DENVER – The University of Denver men's soccer team hit three posts late in the second half looking to equalize but fell to No. 6 SMU, 2-1, on Sunday night at Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament.
Significant Stats:
Denver finished the 2023 campaign 12-3-5 with a Summit League regular-season championship, the program's ninth since joining the league in 2013.
The Pioneers have reached the second round of the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament in each of the last three seasons, falling to 7-11-1 in the program's NCAA Tournament history on Sunday night.
Denver finished 6-3-5 in 2023 against teams that finished in the top 100 in the RPI a year ago and 5-3-4 against teams in this season's RPI top 100.
Aidan O'Toole closed out his Pioneer career first in career matches played with 87 and second in career starts with 80.
Sam Bassett scored from the penalty spot in the second half, his eighth goal of the season and the 15th of his career. The Summit League Midfielder of the Year improved to 5-for-5 in his career in penalty shots (not including shootouts).
- Bassett's eight goals are a career high for the junior.
- Bassett pushed his career points total to 43, moving him into a tie with Karsten Hanlin for ninth most in Denver's Division I history.
- Bassett's 15 career goals pushed him to eighth in Denver's Division I history in that category.
First Half:
3' SMU got an early chance with a crafty touch around Denver's defensive midfield, but Niv Berkovitz's shot was wide of Isaac Nehme's post and out for a goal kick.
16' Denver's first shot of the night came just after the quarter hour mark. Dylan Akau from his right back position played the diagonal run of Holger Olsson. Olsson took a touch to his right but pulled his shot wide of the far post.
18' Bailey Sparks had a bouncing ball come to him at the top of box, but Jason Belloli wore the shot on his thigh, and the Denver defense cleared it out for a throw.
23' Sparks earned the breakthrough off a long throw from the SMU Mustangs. The header bounced off the turf and got through the hands of Nehme and into the back of the net.
23' Bassett looked for the instant response for the Pioneers, but Denver's first shot on target of the night bounced right in the keeper's stomach.
33' Alexander Petraeus had an attempt to double the home side's advantage, but his shot towards the upper 90 was wide of the far post.
40' Jose Ortiz doubled the SMU advantage before the intermission, taking a shot from just inside 25 yards and banking it off the post and into the back of the net.
Second Half:
53' Oje Ofunrein got on the end of a dangerous Bassett free kick from the right channel, but the Denver striker couldn't get his right foot on top of the attempt, and it flew over the bar.
68' Bryce Willoughby bravely attacked a long ball to the far post crossed in from deep down the Denver right. Willoughby beat the keeper to the spot and was taken out by the SMU keeper in a brutal clash of the two bodies, and the referee pointed to the spot. Bassett converted the penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way for his eighth goal of the season.
86' Ian Smith got in behind the SMU defense and to the end line, but his cross couldn't find a Denver head, and the bouncing ball was cleared away by SMU.
87' After scoring his first goal as the game winner in the NCAA First Round on Thursday, Tyler Schommer had the best chance at the Denver equalizer, beating the SMU keeper to a cross from the left but en-route to the empty net, Schommer's header rattled off the woodwork.
88' Lukas Fisher played in Denver's second corner of the night, but the SMU keeper tipped it off the crossbar and kept it in play for the Mustangs to clear.
90' Ofunrein had the final chance for Denver, getting free in the box for a header, but the glancing attempt hit the right woodwork again, and the Mustangs were able to clear again and hold on to win.
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