DENVER – The [RV] University of Denver men's soccer team got a pair of first-half goals from defenders in a 2-1 win over Cal State Fullerton on Sunday afternoon at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
Scoring Summary:
DEN: Wynne 33', Francois 38'
CSUF: Owusu 55'
Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks:
"Six points on a weekend was the goal. The process that we took to get there needs to get cleaned up a little bit. We've made two matches this weekend a lot harder than they really needed to be. The scoreline needs to be four or five with all the chances that we are creating. Our attackers need to do a better job of getting the ball on frame. At the same time, there's a lot of grit and competitiveness in the group, and I'm really, really, happy with the six points."
First Half:
Denver spent a majority of the opening 45 minutes in its attacking half, keeping 61 percent of possession in the first half. The Pioneers outshot Fullerton 10-6 and 5-2 on target, while taking both corner kicks in the first half.
The Pioneers found the well-deserved breakthrough in the 33rd minute as another centerback found the back of the net for the first time in his Pioneer career this weekend when Ronan Wynne headed home Lukas Fisher's free kick 20 yards into Denver's half.
Franks had a desire on Friday for the Pioneers to find the second goal, and after not being able to in his program's 1-0 win on Friday night, they did on Sunday afternoon when AJ Francois struck the underside of the crossbar with a blast from outside of the box that crossed the goal line. Fisher was at the start of the scoring opportunity again, playing a corner kick just outside the six that was headed away but only partially cleared to Francois.
Second Half:
Fullerton got on the board in the second half when Samuel Owusu cleaned up a loose ball off the hands of Will DeSantis in the 55th minute, scoring into an open net from just outside the six-yard box.
Both teams created chances in search of the fourth goal of the match in the final half hour, but neither team got another tally, and the Pioneers held on to their third win in four matches.
Denver finished with a 16-12 edge in shots and a 6-3 advantage in corners. DeSantis finished with three saves for the Pioneers.
Up Next:
The Pioneers will return to the road on Friday night when the Pioneers make the short trip down I-25 to take on Air Force. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. MT at the Academy.
Tickets:
Denver men's and women's soccer season tickets and single game tickets for the 2021 campaign are on sale now, and can be purchased here.
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