Box Score Grand Rapids, MI – The Aquinas College women's soccer team opened the 2026 season Saturday afternoon with a tough and gritty performance but couldn't produce the desired outcome in a 1-0 home loss to 21st-ranked Spring Arbor University. It was the first game under new head coach Mario Zuniga-Gil.
Spring Arbor 1, Aquinas 0
It wasn't the start that the Saints envisioned as visiting Spring Arbor tallied the first and only goal of the game less than 10 minutes into the season.
Maddie Muilenburg blasted a shot from inside the box past Aquinas goalkeeper Claire Fogarty. Claire VanZanten provided the pass and earned the assist.
While the first goal proved to be deflating, and eventually the deciding goal, the Saints didn't dwell on it and kept the Cougars out of the net for the remaining 80 minutes.
Their ability to keep it a one-goal game was attributed to the stellar play of Fogarty, who was making her Aquinas debut in net.
The sophomore transfer from the University of Cumberlands shined while facing relentless pressure.
Fogarty faced 14 shots on goal and stopped 13 to keep the Saints in the game throughout.
She came out of the net and used her body to block a shot in the waning seconds of the first half to keep it 1-0 at the half.
Spring Arbor's tall and athletic backline was hard to penetrate as the Saints were unable to create any quality scoring opportunities.
Aquinas had only one shot on goal and struggled to control possession against the Cougars' stingy defense.
Still, the Saints fought and competed, which signaled a positive takeaway from their season opener.
Inside the Numbers
- Aquinas goalkeeper Claire Fogarty registered 13 saves on 14 shots on goal.
- The Saints managed only two shots, one each from Bella Teelander and Raegan LaCross. Spring Arbor finished with 26.
- Aquinas committed 11 fouls, while the Cougars recorded 10.
Coach's Comments
Head Coach Mario Zuniga-Gil was encouraged by his team's play despite the setback: "I thought they fought all the way through, and the second half was exceptional in terms of the effort and output we showed out there. Starting the season like this, to play one of the best opponents we are going to play all year in game one, it was going to be interesting and going to be hard, but I feel like we set ourselves up for success with today's game. If we can stick by each other the way we did today, then it's going to be a great year."
Up Next
The Saints hope to bounce back from their narrow loss on Wednesday when they host Saint Xavier at 5 p.m. Fans are encouraged to visit AQSaints.com throughout the season for live stats, stories, and recaps.
NOTE: Dean Holzwarth, serving as the Senior AQSaints Athletics Reporter & Content Specialist for AQSaints.com, brings decades of journalistic precision and storytelling flair to the Saints' media efforts. He's covered high school sports for 11 years at Grand Rapids–based WOOD-TV, following a 16-year tenure in sports reporting with the Grand Rapids Press and MLive. He also writes monthly high school features for the MHSAA website. His deep experience in capturing the heartbeat of local athletics now fuels his engaging coverage of Aquinas College sports.
