Denver 5-1 Albany (Dancy 6’, 26’,  Williams 19’, Adler 35’, 43’, Halvorson 41’ )

DENVER – Senior forward Jessie Dancy (Park City, Utah) and sophomore midfielder Hannah Adler (Oak Park, Calif.) combined for four of Denver’s five first half goals to send the University of Denver women’s soccer team past Albany 5-1 on Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Field at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.

Freshman midfielder Meg Halvorson (Englewood, Colo.) scored the Pioneers fourth of five in the first half, the first goal of her collegiate career. Freshman holding midfielder Brittney Lewis (Centennial, Colo.) added her first two collegiate points, providing assists on Denver’s first two markers.

Denver’s five first half goals were its most since the Pioneers led 5-1 at the intermission of the 2013 Summit League Tournament Final against North Dakota State.

The Pioneers outshot Albany 29-5 on the day, including 21-4 in the first half. Denver also took all five of the match’s corner kicks.

Dancy opened the scoring in the sixth minute, sneaking to the back post and depositing an Adler cross into the back of the net. Lewis started the play down Denver’s right flank, touching the ball to the run of Adler.

Albany equalized in the 19^th minute when Denver’s backline miscommunicated on a long ball from Miranda Badovinac, and Mariah Williams ran onto it for the easy finish inside the far post.

After just two goals in her first three years as a Pioneer (both in 2016), Dancy put away her fourth in four matches in 2017, chipping goalkeeper Andrea Leitner from the top of the 18 to give the Pioneers the lead back at 2-1 in the 26^th minute. Lewis played the ball to Dancy to earn her second assist of the afternoon.

Adler scored her first of two to make it 3-1 in the 35^th minute after junior Leah Swander (Grand Junction, Colo.) had her rifled shot saved and Adler cleaned up the loose ball inside the six and put it into the back of the net.

Halvorson opened her collegiate account in the 41^st minute with a 35-yard individual run, through a couple of Albany defenders, before slotting home a 15-yard strike into the right side. Halvorson picked up the ball inside the attacking half, dribbled down the right, before cutting back with a couple of touches to her left and finishing.

Adler’s third of the weekend and second in the match came in the 43^rd minute when she headed in a cross from the right channel from senior forward Angelica Pacheco (Taos, N.M.).

UP NEXT: Denver will get on a plane for the first time in the 2017 campaign next week when the Pioneers take their first of two trips out to California this season. DU will take on Cal State Bakersfield Thursday at 8 p.m. MT, and San Diego Sunday at 2:30 p.m. MT.  

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