RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Nevada women's soccer was defeated in its season opener by UC Riverside 3-2 on Thursday night at UCR Soccer Stadium.
The Wolf Pack fired 11 shots compared to UC Riverside's eight in addition to collecting four corner kick opportunities. Fifth-year goalkeeper Kendal Stovall recorded a save and played all 90 minutes.
UC Riverside started play as the early aggressors, firing two shots in the first 10 minutes of the match. Nevada began the season by inserting five freshmen in the starting lineup and it was a first-year collegiate player that opened the scoring for the Pack.
In the 24th minute, freshman
Jasmine Navarro answered the bell off the Pack's second shot of the match. The former All-Metro South Bay Girls Soccer First Team member carried her prolific scoring skills and captured Nevada's first goal of the season off the assist from senior
Luz Arreaga and freshman
Eva Wees.
Three minutes into the second half, UC Riverside's first shot on target of the match found the back of the net and tied the score 1-1. The Highlanders scored again eight minutes later to take a one-goal lead.
After UC Riverside scored another goal in the 85th minute, Nevada answered back 30 seconds later. The Pack made it a one-goal game thanks to Wees' first collegiate goal. Wees and Navarro's goals and assist mark the second consecutive seasons a Nevada freshman has scored a goal and obtained an assist in one game.
Nevada, however, did not come up with another score in the final five minutes and fell short in the season opener.
The Pack continues its non-conference road trip on Thursday, Aug. 25 at Eastern Washington at 4 p.m. MT.
Postgame Notes
- Freshmen Jasmine Navarro, Olivia Koop, Eva Wees, Maddie Benson and Abigail Souza cracked the starting XI in their first collegiate game. It is the first time since 2018 Nevada has started five freshman players in a season opener.
- Navarro scored Nevada's first goal of the season, the first time a freshman opened the Pack's scoring since Gabby Brown on Aug. 25, 2019 at Pacific.
- Wees and Navarro's goal and assist marks the second consecutive season that Nevada has had a freshman record a goal and an assist in the same game (Trinity Sandridge, Aug. 26, 2021 vs. UTEP).
- Senior Luz Arreaga recorded her second career assist. Her first came on October 8, 2021 against New Mexico.
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