USAFA, Colo. – The University of Denver women’s soccer team (1-0-0, 0-0-0 Summit) opened its 2025 campaign with a 2-1 win at Air Force off a brace from redshirt senior Samantha Dreiling.
After the teams sat scoreless through the first two thirds of the match, Dreiling found herself open down the right side of the pitch on multiple occasions late and tucked two attempts into the back of the net to give Denver a 2-0 lead in the 81st minute.
The Falcons drew back within one after converted a penalty kick in the 83rd minute after a DU hand ball inside the box, but the Pioneers’ held on for the remainder to seal the win.
The match was initially delayed by about 35 minutes due to weather in the area during warmups.
SIGNIFICANT STATS:
- Thursday’s two-goal outing marked S. Dreiling’s second career brace (first: August 29, 2024).
- With their assists, redshirt senior Audrey Miller, senior Isabella Chidiac and redshirt sophomore Luci Vincent all posted their first collegiate points.
- Freshmen Annie Philbin and Lilly Lund were members of the starting XI in their first collegiate matches while Kacey Harvey and Avery Baker entered as substitutes.
- Vincent, too, made her collegiate debut and did so as a starter.
- Senior Brooke Ahern played 57 minutes in her first match as a Pioneer.
- S. Dreiling had a match-high four shot attempts while Lund was one off her pace for second most on the DU roster.
- Denver nearly doubled its shot output from the first half with nine of its 14 shots coming in the final 45 minutes.
FIRST HALF:
2′ | Redshirt sophomore Kera Nguyen took a look at the far post from the edge of the 18-yard box but curled the match’s first shot wide right.
19′ | Facing the first real challenge from the Falcons, redshirt junior Alina Santos came out to challenge the approaching player and beat her to the ball, clearing it away from the box.
29′ | Air Force set up inside the box and got a few light touches toward net, but the Pioneers combined to clear the ball away every time.
30′ | The Falcons drew a foul just outside the penalty area, but Denver’s wall successfully blocked the free kick.
32′ | Santos stretched as far up as she could and successfully tipped away a late-dipping shot from the Falcons, ultimately seeing the ball bounce off the crossbar and out.
38′ | Denver finally earned its first corner of the day. An Isabella Chidiac service was well placed into the six-yard box, but DU couldn’t connect with it cleanly.
SECOND HALF:
53′ | Santos started the second half with her third save of the day, getting low and kicking the ball clear.
60′ | S. Dreiling found herself open down the right side of the pitch for the first time but pulled her shot wide.
62′ | Vincent collected the ball near midfield and connected with an awaiting Thielbahr at the edge of the box, who headed it toward an approaching S. Dreiling, who tapped the ball past the keeper to break the scoreless draw.
81′ | Miller followed Vincent’s lead from the first Denver goal, sending it from the center circle up to Chidiac. The senior perfectly fed the ball into the box where S. Dreiling finished the job.
83′ | A Denver handball inside the box gave Air Force a penalty kick, which AFA’s Caeli Sherman converted down the center and just under the crossbar.
89′ | Lund tried to follow S. Dreiling’s led from the right side of the box but saw her header glance just wide right of the post.
WHAT’S NEXT:
DU returns to Colorado Springs to wrap up opening weekend when it plays at Colorado College on Sunday, August 17, at 1 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.
