Lumberjack Soccer to Face Pair of Pac-12 Teams on the Road

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (August 25, 2021) - NAU Soccer looks for its first win as they head to Tucson and Eugene for a pair of Pac-12 games against the Arizona Wildcats and the Oregon Ducks. Coming off a 0-2 start to the season, the Lumberjacks will look to showcase their talent and get in the win column.

NAU will head to Tucson, Arizona to face the Wildcats on Friday night. The match is set to start at 7 p.m. MST. The Lumberjacks then head to Eugene, Oregon for a Sunday match against the Ducks. The match is set to start at 1 p.m. MST, and the stream will be available here.

Arizona will open its home slate against NAU after dropping its season opener to Utah Valley. Jill Aguilera is back for the Wildcats as a redshirt senior, having led her team to a 9-5-1 record last season, with nine goals, five assists, and a shots on goal percentage of 0.568. 

The Lumberjacks and the Wildcats last met in February, which resulted in a 3-0 loss for Northern Arizona. The Wildcats played a tight offensive match, forcing the Jacks to protect the goal more than they were used to, ultimately leading to the three goals scored by the Wildcats. As a new team, the Jacks are focusing on controlling the ball more offensively and taking some pressure off their defense for the upcoming match. 

From Tucson, NAU makes their way to Eugene, Oregon for their first match against Oregon in program history. The Pac-12 team holds an early season record of 1-0-1 with a win against Fresno State. The team tied with San Francisco on Aug. 22, making its match against the Lumberjacks a full week after it last played. The Ducks return junior Ally Cook who already has two goals in the season. Last Season Cook led her team with four goals and one assist to its 6-5-5 record. 

Northern Arizona heads back to the road for its second road trip of the season, looking for its first win. With two losses, the team learned more rather than letting those losses discourage them. The Lumberjacks have impressed with their fast pace and clear ball control offensively, and have no short in defensive talent. 

True freshman Natalie Manzo started her first game in goal for the Lumberjacks against the Utah Valley Wolverines after playing the second half of the Utah State game. She has a total of 13 saves on the season and a save percentage of 0.867 going into the road matches this weekend.