The University of Denver women’s soccer team won the Sun Belt Conference Championship by shutting out North Texas 2–0 Nov. 10, earning the Pioneers an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m really proud of the girls. They had to deal with a tough schedule with seven games on the road to only four at home,” head coach Jeff Hooker says. “They beat three high quality teams to win the championship. The Sun Belt Conference gets better and more competitive every year, and you can see that in this tournament.”
The game was scoreless through the first half and into the 50th minute, when freshman forward Lauren Cavarra buried a pass from sophomore midfielder Lizzy Carlson.
Carlson iced the game in the 76th minute, scoring a goal off a pass from sophomore forward Mariah Johnston.
Sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Snyder, who did not allow a goal during DU’s three games, was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player and to the All-Tournament team. Senior midfielder Jenna Billingsley, senior defender Jamie Dierberger and Carlson also were named to the All-Tournament Team.
“We have already proven that we can play with the high echelon teams in the country, and now we just have to keep believing in ourselves as we head into the NCAA Tournament,” Hooker says.
Denver (13–4–4) enters its fifth NCAA Tournament and second-straight appearance. Last year, the Pioneers defeated Kentucky in the first round, marking the first tournament win in DU’s history.