The Arizona soccer team shut out the University of Colorado Boulder 2-0 at Murphey Field at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium Friday night.
The Wildcats picked up their second conference win of the season improving them to 5-6-2 (2-4-0).
“It’s a big win. It’s huge for us and I’m excited to keep going,” sophomore forward Olivia Briede said.
Arizona came out aggressive early on, putting pressure on Colorado’s defense leading to Arizona scoring first in the 4th minute.
Junior forward Nicole Dallin received a cross from the left side to the middle of the box and attempted a header that was blocked by Colorado’s goalie. The ball then bounced off of the goalkeeper’s gloves which gave Dallin a second chance to score, and she did not miss.
Arizona controlled the first half keeping the ball predominantly on their attacking third, giving them multiple chances to score in the first half. Within the first 14 minutes of the match, Arizona had already racked up six shots. The match went into halftime with Arizona leading 1-0.
Colorado came out aggressive to start the second half, but a second goal by Arizona shut down all of their momentum. In the 53rd minute, Briede received a pass from fifth year midfielder Iliana Hocking which set up a nice touch kick for Briede to extend the Wildcats’ lead. The Wildcats did not stop applying pressure to Colorado down the stretch of the match.
“I would always opt to continue to put pressure on and play our game. When you drop off little bits of energy you invite a lot of opportunities for the other team,” head coach Becca Moros said.
Arizona’s defense held Colorado to only six shots total and three shots on goal. The Wildcats also did not allow Colorado to have a corner kick in the match.
“I think our defense worked great, our organization has gotten better and better over the last four games, five games. I think it has made it hard for teams to get into a rhythm,” Moros said.
This was Arizona’s first home Pac-12 win of the season, and you could tell after the game.
All of the players had huge smiles on their faces as they high-fived the fans at the gate waiting for them after the game. Moros was asked postgame how she was doing and, with a large grin, said “I’m good; wins are good.”
Arizona’s next match is on the road against the University of Washington on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. MST.
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