LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Six different Pioneers found the back of the net in Denver’s 15-4 victory over the USC Trojans on Thursday night in California. Junior Olivia Ripple led the offense with five goals, and senior Ryan Dineen added a hat trick. Defensively, Landry Grover grabbed a career-high six ground balls and Megan Klingenberg added a pair of caused turnovers. Lexi Gwaku made six stops between the pipes and Alex Dorr recorded seven wins in the draw circle. Denver seized control early as Dineen and Caroline Keil scored in the opening four minutes to give DU an early 2-0 lead. Ripple added her first goal at the 11-minute mark, and Keil struck again to push the lead to 4-0. The Pioneers’ defense was dominant from the outset, forcing a caused turnover on USC’s first four offensive possessions and holding the Trojans scoreless in the opening frame. USC broke through at the 12:32 mark of the second quarter, but Denver responded quickly. Ripple’s second goal restored a five-goal lead, and Dineen followed with a man-down goal in the final seconds of the shot clock to make it 7-1. Eva Thomsen-Marr capitalized on a free-position opportunity, and although USC answered to cut the deficit to 8-3, Denver maintained control. Gwaku delivered a key save on a USC free-position attempt, and Dineen and Thomsen-Marr added late goals to send Denver into halftime with a 10-3 advantage. The Pioneers opened the second half with two quick goals to extend the lead to 12-3. Both teams endured an offensive lull for much of the third quarter as Denver’s defense continued to limit quality chances. In the fourth, Karleigh Mutch netted her first career goal to stretch the margin to 13-3. Ripple capped her standout performance with her fifth goal of the afternoon as Denver closed out the 15-4 victory. UP NEXT: The Pioneers travel to Tempe, Arizona to take on Arizona State on Sunday afternoon.
