MIAMI - (Aug. 26, 2018) – The FIU women's soccer team dropped a tough decision to visiting Denver on Sunday afternoon, as the Pioneers left Miami with a 5-0 victory.
 
The win for Denver (1-2-1) -- who was a NCAA Tournament team last season -- marked its first of the season, while FIU (0-3-0) remains winless on the young season.
 
The Pioneers struck early on Sunday, as Denver scored three early goals to gain momentum in the first half. The first goal came almost at the start, with Denver's Meg Halvorson (3') receiving a pass from Alex Nillen and Hannah Adler to take the early lead. The next two scores came from Camryn MacMillan (10', 18'), as the Pioneer found the back of the net twice to put Denver up 3-0 before halftime.
 
After settling down in the second half, the Panthers looked to have Denver under control but the Pioneers scored a pair of goals in the closing minutes to extend their lead to 5-0. Denver's Natalie Beckman scored in the 82' minute, while Gracie Sturdevant added in the final score at the 84' minute.
 
FIU's Kaydeen Jack led the Panthers in shots for the match, as the freshman tallied three for the contest to continue her aggressive attacking to begin the season. Rayquel Berry also remained active, earning two shots for the game with both being on target. Freshman goalkeeper Christina Velazquez earned five saves on 20 shots faced in 90 minutes of action between the posts.
 
UP NEXT
FIU will hit the road for a four-game road trip, as the Panthers travel to Charleston Southern (8/31), College of Charleston (9/2), Texas Tech (9/7) and SMU (9/9) to continue the 2018 season.
 
NOTABLE
>> Denver now leads the all-time series 9-5-2.
>> The win for the Pioneers snapped a two-game winning streak over Denver for FIU.
>> A total of 20 Panthers earned minutes on Sunday afternoon.
>> Michaela Rouse earned her first appearance of the season, logging 35 minutes for the match.
>> Freshman Christina Velazquez recorded five saves, which are the second-most for her career.
>> Sophomore Sierra Moss earned her third-straight 90-minute match of the season.  
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU_WSoccer Instagram and @FIUWSoccer on Facebook and Twitter. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.