PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
• The Pioneers closed out the regular season on a four-match winning streak to lock up a share of the 2018 Summit League regular season title with South Dakota State, defeating Oral Roberts 3-0 on Saturday afternoon at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
• Denver earned the No. 2 seed in this week's Summit League Women's Soccer Championship, losing the head-to-head tiebreaker against SDSU.
• The Crimson and Gold will take on third-seeded North Dakota State in Brookings, S.D., on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT/5 p.m. MT in a rematch of the 2017 Summit League Tournament Final. The Pioneers have won each of the last three meetings and are unbeaten in the last four, including a 3-2 come-from-behind win earlier this season in Fargo.
• The winner of the first semifinal between top-seeded South Dakota State and fourth-seeded Omaha will play the winner of the Denver/NDSU semifinal on Saturday at 12 p.m. CT/11 a.m. MT in Brookings. Saturday's winner will await the NCAA Tournament draw on Monday at a time TBA.
HEAD COACH JEFF HOOKER
• Denver's
Jeff Hooker is in his 27th season in charge of the women's program.
• Hooker coached both the men's and the women's programs during the 1996 and 1997 seasons, making this officially his 29th season as a head coach at DU.
• DU's head man enters this match with a 349-149-46 women's record, and a career record of 369-161-50.
• The nine-time conference coach of the year participated in his 10th NCAA DI Tournament in 2017.
• In league play in his career, Hooker is 171-38-13, including 166-34-13 with the women's program.
• In the overall NCAA record books heading into this season, Hooker is the 16th winningest head coach by victories (338).
LEAGUE TITLES
• With the victory against Oral Roberts on Oct. 27, 2018, Denver claimed a share of its ninth NCAA Division I regular season league title, and its third in the Summit League (2013 and 2016)...The Pioneers won the regular season in their only year in the WAC (2012) and won five regular season titles in the Sun Belt (2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010).
• The Pioneers won their ninth league tournament title in their Division I history last season (Summit: 2013 and 2017)...Denver won seven Sun Belt Conference Tournament Titles (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009).
UNDERCLASSMEN CONTRIBUTIONS
• 16 of Denver's goals this year have come from freshmen, including eight from
Samantha Feller.
• 22 of Denver's 31 goals in 2018 have come from underclassmen with
Meg Halvorson's six goals.
THE TWO Cs • 17 student-athletes from Denver's 2018 roster come from either Colorado or California, including 14 that opted to stay in their home state for their college careers.
• Colorado and California are the only two states that more than two student-athletes call home.
• Of the two major club programs in the state of Colorado, Denver has seven players from the Colorado Storm and four from Real Colorado.
COMEBACK KIDS
• Denver's two-goal comeback on Oct. 4 at North Dakota State was its first since defeating Maryland 3-2 at Stanford in the 2012 NCAA Second Round en route to the program's first Round of 16 berth in program history.
CAREER MARKS
• With a season still left in her collegiate career, junior captain and goalkeeper
Brittany Wilson is fifth in Denver's Division I history in career saves with 183.
• Jen Simmons (1995-96) is fourth on the list with 207.
• Lara Campbell, who led Denver to the program's first Round of 16 in program history in her senior year in 2012 is third on the list with 283.
• Erica Izard holds the Denver record with 336.
GET ON THE BOARD FIRST
• Since the start of the 2006 season, Denver is 164-14-7 when scoring the first goal.
• Five of the 14 losses came in the 2017 campaign, including at Colorado in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
• Since the start of the 2002 season, Denver has outscored opponents 211-83 in the opening half hour of matches, including 10-3 this season.
DEWALT TO RETURN IN 2019
• Senior outside back
Mary DeWalt was selected as a captain with junior goalkeeper
Brittany Wilson to begin the season for
Jeff Hooker's side for the second-straight year. DeWalt has earned 55 CAPS for the Crimson and Gold, making 46 starts. DeWalt has nine career points on a goal and seven assists. DeWalt will return for her redshirt-senior season in 2019 after missing the entire 2018 campaign with a lower body injury.
• Junior centerback
Cheyenne Shorts was picked as the second on-field captain in her place.
REACH THE SUMMIT • Denver is 33-12-1 in Summit League regular season play since joining the league in 2013.
• The Pioneers are 5-0-2 (2 losses in pks) all-time in Summit League Tournament play.
• DU is 18-5-0 in Summit League regular season home games.
Career G-A-P in Summit League Matches
Name G A P
• The University of Denver Soccer Stadium opened in 2009.
• The 2,000 seat stadium hosts both the men's and women's soccer programs, and sits above the 10,000 square-foot Pat Bowlen Strength and Conditioning Complex.
• The stadium has hosted the 2009 MPSF Men's Soccer Tournament, 2014 Summit League Men's and Women's Championships and 2015 and 2016 Summit League men's tourn.
• DU Soccer Stadium has also hosted the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Women's Soccer First Round and the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Men's Soccer Second Round.
• Denver's women's program is 66-17-6 since the stadium opened.
DEFENSIVE FORM
• Denver's defense allowed just 27 shots on goal in eight league contests, the best defensive record in the league this season.
• Overall, Denver's defense has allowed 4.5 shots on goal per game in all matches, which leads the Summit League.
• An All-Colorado Storm centerback pairing of
Cheyenne Shorts and
Taylor Parker have played 17 of the 18 matches together.
LEAGUE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Denver is 31-5-4 all-time in league tournaments, including 5-0-2 in the Summit League.
• The Pioneers have lost three of four penalty kick shootouts all-time, including two in the Summit League, with the one victory coming against FIU in the 2001 SBC Semifinals.
• Denver is 11-3-2 all-time in league semifinals and 9-1-2 in finals.
