DENVER – The University of Denver women's soccer team and South Dakota State will meet in the Summit League Final for the third time since Denver joined the league in 2013 when the two programs clash on Saturday at 2 p.m. MT at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. SDSU lifted the trophy in both previous finals, but the Pioneers defeated the Jackrabbits 2-0 last Sunday to clinch the outright 2021 Summit League regular season title.

Important Links: Denver (13-5-2, 8-0-1) vs. South Dakota State (16-3-1, 6-2-1)
Watch | Tickets | Live Stats
 
Denver's Summit League Tournament History (11-0-3, 4 Championship):
2021 – Denver, Colo.
Semifinal – Denver 1(4)-(2)1 South Dakota
Final – Denver vs. South Dakota State – Saturday, 2 p.m. MT
2020 – Omaha, Neb.
Semifinal – Denver 2-0 South Dakota
Final – Omaha 0-3 Denver
2019 – Brookings, S.D.
Semifinal - Denver 3-0 North Dakota
Final – South Dakota State 1 (4)-(2) 1 Denver
2018 – Brookings, S.D.
Semifinal – Denver 3-0 North Dakota State
Final – Denver 4-0 Omaha
2017 – Fargo, N.D.
Semifinal – Denver 1-0 Oral Roberts
Final – North Dakota State 1-2 Denver
2016 – Fargo, N.D.
Semifinal – Denver 1(2)-(4)1 South Dakota State
2014 – Denver, Colo.
Semifinal – Denver 1-0 IUPUI
Final – Denver 1(4)-(5)1 South Dakota State
2013 – Fort Wayne, Ind.
Semifinal - Purdue Fort Wayne 0-3 Denver
Final – Denver 5-1 North Dakota State
 
Last Time Out:
Sydney Sharp grabbed the opener for her 15^th goal of the season to put the Pioneers in-front in the 54^th minute, but an 81^st minute leveler from Jordan Centineo sent the match into extra time. The Pioneers hit three posts and crossbars but couldn't find the winner, sending the match to a penalty shootout. Denver won its first shootout since 2001 to advance to Saturday's final 4-2 on penalties.
 
Denver vs. South Dakota State History:
Denver is 3-6-4 in its Division I history against South Dakota State, including 3-2-1 in the Mile High City. In the previous 13 matches, eight of them have gone to extra time, and the Jackrabbits have knocked the Pioneers out of the Summit League Tournament via a shootout three times.  
 
Notable Stats:

• The Pioneers are 62-13-4 in the Summit League regular season play since joining the conference in 2013.
• Denver has scored 52 goals from 15 different players to start the 2021 season. Sharp leads the way with 15 goals, followed by 10 from Glover.
  • The Pioneers 52 goals is the seventh-most in a season in Denver's DI history, 22 behind the school record of 74 in 2006.
  • Denver's 15 different goal scorers, the most in a season since the Pioneers school-record 18 different goal scorers in the 2006 campaign.
• Career Points Record Update:
  • Beckman has 87 career points, good for sixth in Denver's Division I history
  • Feller has 82 career points, good for seventh.
  • Sharp has 60 career points, good for 15^th in Denver's Division I history.  
• Career Assists Record Update
  • Beckman has 45 career assists, the program record.
  • Feller has 26 career assists, good for sixth in Denver's DI history.
• Career Goals Record Update
  • Feller has 28 career goals, good for eighth in Denver's DI history.
  • Sharp has 25 career goals, good for 10^th in Denver's DI history.
  • Beckman has 21 career goals, good for 13^th in Denver's DI history.
• Career Games Played and Games Started Update
  • Brittney Lewis has the program record for matches played with 97.
  • Lewis broke the career starts record last Sunday at 93.   
• Single Season Goals Record
  • Sharp's 15 goals on the season are two behind the single-season record held by Jenni Harris and Taryn Hemmings.
  • Sharp entered the weekend as the only player in the country to score in 15 different games and in eight-consecutive matches this season. The consecutive goals streak was broken last Friday vs. South Dakota.
    • One player scored 8+-straight games this spring in BYU's Mikayla Colohan.
    • No player in the country scored in 14+ games in the spring. In 2019, seven different players scored in at least 14 games.
• Single Season Assists Record
  • Beckman has 16 assists on the season, breaking Nicholette DiGiacomo's single season record of 15 in the 2010 season.  
  • Beckman's assist is the Summit League single-season record (DiGiacomo played in the Sun Belt in 2010).
• Single Season Game-Winning Goals Record
  • Sharp's seven game-winning goals is one behind Taryn Hemmings' eight in the 2008 season for the program record.
• Head coach Jeff Hooker holds a record of 394-162-52 (.690) in his 30 seasons as the head coach of the Pioneers.
• Denver improved to 2-4 in penalty shootouts in its Division I history, earning its first win after extra time since 2001.
  • 2001: W, 3-2 vs. FIU
  • 2010: L, 2-3 vs. Middle Tennessee
  • 2014: L, 4-5 vs. South Dakota State
  • 2016: L, 2-4 vs. South Dakota State
  • 2019: L, 2-4 vs. South Dakota State
  • 2021: W, 4-2 vs. South Dakota

Tickets:
Tickets for the 2021 Summit League Women's Soccer Championship can be purchased here.
 
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