DENVER – Senior striker Andre Shinyashiki (Sao Paulo, Brazil) netted a first half hat trick inside the opening 26 minutes to send the [-/11] University of Denver men's soccer team past Monmouth 4-0 in both teams' season openers on Friday night at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
 
Shinyashiki, who also added an assist on the DeLeone goal to tie Denver's Division I single-game record for points with seven, now has multiple goals in six career games, including in three of his four season openers after scoring two against Florida Gulf Coast in 2017 and two against Bakersfield in 2015. The Denver skipper is the first Pioneer to net a hat trick since Zach Bolden against IUPUI in the Summit League Semifinal on Nov. 15, 2013. Shinyashiki is also the fastest player to get three goals in the Pioneers' Division I history.
 
Freshman Stefan DeLeone (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) scored on his debut to push the Denver lead to 4-0 in the 66^th minute. Senior transfer Moshe Perez (Shim'a, Israel) added two assists in his Division I debut, providing helpers on each of Denver's first two goals. Redshirt-sophomore Dylan Keeney (Littleton, Colo.) tallied an assist on his debut in the Starting XI, playing the cross in to Shinyashiki for his one-time finish in the 21^st minute. Senior outside back Tosh Samkange (Sammamish, Wash.) earned his second career point on the goal that completed Shinyashiki's first career hat trick.
 


Denver controlled proceedings from start to finish on opening night, allowing just one shot in the match, a header that drifted wide in the first half. A year ago, Denver allowed two shots on goal or less in eight matches. Denver held its opponent to one shot or less for the first time since Oct. 2, 2016 against Eastern Illinois, a campaign that also saw the Pioneers hold [-/RV] Saint Louis without a shot on Sept. 15, 2016.  
 
Shinyashiki opened Denver's season in the 17^th minute, playing a 1-2 with Perez in the middle of the field. The Perez pass was perfectly weighted to the run of Shinyashiki who took two touches before beating the keeper to the bottom left corner.
 
The Denver senior made it 2-0 4:05 later in the 21^st minute off assists from Keeney and Perez. The Colorado Mesa transfer played it to Keeney down the right flank. Keeney sent it back to the middle of the park just inside the box, and Shinyashiki volleyed it off the left post and into the right side netting.
 
Shinyashiki's natural hat trick was completed 4:59 later as Shinyashiki beat his man off a throw-in and curled it into the bottom left corner again from the top of the box. The 9:04 between the first and third goals for Shinyashiki was the 15th-fastest three-consecutive goals by the same player in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer history. 
 
DeLeone's debut goal came down the right side again as Shinyashiki slipped the freshman in behind the Monmouth back line and DeLeone beat the keeper to the near post in the 66^th.
 
The Pioneers put 13 of their 21 shots on target on Friday night, and took five of the matches' six corners.
 
UP NEXT:
The Pioneers will continue a stretch of six of their first seven at home on Thursday when Denver welcomes [24/RV] Washington to the Mile High City in a rematch of the 2016 NCAA Round of 16 match. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will also be broadcast live on Altitude.
 
TICKETS:
Season tickets for the 2018 Denver men's and women's soccer season are just $55 dollars, and can be purchased here. Single-game tickets for the 2018 Denver men's soccer season are also on sale, and can be purchased here.
 
PIONEER MOVEMENT: Fans interested in making a donation to the men's soccer program can do so by clicking here. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.  
 
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