DUBUQUE, Iowa — Oct. 28, 2026 — The University of Dubuque women’s soccer team closed the regular season with a shutout on the road, and the result was enough to lock up a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

The Spartans played Loras College to a 0-0 draw on the evening of Oct. 27, 2026, in Dubuque. The tie secured the No. 2 seed for Dubuque in the American Rivers Conference tournament, which begins Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026.

Goalkeeper Samantha Jurgens anchored the defensive effort. She stopped the only Loras shot on target in the first half, then made four more saves after halftime, including a reflex stop in the 55th minute when a Loras header off a corner kick looked headed for the goal. Jurgens pushed that attempt over the crossbar to preserve the tie. She finished with five saves and her eighth clean sheet of the season.

Dubuque also created chances of its own. Bree Swenson fired a long-range shot in the 19th minute that was saved low to the goalkeeper’s left, and Amelia Pash nearly scored from a tight angle in the 31st minute. The teams went to halftime scoreless, and neither side broke through in the second half despite several fast breaks by the Spartans.

The shutout carried extra weight because Loras had rarely been held scoreless this season. Dubuque became only the second team to shut out the Duhawks in 2026, according to the university’s match report.

The Spartans finished the regular season 9-5-3 overall and 5-1-1 in conference play. With the No. 2 seed, Dubuque skips the tournament’s opening round and opens play in the semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, hosting an opponent still to be determined from the first round. That semifinal will be played at Oyen Field, with the kickoff time still to be announced.

The tournament winner earns the conference’s automatic path forward in the postseason, though the specific next step for the champion was not stated in the university’s report and remains pending. For now, Dubuque’s path is clear: one home semifinal on Nov. 4, 2026, against a first-round winner, with a trip to the conference final at stake.

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