RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Jessica Bedolla (2) — PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Soccer vs. Grand Canyon University at GCU Stadium. Aug. 12, 2026. | Photo by Ethan Tees / Arizona Athletics
It was an all-around great night for Arizona soccer. An overflowing crowd of 1,124 fans saw the Wildcats break a winless streak that stretched back to Sept. 28, 2025 and a scoreless streak stretching back to Oct. 16, 2025 in a 2-0 win over New Mexico State.
“We’ve talked about it’s a young team,” said Arizona head coach Becca Moros . “We’ve got players who really have to step up. That we have talent. We have players who can do that. It’s just easier when you have a whole bunch of years of experience under your belt. And I think for them, it’s huge for the team, just kind of getting that monkey off your back from the exhibition, GCU holding us to a clean sheet again…It’s a very positive step forward for the group and they can feel good about it.”
The positives didn’t stop there. The goals were scored on new turf and recorded on a new scoreboard that went up just days ago, improvements that are a big deal for a program that can use the facility upgrades.
“I think [the scoreboard] got here probably the 7th, 8th, and it was a maybe a two-day install kind of thing, and then they got the the branding on it at the last minute,” Moros said. “It’s always that way. Soccer’s the first sport to start, so everybody’s coming out of a summer break after a long year of every sport competing…It did come together, and everything looks beautiful. We replaced our surface as well, so the grass is brand new. I don’t think the field surface has ever been replaced here. It’s still growing in, but it’s better than it’s ever been. So it’s exciting.”
The first half was primarily the two teams feeling each other out. The first danger came when Arizona earned a corner kick in the 12th minute, but the Wildcats couldn’t connect. Four minutes later, New Mexico State took its only shot on goal of the night, but it was saved by Sofia Cortes-Browne .
Arizona outshot the Aggies 19-3 on the night. The Wildcats put 10 of their shots on goal compared to one for NMSU. They also had four corner kicks to just one by the visiting team.
The first goal since they faced BYU last season came on one of those corners. Lily Boydstun took the kick. It bounced around in the box a bit, then found Jessica Bedolla . She put it in the net in the 51st minute.
Jessica Bedolla scores the first goal of the season for the wildcats! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/90vCv26Uqx
— Arizona Soccer (@ArizonaSoccer) August 16, 2026
“There was so much anticipation and wanting a goal so bad, and we planned celebrations, so we got to do them today,” Bedolla said. “It’s just amazing. It’s the one thing you want to happen in a game. I got to do it, and I got to do it with my bestie. Feels really good.”
That “bestie” is Lainey Swanson , who Bedolla played with in club. Swanson and midfielder Ally Brown transferred to Arizona after spending their freshman season at TCU. The pair of former Horned Frogs also played together in high school at Xavier Prep in Phoenix.
Swanson was responsible for the second goal of the night. Freshman forward Ashley May passed the ball to Swanson just outside the box. She hit from distance in the 66th minute.
DO YOUR DANCE, LAINEY. Her first goal as a Wildcat ✨ 2H 65:25| Arizona 2, NMSU 0 #BearDown pic.twitter.com/S8YlKO4B69
— Arizona Soccer (@ArizonaSoccer) August 16, 2026
“I feel like it’s just like the flood gates are opening now,” Swanson said. “Like we said, get our first goal, and they’re gonna keep coming, and I think that’s what’s gonna happen.”
Arizona once again used two goalkeepers. Cortes-Browne played the first half and Laurynn Ziller came in a few seconds into the second half. Both kept clean sheets.
Moros said that the two have different strengths but neither has been able to pull away and take the job outright. That’s up to them to do, she said.
“Sofia’s incredible with her feet, super high ceiling athletically, and…she’s very talented young goalkeeper, and like her passing range and ability is phenomenal, and she knows that’s the strength of hers,” Moros said. “Laurynn keeps everything that she should keep out of the net out of the net. You see her experience, shot stopping, getting to the ground quickly, and doing those things. They both continue to grow in their strengths and also improve the other areas of their game.”
Prior to Saturday evening, Arizona’s last win came against Oklahoma State last season. The Wildcats finished 2025 0-7-1 after that match. They started this year with a scoreless tie in an exhibition at UC Irvine and a loss at GCU in the regular season opener.
The team will try to keep the growth and positive developments going as they head back out on the road for the next two matches. They head to Spokane, Wash. to play Gonzaga next week, then return to Arizona to play LSU in a neutral site match at ASU. They return to Tucson on Sept. 3 to host No. 8 North Carolina.
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