Denver Women’s Soccer Welcomes RV/No. 25 Saint Mary’s for WCC Opener

Saturday, September 26

Denver, Colo.

7 p.m. MT

University of Denver

Saint Mary's

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Kacey Harvey University of Denver Women's Soccer Winger vs Air Force - September 17, 2026

Photo by: Carter Schwent/Denver Athletics

Denver Women’s Soccer Welcomes RV/No. 25 Saint Mary’s for WCC Opener

9/24/2026 9:54:00 AM | Women's Soccer

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DU set for first-ever West Coast Conference match on Saturday, September 26

WHO: Denver (1-5-2, 0-0-0 WCC) vs. RV/No. 25 Saint Mary's (6-0-4, 0-0-0 WCC)
WHAT: DU's first-ever West Coast Conference game
WHERE: University of Denver Soccer Stadium (Denver, Colorado)
WHEN: Saturday, September 26, at 7 p.m. MT

MATCH PROMOTIONS:
Saturday marks the return of Pups at the Pitch where fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to the match. Pup cups will be available for purchase.

Denver will also host its annual Family Weekend to celebrate and thank its student-athletes' families. A photo with the team and all family members will be taken on the field after the match.

LAST TIME OUT:
Denver ended its non-conference schedule by hosting Air Force on September 17 in a 1-2 loss to the Falcons. Senior Kera Nguyen scored her team-leading third goal in the 19^th minute, giving DU a 1-0 lead after the first half. AFA scored an equalizer 63 seconds into the second half on a rebound shot after sophomore keeper Lucy Garnsey was injured after making an initial save on the Falcons' attack at her left post. Garnsey was unable to continue play, sending senior Jaidin Kinch in for her Denver debut in the 47^th minute. Kinch made two saves but was ultimately beaten for the game winner in the 73^rd minute.

QUICK HITS:

Denver is in 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.
- Entering Saturday's match, Denver holds an 11-17-4 record against its new conference foes.
Head coach Julianne Sitch is in her fourth year in charge of the Pioneers.
- Thus far, she owns a 30-18-15 record.
Seven Pioneers have at least one point in 2026 so far with Nguyen leading the team with six off her team-best three goals.
- Five of the seven have registered the first points of their collegiate careers.
- Sophomore Camila Palacios also has her first point as a Pioneer with her first NCAA assist at DePaul on August 20.
- Staats' assist versus Montana was her second in as many matches and has her tied for the second most points on the team.
Of Denver's 27 student-athletes on the roster, 24 have seen, eight of whom have made their DU debuts.
- Freshmen Reese Morgan, Staats and Keirra Venson joined Garnsey in being part of the starting XI in what was their first official collegiate match at Colorado State.
- Freshman Jacqui Wilson and sophomores Riley Jeffries and Kroska entered as subs at CSU to also make their NCAA debuts.
- Freshman Maeve Morgan became the fifth and final DU first-year student-athlete to see playing time as a sub against Air Force on September 17.
- Transfers Kinch and Palacios have also played for the first time as Pioneers.
In conference openers, DU holds a 21-3-2 record as an NCAA Division I program.
- When its first conference match has been held at home, Denver is 10-1-1.
- While playing as a member of the Summit League, DU went 10-2-1 in league openers.
- In 2025, Denver recorded a 1-0 road win at North Dakota to begin its conference schedule.
Saturday will mark Denver's second match of the year against a nationally ranked opponent in RV/No. 25 Saint Mary's.
- DU first played at then-No. 19/10 Colorado on September 11.
- Denver holds a 10-28-3 record as an NCAA Division I program against ranked opponents.
- The Pioneers have two wins against nationally-ranked teams over the last two seasons: at No. 24 Texas A&M in 2024 and against No. 25 Colorado State in 2025.
Senior Liv Moritz made her awaited Denver women's soccer return as a substitution against Air Force on September 17.
- Moritz, a two-sport athlete, was allowed to miss the 2025 soccer season while pursuing an Olympic spot for Team USA's alpine skiing team.
- She went 679 days between matches played for Denver, last doing so on November 7, 2024.
- In her first two seasons with DU women's soccer, Moritz played in every match – including starting in all but one – and had the second most goals on the roster (five in 2024, seven in 2023).
Two former Denver standouts have signed professional contracts this fall.
- Former goalkeeper Alina Santos signed with English club Southampton FC Women in June.
- Former midfielder Isabella Chidiac signed with Australian club Western Sydney FC in September.

ROSTER NOTES:

Sixth-year Samantha 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 a co-captain.
Of Denver's 11 starters from its 2025 league opener, six are back on the roster in 2026.
- Sophomore Annie Philbin, senior Luci Vincent, junior Rowan LaPiano and S. Dreiling each started in every Summit League match a season ago.
- Together, those four Pioneers have combined for 22 starts so far in 2026.
S. Dreiling leads the roster in career matches played (59), matches started (48) and career minutes (3320).
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-in-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 match together nine times – including five times so far in 2026 – and been on the pitch at the same time twice (including once in 2026 at Colorado on September 11).
Despite sharing a last name, freshmen Maeve Morgan and Reese Morgan are not related.

HISTORY VS. SAINT MARY'S:

This will be the fifth meeting between Denver and Saint Mary's – though the first as conference opponents – with DU holding a 3-1-0 record against SMC.
Saint Mary's has made the trip to Denver three times previously, each wins for DU.
The teams have not faced each other since August 30, 2013, in a 2-0 win for Denver at home.
DU has won the last three matches, all held in Denver.
The first two matches between Denver and Saint Mary's went to extra time: a 1-0 win for DU at home on September 22, 2000, and a 1-0 win for SMC at home on October 1, 1999.

SCOUTING THE GAELS:

Saint Mary's in one of 18 unbeaten NCAA Division I programs entering the week, sitting on a 6-0-4 record through non-conference play.
The Gaels finished the non-conference schedule with a 1-1 draw at then-No. 18 Utah State on September 20.
Ashlyn Vaughn holds the team lead in goals (7) and points (14), and shares the lead for game winners (2) with Brianna Jurasek.
- Vaughn is also tied atop the WCC leaderboard for goals and is tied for second in points.
Two SMC goalkeepers have seen action in 2026, each with five starts.
- Soraya Souvanaphong has not allowed a goal while Kate Plachy has a team-best 16 saves.
Saint Mary's holds a national ranking – No. 25 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll – for the second year in a row after peaking at No. 22 in the TDS rankings last year.
Gaels head coach Theresa Romagnolo is in her seventh season at Saint Mary's
- She is 54-28-29 in her SMC tenure and 130-71-45 in her 14-year NCAA head coaching career.

WHAT'S NEXT:
Denver heads on the road for its first-ever West Coast Conference away match when it visits Santa Clara on Saturday, October 3, at 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT.

TICKETS
Tickets for the 2026 season are now on sale and are available for purchase online or by visiting the Ritchie Center Box Office.

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