Bria Beardsley and the rest of the DU Pioneers women's soccer team will face off against Auburn this weekend in the Denver Invitational.
Denver and No. 22 Auburn have yet to meet in women’s soccer, but there is some history between the two squads.
A year ago, Auburn and DU were among the final schools in the conversation for an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. The 11-8-2 Tigers were selected, while the 19-2-1 Pioneers were left on the outside looking in. The two squads will meet in the third match of the Denver Invitational on Sunday at 10 a.m. MT.
“Any time you have the chance to play a top-25 team at home, you have to be ready to step up to the plate and compete at your highest level,” says coach Jeff Hooker. “Auburn will be a great opportunity for us to see how much we have improved from the beginning of the season until now. We have had some great trainings this week, and we are excited to close out our nonconference schedule on a high note.”
The Pioneers return to CIBER Field for the first time since their come-from-behind victory over Nebraska on Aug. 25. DU improved to 3-0 against Colorado schools on Sunday as it captured its first road win of the season, shutting out CU 1-0. Sophomore forward Kristen Hamilton of Littleton, Colo., and freshman defender Sam Harder of Centennial, Colo., are tied for first in the Sun Belt Conference in assists with four. Hamilton also is second in the conference and 24th in the nation in points-per-game, leading the Pioneers with 12 on four goals and four assists.
The Tigers enter this weekend’s Denver Invitational on a five-game winning streak, including a 1-0 statement win over No. 5 Duke. Auburn has outscored its opponents 15-7 through the first six matches, and has yet to be shut out.
The two women’s games on Friday and Sunday are combined with a men’s soccer match on each of those days, giving fans the opportunity to see a triple header with the purchase of only one ticket, which cost $5 for general admission and $8 for reserved chairbacks. DU student tickets are free with a Pioneer Card. Visit the DU Pioneers website for tickets.
This week’s Pioneer schedule:
Sept. 16 Soccer (W) CU vs. Auburn CIBER Field 3 p.m. MT
Sept. 16 Soccer (W) CSU-Bakersfield CIBER Field 5:15 p.m. MT
Sept. 16 Volleyball Colorado State Hamilton Gym 7 p.m. MT
Sept. 16 Soccer (M) Buffalo CIBER Field 7:30 p.m. MT
Sept. 18 Soccer (W) Auburn CIBER Field 10 a.m. MT
Sept. 18 Soccer (M) Charleston CIBER Field 12 p.m. MT
Sept. 18 Soccer (W) CU vs. CSUB CIBER Field 2:15 p.m. MT