Oct. 28, 2006

Box Score

DENVER - Senior Ben Mendozza (Aurora, Colo.) scored the game-winning goal in the 77th minute despite being a man down as the University of Denver men's soccer team shut out MPSF rival Air Force 1-0 Saturday at Pioneer Field. Junior goalkeeper Matt Bredehoft (Fort Collins, Colo.) earned his seventh shutout of the season, helping the Pioneers improve to 11-3-2 as the Falcons fall to 4-11-1. Senior James Merriman (Nanaimo, B.C.) assisted on the goal making it a senior effort on Senior Day.

"It was definitely appropriate for the senior to get the big goal today," Head Coach Chad Ashton said. "It was a really special moment that those guys will remember for the rest of their lives."

The Pioneers outshot Air Force 8-3 in the first half with the best scoring opportunity coming in the 11th minute when Josh Fallin sent a point blank shot into the reaching grasp of the diving Falcon goalkeeper. The game was scoreless entering the second half.

Air Force came out with a mission after halftime and kept up with Denver answering seven of their nine shots.

"I thought we played a great first half," said Ashton. "Air Force definitely stepped it up in the second half, creating some dangerous opportunities."

The game continued to be competitive until it escalated in the 66th minute which resulted in a red card issued to junior defender Colin Jones (Philadelphia, Pa.).

"If we can't learn the lesson from last week to keep our composure, this will just keep happening and we can't allow that at this point in the season," Ashton said.

Denver regrouped and kept the Falcons from scoring, despite the fact that the Pioneers were a man down.

"It was definitely a battle out there," senior defender Mike Seager (Victoria, B.C.) said. "We played hard and kept them from getting any chances."

The Pioneers finally scored the first goal of the game in the 77th minute when Mendozza pounded in a lead pass from Merriman. The Pioneers kept the lead for the remainder of the game and came out with the 1-0 win.

"I think when a lot of good teams get a red card, they'll buckle down to get the tie," junior goalkeeper Matt Bredehoft (Fort, Collins, Colo) said. "Being the great team we are, we went ahead and got the win."

The Pioneers play their last two regular season games next weekend when they face UNLV Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. in Las Vegas, Nev., and New Mexico, who is ranked second in the MPSF, Sunday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. in Albuquerque, N.M. These two games will determine the MPSF champion and the team who will compete in the NCAA Men's College Cup.