The University of Denver women's soccer team avenged its loss against Middle Tennessee in the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Championship game on Friday, earning a 4-2 win over the Blue Raiders in the SBC opener for both teams.

Kristen Hamilton led DU with her second two-goal game of the season, while Nicholette DiGiacomo and Bria Beardsley also scored.

DU's Nicholette DiGiacomo scored on a penalty kick, but the Pioneers fell 2-1 to the No. 22 Auburn Tigers in the Denver Invitational on Sunday morning.

The Pioneers (6-2-0) finished the Denver Invitational 1-1-0.

"The first half, they were a little better than we were," said coach Jeff Hooker.

The Pioneers started the Denver Invitational with a victory.

For the second straight match, the Pioneers earned a shutout to send them past Cal State Bakersfield 1-0 on Friday evening.

Midfielder Katy Van Lieshout provided the game's only goal, scoring for the Pioneers (6-1-0) in the 54th minute off a cross from Kristen Hamilton.

In a showdown of state powers, DU got the early goal and defended it to steal a 1-0 win over Colorado on the road at Prentup Field on Sunday.

The Pioneers (5-1-0) followed their early season script of scoring the first goal of every match, as forward Kalie Vaughn opened the scoring in the seventh minute.

After the Pioneers raced out to an early one goal lead, Cal got a hat trick from senior forward Katie Benz to send the Bears past DU 4-2.

Forward Kristen Hamilton scored on a pass from forward Kaitlin Bast and fired past diving Cal goalkeeper Emily Kruger.

Cal's Benz would start the second half just as quickly as Hamilton started the first, scoring in the 47th minute to tie the score at 1-1.

In a season that began with the University of Denver women's soccer team winning its first three games by an overtime finish against Northern Colorado, withstanding a late surge against Colorado College and a come from behind game-winner with 20 seconds remaining against Nebraska, the Pioneers could use a stress-free victory.