Soccer returns to Jackson for first time in over a year

GREELEY, Colo - The Bears will return to Jackson Stadium after not having a home game in over a year. After the games against Southern Utah were canceled due to weather, Northern Arizona will become the first home conference competition of the season for UNC. The weekend begins Saturday, April 3 at 2 p.m. MT and concludes Monday, April 5 at noon MT. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Jackson Stadium to watch the matchup.

Head coach, Tim Barrera says everyone on the team is excited to finally play some home games. "Our players have been training well and look forward to the opportunity," Barrera explained.

Northern Colorado is coming off a near-perfect weekend in Pocatello. The Bears held the Bengals to just six total shots in two games, with only three of them coming on goal.

The last time the Lumberjacks and Bears faced off was during the Conference Tournament in 2019 when UNC redeemed itself by beating NAU 2-1. The Bears had lost to the Lumberjacks during regular conference play in Flagstaff, Arizona, 0-2, earlier in the season.

Defender and captain, Lindsi Jennings comments on the upcoming weekend: "We are taking it one game at a time so we are focused on Northern Arizona and adjusting our play in a way to help us handle the team. They have always been a good competitor of ours, so the games should be exciting."

Barrera added, "NAU has had a great start to the Big Sky season, so this weekend should be a good test for us."

What to Expect from Northern Arizona

The Lumberjacks are on a five-game winning streak, currently undefeated in Big Sky play. NAU is coming off a successful weekend against Idaho State, beating them 2-1 on Friday, March 26, and 2-0 on Sunday, March 28. They have also beaten Southern Utah and Weber State. The games this coming weekend are expected to be competitive and intense as both teams are currently undefeated in conference play.

Madison Montgomery, forward for NAU, has scored six goals this season. She has scored in each conference game except for the second game against Southern Utah, posing as a clear scoring threat against UNC.

The coaching staff at NAU is relatively new. Kylie Louw is in her second season as head coach in Flagstaff but served as an assistant coach for two seasons prior. The Lumberjacks welcomed two new assistant coaches as well. The pressure is on due to NAU being voted to finish fifth in the Big Sky preseason polls.

What is Next?

UNC will be on the road next weekend to face Weber State. The Bears will compete against the Wildcats on Friday, April 9 and then again Sunday, April 11.

To stay up to date on all things UNC soccer, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.