DENVER – The [13/15] University of Denver men's soccer program maintained its perfect start to the league campaign with a 1-0 win over Omaha on Saturday afternoon at Caniglia Field.   

JACK AND SHEILA WEINBERG HEAD MEN'S SOCCER COACH JAMIE FRANKS:
"I'm just really happy with the group. To go on the road and get a clean sheet and only give up five shots shows the team's collective effort to defend today. To play two teams from the top half of the league to start the conference regular season, only give up one combined shot on goal and take 36 shots ourselves is a result of how prepared we were with our pre-conference schedule. We understand how important the Summit League regular season is, and I thought our performance, on the road, reflected that today."

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

• Denver is now 42-7-6 in Summit League regular season play since joining the league in 2013.
• The Pioneers outshot Omaha 8-2 in the opening 45 minutes, putting four of their eight shots on target for the only four shots on goal of the half. DU also had a 4-1 edge in corners in the first frame.
• Ben Smith's goal was his first of the season and the second of his career. Smith is one of three players to play every minute for the Pios this season (Trevor Wright and Isaac Nehme).
• Aidan O'Toole 's assist was his team-high fourth of the campaign and the seventh of his Denver career.
• Denver is a point behind Kansas City for the top spot in the Summit League table, but the Pios have a game in-hand on the Roos, who drew 0-0 with Western Illinois on Saturday afternoon.  
• The Pioneers outshot Omaha 16-5 on Saturday, extending its shot margin in Summit League play to 36-7 (13-1 on goal) through the opening two matches against the second and third teams in the 2022 preseason poll (Denver was picked first).

KEY MOMENTS:

12' Ben Smith, who took the first two shots of the afternoon got the first shot on goal of the contest, but his curling effort from just to the right of the D was punched away by Omaha goalkeeper Lute Lillo Portero.

22' Omaha earned a dangerous free kick, inches outside the penalty area to the right of the D. Dem Mboma took the free kick, but it was over Nehme's crossbar and out for a goal kick.

28' Denver's best chance off its four first-half corner kick attempts came just before the half hour mark. O'Toole played the set-piece on the ground to the top of the box. Eli Mereness took a touch and lined up his shot, but the Omaha keeper saved it comfortably to his left.

Halftime

54' Nehme read Omaha's best chance of the opening 10 minutes of the second half well, getting off his line quickly to break-up Tevin Rochester's chance to put the home side in-front.

66' Sam Bassett was clipped 10 yards outside the area to setup a dangerous Denver chance. He took the set-piece himself, but sent his 28-yard effort over the crossbar.

68' Denver earned the well-deserved breakthrough with just over 20 minutes to play when Smith curled in his first goal of the campaign around the Omaha keeper from inside the D. Smith touched it to Bassett, who sprayed it out-wide to O'Toole. With four guys in the box, O'Toole optioned to pull it back to Smith who was unmarked at the top of the box to put Denver 1-0 up.

78' Bassett had Denver's best chance to make it 2-0, with a shot from five-yards beyond where Smith had scored 10 minutes earlier, but his line-drive shot was saved down to the keeper's right.

Fulltime

WHAT'S NEXT:
Denver will stay on the road and travel to Virginia for a Tuesday evening clash in Charlottesville (4 p.m. MT).

TICKETS:
Single-game tickets are on sale now for all men's and women's soccer matches for the 2022 season. Click here to purchase today.

Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of Denver's NCAA Division I sports.
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Men's Soccer on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_MSoccer on Twitter
Follow @denverpioneers and @denversoccer on Instagram