Denver Women’s Soccer Upsets RV/No. 25 Saint Mary’s in WCC Debut

Saturday, September 26

Denver, Colo.

7 p.m. MT

University of Denver

2-5-2, 1-0-0

Saint Mary's

6-1-4, 0-1-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Saint Mary's (CA)	0	1	1
Denver	0	2	2

Highlights

Photo by: Michael Ciaglo/Clarkson Creative Photography

Denver Women’s Soccer Upsets RV/No. 25 Saint Mary’s in WCC Debut

9/26/2026 10:16:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Highlights

DU hands Saint Mary’s its first loss of 2026 in 2-1 victory during first-ever West Coast Conference match

DENVER – The University of Denver women's soccer team (2-5-2, 1-0-0 WCC) upset RV/No. 25 Saint Mary's with a 2-1 victory in DU's first-ever West Coast Conference match on Saturday night at University of Denver Soccer Stadium.

After the match sat scoreless at halftime, Denver freshman Reese Morgan opened the scoring in the 57^th minute with what was her first collegiate goal. SMC equalized in the 60^th minute off a direct free kick, but another Denver freshman in Maeve Morgan reclaimed the lead for DU in the 75^th minute with what was also the first goal of her NCAA career and would finish as the game winner.

Denver handed the Gaels their first loss of 2026 after Saint Mary's had entered the week as one of 18 unbeaten NCAA Division I women's soccer teams in the country.

SCORING SUMMARY:
56:21 (DEN): Reese Morgan (Harvey)
59:01 (SMC): Molly Silva
74:40 (DEN): Maeve Morgan

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

Denver is now 22-3-2 as an NCAA Division I program in conference openers and moves to 11-1-1 when the match is played at home.
- DU has now won each of its conference debuts as an NCAA DI program, having won its Western Athletic Conference debut in 2000 (7-0 against Arkansas State) and its Summit League debut in 2013 (4-0 at Purdue Fort Wayne).
Denver moves to 4-1-0 against Saint Mary's and 1-0-0 in WCC play.
- With Saturday's win, DU is also 4-0-0 against SMC at home.
DU has now earned a win against a team appearing in at least one of the national polls in each of the last three seasons (RV/No. 25 Saint Mary's on Saturday; against No. 25 Colorado State in 2025; and at No. 24 Texas A&M in 2024).
- Denver is now 11-29-3 in its DI history against ranked opponents and 4-5-0 since 2019.
R. Morgan and M. Morgan became the fourth and fifth goal scorers for Denver so far in 2026.
All three Pioneers involved in DU's two goals registered the first points of their NCAA careers with M. Morgan and R. Morgan earning two apiece for their goals and sophomore Kacey Harvey picking up on for her assist on R. Morgan's goal.
Six Pioneers had multiple shot attempts in the match, led by three from senior Kera Nguyen.
- Nguyen's three shots matched her career high, as did Harvey's two.
- Sophomore Lilly Lund found her first shots of the year, registering two on the night and including one on target.
- Since September 17's match against Air Force, sixth-year student-athlete Samantha Dreiling has put three consecutive shots on target including two on Saturday night.
Denver's 17 shot attempts were its second most in a match this season – behind only its 20 at Northern Colorado on August 13/30) – and its most at University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
- The Pioneers' 10 shots on goal were also their second highest of the year (behind only the UNC match) and its most at home.
DU outshot its opponent for the fourth time in 2026, leading Saint Mary's, 17-8.
Both of Denver's game winners in 2026 thus far have also been first collegiate goals (M. Morgan on Saturday against Saint Mary's, Nora Zelazny on September 6 against Montana).
Senior Jaidin Kinch made her second collegiate start in what was her seventh NCAA match played and second appearance for Denver.
- She also equaled her two saves from her DU debut as a second-half substitution against Air Force on September 17.
- It was the senior's third NCAA win and first as a Pioneer.

KEY MOMENTS:
10' | S. Dreiling took a look from 25 yards out and saw her ball dipping at the right moment late, but SMC's Kate Plachy made the last-second save to clear it just above the crossbar.

19' | Senior Luci Vincent and freshman Caitlin Staats combined to carry the ball through the left side of the box with the freshman sending a cross toward the near post and finding an approaching Nguyen. The senior slid to connect with the ball and sent it toward goal but just barely wide.

26' | Denver head coach Julianne Sitch initiated a coach's challenge for a potential handball inside Saint Mary's penalty area. Upon video review, the call remained unchanged with the referee determining the SMC player's arm was in a natural position when it made contact with the ball.

42' | Shortly after entering the match as a sub, Lund sent a shot toward the net from just outside the corner of the 18-yard box, though it finished just inches above the crossbar.

51' | SMC's head coach Theresa Romagnolo initiated a coach's challenge for a possible foul inside DU's box. After video review, the referee upheld the call of no foul.

56' | Harvey intercepted an attempted clearance from Saint Mary's around 25 yards out and carried it toward the box before sending the ball out to her right and slightly toward the net, finding a wide-open R. Morgan for a one-touch shot that beat the keeper at the right post.

60' | SMC drew a foul just outside the box. Molly Silva took the free kick and curled it around DU's wall, beating Kinch to her left.

75' | A tackle from sophomore Camila Palacios jarred the ball free before a Saint Mary's attack could get underway. The ball fell to M. Morgan, who carried it into the box and had an initial shot saved by SMC'S Plachy around the penalty spot, but the Denver freshman gathered the rebound and buried it between the keeper's outstretched hands and the post.

WHAT'S NEXT:
The University of Denver women's soccer team heads to Santa Clara for its first West Coast Conference road match on Saturday, October 2, at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT.

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

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