University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Friday, November 13
Missoula, Mont.
10:30 a.m. MT
University of Northern Colorado
vs
Northern Arizona
Photo by: Kassidy Schwartz, UNC Athletics
11/12/2026 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado returns to the Big Sky Tournament for the first time since 2021 on Friday, facing Northern Arizona in the semifinals at South Campus Stadium. Kickoff is set for 10:30 a.m. MT.
The Bears (9-6-4, 6-1-2 Big Sky) earned the No. 2 seed and a rematch of their regular-season finale, a 3-0 win over the Lumberjacks in Greeley on Nov. 5. Northern Arizona (9-7-5) advanced out of the first round with a 1-1 draw against Idaho State, winning the penalty-kick shootout to move on.
How They Got Here
Northern Colorado closed the regular season with four wins in its final five matches, including shutouts of Eastern Washington, Montana and Idaho State. The Bears finished conference play with a 6-1-2 record, their best league mark since 2021, and did it behind a defense that allowed just 23 goals across 19 matches.
Melsted Anchors the Defense
Thordis Melsted has started all 19 matches in goal and played 1,686:55 of a possible 1,710 minutes. The senior from Hafnarfjörður, Iceland has made 97 saves with a .815 save percentage and a 1.17 goals-against average, and her eight shutouts are tied for fourth-most in a career in the program's Division I era.
Scoring Spread
Ava Marshall leads the Bears with seven goals on 28 shots, a .250 shooting percentage, and has two game-winners. Maddie Mori has four goals and two assists, while Lexi Tuite has two goals and a team-high four assists. Northern Colorado has 21 goals on the season from 10 different scorers.
Conference Best
Northern Colorado was well represented when the Big Sky announced its postseason awards, with head coach Tim Barrera earning Coach of the Year honors and Mia Norman sharing Defensive MVP recognition. Norman also headlined the Bears' All-Conference selections with a First Team nod on defense, where she was joined by midfielder Ava Marshall and forward Maddie Mori. Thordis Melsted was named a Tri-Top Newcomer of the Year, and Francesca Jones and Lauryn Maggio rounded out the Bears' honorees on the Second Team.
Scouting the Lumberjacks
Northern Arizona is led by Micala Boex, whose eight goals and five assists give her 21 points on the season. Valerie Llamas has four goals and two assists, and Ava Hinske has added three goals and three assists. Goalkeeper Lexi Saveski has played 1,685 minutes with a .845 save percentage, a 0.91 goals-against average and eight shutouts.
The Lumberjacks needed penalty kicks to get past Idaho State after a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, and they have scored 12 of their 24 goals in the first half this season.
Up Next
Friday's winner advances to the Big Sky Tournament championship match on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. MT.
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The Bears (9-6-4, 6-1-2 Big Sky) earned the No. 2 seed and a rematch of their regular-season finale, a 3-0 win over the Lumberjacks in Greeley on Nov. 5. Northern Arizona (9-7-5) advanced out of the first round with a 1-1 draw against Idaho State, winning the penalty-kick shootout to move on.
How They Got Here
Northern Colorado closed the regular season with four wins in its final five matches, including shutouts of Eastern Washington, Montana and Idaho State. The Bears finished conference play with a 6-1-2 record, their best league mark since 2021, and did it behind a defense that allowed just 23 goals across 19 matches.
Melsted Anchors the Defense
Thordis Melsted has started all 19 matches in goal and played 1,686:55 of a possible 1,710 minutes. The senior from Hafnarfjörður, Iceland has made 97 saves with a .815 save percentage and a 1.17 goals-against average, and her eight shutouts are tied for fourth-most in a career in the program's Division I era.
Scoring Spread
Ava Marshall leads the Bears with seven goals on 28 shots, a .250 shooting percentage, and has two game-winners. Maddie Mori has four goals and two assists, while Lexi Tuite has two goals and a team-high four assists. Northern Colorado has 21 goals on the season from 10 different scorers.
Conference Best
Northern Colorado was well represented when the Big Sky announced its postseason awards, with head coach Tim Barrera earning Coach of the Year honors and Mia Norman sharing Defensive MVP recognition. Norman also headlined the Bears' All-Conference selections with a First Team nod on defense, where she was joined by midfielder Ava Marshall and forward Maddie Mori. Thordis Melsted was named a Tri-Top Newcomer of the Year, and Francesca Jones and Lauryn Maggio rounded out the Bears' honorees on the Second Team.
Scouting the Lumberjacks
Northern Arizona is led by Micala Boex, whose eight goals and five assists give her 21 points on the season. Valerie Llamas has four goals and two assists, and Ava Hinske has added three goals and three assists. Goalkeeper Lexi Saveski has played 1,685 minutes with a .845 save percentage, a 0.91 goals-against average and eight shutouts.
The Lumberjacks needed penalty kicks to get past Idaho State after a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, and they have scored 12 of their 24 goals in the first half this season.
Up Next
Friday's winner advances to the Big Sky Tournament championship match on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. MT.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Soccer
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/ Women's Soccer
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/ Women's Soccer
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