UC Riverside
Northern Arizona
Women’s Soccer Opens Season with Loss to Northern Arizona
8/12/2026 10:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Energetic start not enough in season opener
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside (0-1-0, 0-0-0 Big West) opened the 2026 regular season on Wednesday night at the UCR Soccer Stadium with a 2-0 defeat to Northern Arizona (1-0-0, 0-0-0 Big Sky).
UCR came out with energy and aggression on both sides of the ball, but NAU's first glimpse in front of KaMia Elliott proved to be the opener in the fifth minute. The Highlanders nearly equalized two minutes later off a corner.
UC Riverside kept the pressure on in the ninth minute. Finley Aghassi nearly found the back of the net off a header in the box, and Mia DiLeo almost equalized from short range before pressing the NAU net again in the 14th.
DiLeo broke through the midfield in the 19th minute and slid a ball up to Albertine Faye, who made a defender miss before being dispossessed in the box. UCR held the ball in the attacking third halfway through the first half, and Daisy Miller, three minutes subbing on, hit one over the bar in the 26th minute.
Elliott positioned herself perfectly against a long free kick in the 32nd minute to preserve the one-goal deficit. UCR played a loose ball forward after following the Lumberjacks' brief spell of possession in the attacking third, but the buildup was interrupted upon entering the final third. The junior keeper saved a routine soft shot in the 39th that came from a low cross.
Paige Gartner beat a defender on the left wing and won a corner in the 41st minute, but UCR couldn't equalize after playing it short.
Aghassi sent a free kick in in the 53rd minute and found a connection in the box, but not enough to find the back of the net. The sophomore midfielder later connected on a well-hit ball from outside but watched it sail over the bar. Elliott fingertipped out a sure second NAU goal in the 58th minute on a dive to her left.
UCR continued pushing with its seventh shot coming in the 70th minute, by way of a long strike from Sanaa Guyness. Macie Baird lobbed a ball into the box in the 74th for Ally Yoshimura, but couldn't connect. Abigail Coppolo let go of her first attempt in the 82nd, but her slow roller narrowly missed the near post.
NAU added a second goal in the 85th minute to close it out.
UCR will hit the road for their next two matches, beginning next Wednesday, August 19, at Oral Roberts for a 5:00 pm kickoff on the Summit League Network.
