Freshman Lauren Cavarra scored the game-winner in the 50th minute Saturday to help the University of Denver women’s soccer team earn a 2-0 victory over North Texas and the Sun Belt Conference championship in Mobile, Ala. The Pioneers earned the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
Denver (13-4-4), which will play in its second consecutive national tournament, will await the NCAA bracket announcement at 6 p.m. Monday.
“We have already proven we can play with the high-echelon teams in the country, and now we just have to keep believing in ourselves,” coach Jeff Hooker said.
Cavarra’s goal, off a pass from Lizzy Carlson, put DU ahead 1-0. Carlson’s goal in the 76th minute, from an assist by Mariah Johnston, put the Pioneers out of reach. Goalkeeper Mackenzie Snyder did not allow a goal in DU’s three SBC tournament games. She was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
CSU women win region. The Colorado State women’s cross country team earned its first trip to the NCAA championships after winning the NCAA Mountain Region race at Ogden, Utah.
The Rams, behind April Thomas’ fifth-place finish in the 6,000-meter race, were followed by Northern Arizona, Brigham Young and Colorado. Texas Tech rounded out the top five. Texas Tech’s Sally Kipyego won the individual title, finishing in 19 minutes, 29.4 seconds. Colorado’s Jenny Barringer was second at 19:43.9. CU’s Sara Vaughn was sixth at 21:00.2.
CSU’s automatic NCAA bid qualifies it for the championship race in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 19.
Buffs men’s team triumphs. Colorado runners finished in sixth, seventh and eighth place as the defending national champion Buffaloes won the men’s NCAA Mountain Region in Ogden, Utah. CU earned another trip back to the NCAA championships, to be held in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 20.
Texas-El Paso was second, followed by Northern Arizona, Brigham Young and New Mexico. Air Force finished in sixth place, Wyoming was ninth and Colorado State was 13th.
Northern Arizona’s Lopez Lomong won the 10,000- meter individual title, finishing in 29:52.1. Wyoming’s Mark Korir finished in fifth place in 30:15.8, followed by Colorado teammates Stephen Pifer (30:28.3), Brent Vaughn (30:29.2) and Kenyon Neuman (30:29.9).
Pioneers edge Air Force. Kyle Christensen’s goal in the fifth minute held up as the Denver men’s soccer team got a 1-0 victory over Air Force (4-11-1, 2-6-0) in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game at Cadet Stadium. DU (9-4-3, 5-1-2) jumped back into first place in the MPSF. Christensen’s goal came after a give-and-go pass play with Kellan Christensen.
