' | Vincent again nearly dropped a service into the back of the net, this time on a free kick from near the DU bench and forcing a fingertip save from Melsted.
58' | UNC's first notable offensive attack of the second half ended with a block from senior Nora Zelazny just off the line to deny the Bears' a goal.
59' | UNC's Hannah Schmitt was able to beat sophomore Lucy Garnsey from inside the 18-yard box on the second UNC chance its first corner of the second half.
75' | Vincent took a free kick from midfield and perfectly placed it inside the six-yard box. Staats was there to tap it toward the center of the area and found Kroska, who turned and pushed is over the line to draw the score level at 1-1.
78' | On DU's eighth corner of the match, Nguyen found herself on the end of a Palacios' service and headed it toward the net but missed wide left.
79' | At the end of Denver spell inside the box, the referee went to a video review to take a second look at a possible foul against Staats inside the 18. Following the review, the foul was given, awarding DU a penalty kick. Palacios stepped to the point but had her attempt saved UNC's Melsted, leaving the score tied at 1-1.
87' | Nguyen again found herself with the ball around the left edge of the six-yard box but sent her shot just a tad left of the post and out.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The University of Denver women's soccer team returns home for its only match of the week to host Montana on Sunday, September 6, at 1 p.m. MT.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2026 season are now on sale, starting at $69, and are available for purchase online or by visiting the Ritchie Center Box Office.
Denver's Home for College Sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Soccer on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_WSoccer on X (Twitter)
Follow @denverpioneers and @Denver_WSoccer on Instagram
Follow @denverpioneers and @Denver_WSoccer on Threads
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Soccer on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_WSoccer on X (Twitter)
Follow @denverpioneers and @Denver_WSoccer on Instagram
Follow @denverpioneers and @Denver_WSoccer on Threads
Thursday, August 27
Wednesday, August 26
Thursday, August 06
Thursday, July 16
