Falcons Open 2026 with Statement Win over Army, 4-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Army West Point	1	0	1
Air Force	1	3	4

Army West Point

Air Force

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo., - Air Force women's soccer (1-0) opened the 2026 season with a 4-1 victory over service academy rival Army (0-1) on a rainy Thursday, Aug. 13, at Cadet Soccer Stadium. The Falcons recorded eight shots on goal, with junior Maddy Walsh leading the offensive charge with a pair of goals. The win marks Air Force's first win over the Black Knights in three consecutive years.

What a gritty performance from our team tonight, said head coach Laura Busby. I am so proud of their ability to stay focused and accomplish the mission, despite the conditions.

Walsh made an immediate impact in the season opener, recording the first two goals of her collegiate career while posting a career-high six shots. Annika Jost and Jordan Dillingham also found the back of the net as Air Force scored three second-half goals to pull away from the Black Knights.

In goal, Trishelle Lopez made two saves on three shots on goal from Army to help secure the season-opening victory.

The Falcons came out attacking early, recording six shots through the opening 19 minutes. In the 22nd minute, Walsh capitalized on a turnover, stealing the ball from an Army defender and finding the back of the net with the goalkeeper out of position to give Air Force a 1-0 advantage.

The Black Knights answered eight minutes later, leveling the match at 1-1 heading into halftime.

Air Force came out of the break with renewed energy, quickly regaining control of the match. At the 47', Jost put the Falcons back in front with her first goal of the season, converting a free kick to make it 2-1.

The Falcons continued to apply pressure, earning a pair of corner kicks before Jost delivered another dangerous ball from the left corner in the 54th minute. Dillingham rose to meet the service and headed it into the back of the net, extending the Air Force lead to 3-1.

Just five minutes later, Walsh added her second goal of the night. The sophomore drove a left-footed shot past the Army goalkeeper to cap the scoring and give the Falcons a 4-1 advantage.

The Falcons' first win of the season even included a little extra excitement. At 58:50 on the clock, lightning entered the area, forcing the remainder of the match to be played inside the Holaday Athletic Center.

Busby expressed, It was an incredible atmosphere and we cannot thank our fans enough for the support. This team is special and I cannot wait to see what they accomplish this season!

Air Force now turns its attention to its second home match of the season, hosting Creighton at 12 p.m. MT on Sunday, Aug. 16, at Cadet Soccer Stadium.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.