TUCSON, Ariz. (August 22, 2024) – Northern Arizona soccer suffered its first loss of the 2024 season Thursday night, dropping 5-0 to the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson.
Micala Boex earned her first career start while
Natalie Manzo grabbed her first start of the '24 campaign.
The Lumberjack offense struggled to find momentum through the first 45, as the Cats held NAU to zero shots in the first frame. Arizona's first scorer of the night, Megan Chelf, led the Cats with two shots, both on goal, while Sami Baytosh and Trinity Dorsey would both be credited with first-half goals as well.
The Wildcats found the opening goal in the 10
th minute, capitalizing on a corner kick opportunity coming from the left of the box. The Cats leading scorer Nicole Dallin connected with Chelf inside the box as she got a toe on it to hit the top right corner.
Looking to create some momentum, the Jacks utilized ten first-half substitutes before heading into halftime in a 3-0 deficit.
The Jacks first shot of the match came in the 77
th minute as
Avery Ott took the free kick from five yards outside the box after Arizona's Dorsey grabbed the lone yellow card of the match. Ott's shot was sent on to the center of the goal as Olivia Ramey grabbed her first save of the night.
The Wildcats countered down the field, finding a 4-0 lead as Jessica Bedolla made a run up the left side, scoring from just inside the box. Moments later, Gianna Christiansen put Arizona up 5-0 with nine minutes to play.
The Lumberjacks finished the match with one shot on goal while Manzo tabbed two saves and Corcoran with one. Each team was charged with nine fouls while Arizona took seven corner kick opportunities in comparison to NAU's one.
Up next, the Lumberjacks will host Pennsylvania in NAU's home opener on Thursday, Aug. 29 at Lumberjack Stadium. To stay up to date with NAU Soccer, follow the Jacks on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
