Aug. 22, 2016 THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE • Following the only unbeaten regular season in the country 2015, the Denver Pioneers dropped a 1-0 extra time match to SMU at CIBER Field in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last November, snapping Denver's 29-match home unbeaten streak, the 11th-best streak in NCAA history.
• Graduating only two players from the team that gave Denver its first NCAA postseason home game, the Pioneers will open their 2016 campaign with a four-match road swing, starting with back-to-back matches in New Jersey at Monmouth (8/26 - 5 p.m. MT) and at Rutgers (8/28 - 5 p.m. MT).
• DU will wrap-up the season-opening road swing with a trip to Illinois to take on Northwestern (9/2 - 2 p.m. MT) and Illinois-Chicago (9/4 - 6 p.m. MT).
BREAKING DOWN DENVER'S 2016 SCHEDULE • Denver will look to defend its back-to-back-to-back Summit League Championships in 2016 against Eastern Illinois, IPFW, IUPUI, Omaha, Oral Roberts and Western Illinois...IUPUI was the only team to take a point off the Pioneers in 2015 (1-1 draw).
• The Pioneers 12 match non-league slate includes nine teams that finished in the top-100 of the RPI a year ago, including three teams in the top-50...Each of the four opponents in Denver's season opening road trip were in the top-76.
• DU will play eight multiple-game weeks in 2016, compared to just five in 2015 (18 compared to 16 regular season matches).
A NEW ROAD FORM • The Pioneers earned 20 points from their eight matches away from CIBER Field in the 2015 campaign, including seven points against three opponents that were in the NSCAA poll at the time.
• Denver earned just one point away from home in the 2014 campaign (0-7-1) to go along with its 11-0-0 home record.
• DU inked 18 of its 30 possible points away from home in the 2013 campaign, going 5-2-3 in the side's first season in The Summit League.
DENVER'S 2015 UNBEATEN STRETCHES • The Pioneers went unbeaten through the first 18 matches in 2015 for the first time since the 1989 season when the Pioneers started 20 matches unbeaten (19-0-1)...2015 marked the first time the Pioneers finished a Division I regular season unbeaten.
• Denver had its 21-match home winning streak snapped on October 2, drawing with IUPUI 1-1.
• DU had its 29-match home unbeaten streak snapped in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on November 22 vs. SMU (1-0/a.e.t).
FOUR-YEAR CYCLE • Including 2016, Denver has a 39-12-8 record over the last four seasons.
• DU's 39 wins are good for 12th in the country in that span.
• Akron and Coastal Carolina lead the country with 48 wins.
SHUTOUT STREAK • Prior to conceding the goal vs. SMU in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Denver had a shutout streak of 795:58 and kept seven-straight clean sheets in that span.
• The shutout streak was the longest in Denver's Division I history (since 1998).
• DU's longest match stretch without allowing is goal is eight, a feat the Pioneers accomplished in the 1988 campaign.
FRANKS SET FOR SECOND SEASON IN CHARGE • Former DU assistant and Wake Forest alum
Jamie Franks took over the reins, offi- cially inking his name as Denver's 10th head coach on Aug. 29, 2015.
• The Pioneers are 50-18-11 since Franks' arrival as an assistant coach prior to the start of the 2012 season.
• Combined as a college player and coach, Franks is 149-45-28, reaching four college cups and winning a National Championship in that span.
• According to information submitted to the NCAA in 2015, Franks was the youngest DI head coach (29).
KRONENBERG RETURNS TO THE PIONEERS LINEUP • Redshirt-junior and former super-sub
Eric Kronenberg made 20 appearances off the bench for the Pioneers in 2014, scoring a team-high seven goals for the program before missing the 2015 campaign with a knee injury.
• In 2013 and 2014, Kronenberg earned 36 CAPS, played 1130 minutes and netted 10 goals, including four game-winners.
OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN • For the second-straight year, the Pioneers are captained by senior defensive midfielder
Sam Hamilton.
• Hamilton was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Sept. 7. The award was the first of the senior's career.
COLORADO PROUD • Denver has 11 players from the state of Colorado, including five that started games for Denver a year ago.
• DU's Colorado players have combined for 250 CAPS (7 players).
GET ON THE BOARD FIRST • The Pioneers were 11-1-1 in 2014 and 14-0-1 in 2015 when scoring the first goal of the match.
• Since Franks' arrival in 2012, the Pioneers are 46-2-6 when scoring the first goal.
MLS ACADEMY TEAMMATES • Denver's 2015 roster has 10 players from five different MLS academies, including four from the local Colorado Rapids in
Kortne Ford,
Karsten Hanlin,
Eric Kronenberg and
Blake Moncur.
• The Pioneers also have three Seattle Sounders Academy products, and players from Chicago, Columbus and FC Dallas' academies.
FOUR SENIOR MIDFIELDERS READY TO TAKE DENVER TO NEXT STEP • Denver has four senior midfielders on its 2016 roster: Captain
Sam Hamilton, and three fifth-year seniors in
Chandler Crosswait,
Karsten Hanlin and All-American
Reagan Dunk.
• The four players have combined for 222 CAPS, 20 goals, 32 assists (72 points).
FOUR-STRAIGHT 10-WIN SEASONS • The Pioneers have recorded double-digit wins in each of the four seasons since Franks' arrival as an assistant, averaging 12.5 a season from 2012-15.
• Denver last recorded 4+-consecutive double digit win seasons from 1986-1990, producing a five-season record of 78-15-8 in that span. In the last four years, Denver has gone 50-18-11.
• DU has tallied 10 wins in three-straight seasons five times since the program's inception in 1961.
PIONEERS FROM ALL OVER • DU's 2015 roster has student-athletes from nine different states, Brazil and Japan
• Both of Denver's international players are entering their sophomore seasons in 2016 (Akamatsu and Shinyashiki).
• The Pioneers have 11 players on the roster from Colorado and five from the state of Texas.
PLAYER NOTES • 26
Kenny Akamatsu - 2015: Scored a goal and tallied an assist in 674 minutes and 17 CAPS...Invited to the U-16 Japan National Team camp in 2010.
• 14
Ryan Barlow - Redshirted in 2015...No. 75 ranked player in 2015 class according to College Soccer News...Played for the U-14 National Team in 2011.
• 15
Jared Cochran - Nine career appearances...2012 All-Colorado honoree.
• 20
Chandler Crosswait - 2015: Scored three goals including two game winners against San Diego (9/6) and St. John's (9/12)...Tallied three assists, including two on game-winners and one on a game-tying goal...Did not play in 2014 due to injury.
• 5
Scott DeVoss - 2015: All-Summit League 2nd Team...All-Summit League... Scored two goals including a game winner against Western Illinois (11/12) and a 47th minute equalizer against Santa Barbara (9/14).
• 4
Reagan Dunk - 2016: MAC Hermann Watch List...2015: NSCAA Second Team All-America, MAC Hermann Semifinalist, Summit League Defender of the Year...30th in the NCAA in assists with a team-high eight...Scored game-winning goal against Oral Roberts (10/10/15).
• 6
Blake Elder - Redshirted in 2015...Transfer from Air Force...Played and started in all 18 matches for the Falcons in 2014, scoring a goal and tallying 2 assists out of the Falcons back line.
• 21
Kortne Ford - 2015: First Team All-Summit League...Played all 1795 minutes, the only field player to do so...2014 Second Team All-Summit League and Summit League All-Newcomer Team...Has not played just 23 minutes in his two-year career.
• 19
AJ Fuller - 2015: Started eight of Denver's final nine games at left back, eight of 12 starts made overall.
• 0
Nick Gardner - Redshirted in 2015...2014: Started in 5 matches, allowing 3 goals, making 11 saves and recording a 3-2 record (2 cleansheets).
• 8
Sam Hamilton - 2016: Captain...2015: Co-Captain...All-Summit League First Team... CoSIDA Academic All-District...College Soccer News National Team of the Week (9/7/15)... Scored two goals against UC Santa Barbara (9/4) and San Diego (9/6), both of which were a part of the 2015 New Mexico Invitational...Picked up 2 assists in the 2014 Summit League Championship match against WIU.
• 17
Karsten Hanlin - 2015: 24th in the country in game-winning goals (four)...Tied for the team leader in goals with five, led the team in points with 14 and led the team with four game winning goals... Scored game winning goals against South Florida (9/29), Gonzaga (10/5), Omaha (10/17), and Oral Roberts (11/14)...Netted free kicks against Utah Valley (9.20), South Florida (9/29) and Oral Roberts (11/14), and a penalty kick against Gonzaga (10/5).
• 25
Dylan Keeney - High School: 2015 Continental Player of the Year...First Team All-Colorado selection...Helped Heritage to an 18-2-1 record and a 0.80 mark in 2015...Played his club soccer for Real Colorado Academy.
• 11
Eric Kronenberg - Redshirted in 2015...Appeared in all 20 matches off the bench in 2014, playing 818 minutes and leading the Pioneers with seven goals...Three game-winning goals...Summit League Player of the Month for August/September, 2014.
• 13
Nick Marcin - High School: Played eight seasons for Lonestar Soccer Club, ending his club career as the team's captain.
• 22
Blake Moncur - High School: Colorado Rapids Academy product...Made frequent starts as a midfield during his three seasons with the development academy...Also played four seasons of club soccer for Arsenal Colorado (2010-12, 2015).
• 27
Dan Mooney - Redshirted in 2015...Scored 15 goals in high school in 2014, earning him Second Team All-Indiana honors.
• 18
Kyle Morlack - Missed entire 2014 campaign with an injury...Played in 18 of 20 matches in 2013, recording 7 points on 3 goals and an assist.
• 30
Will Palmquist - High School: Colorado Rush Development Academy goalkeeper...2014 First Team All-Colorado as goalie for Denver East.
• 16
Tosh Samkange - 2015: One of three players to start at left back for Denver, making five starts and 13 appearances... Tallied first career point with a helper in Denver's extra time win over Utah Valley (9/20/15)...Seattle Sounders Academy player, seeing time in four seasons at CB...No. 110 ranked player in 2015 class according to College Soccer News.
• 25
Ryan Schaefer - Redshirted in 2015...Played two seasons for Seattle Sounders Academy, scoring 11 goals in all competitions...Played in USSDA Playoffs, and finished fifth place at Generation adidas.
• 9
Andre Shinyashiki - 2015: Summit League Newcomer of the Year...All-Summit League First Team... Led the team with 48 shots and tied as the team leader in goals with five...Scored the game winning goal against Bakersfield (8/29), his first of two in the match...Also scored in Denver's league opener against Western Illinois (9/26), in Denver's 1-1 draw against IUPUI (10/2) and the opener in Denver's 2-1 win over Gonzaga (10/5). High School: No. 79 ranked player in Class of 2015 according to College Soccer News...Top Drawer Soccer All-American Watch List in 2014.
• 3
Shae Smalley - 2015: One of three players to start at left back, making two starts...Started the Summit League Semifinal vs. Western Illinois...High School: Played four seasons and captained the Columbus Crew's Academy Team.
• 12
Graham Smith - Transferred from Oregon State following 2015 season...2015: Started 18 matches at defensive midfield for the Beavers...38 CAPS in two seasons at Oregon State, recording three assists...Recorded an assist on Jordan Jones' game-winning goal against Denver in the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 20.
• 23
Alex Underwood - 2015: Scored three goals including two game-winners against Army (8/31/15) and Utah Valley (9/20/15).
