DENVER – The [RV/23] University of Denver men's soccer team earned its first win over a nationally ranked opponent this season with a 3-1 win over [11/17] SMU on Friday night at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
Significant Stats:
- Oje Ofunrein recorded his first career brace in the opening 45 minutes. The two goals were 3:50 apart, the 12th fastest consecutive goals by the same player in the program's Division I history, and the fastest by the same player since Lukas Fisher scored two goals 49 seconds apart on October 2, 2021 against Eastern Illinois.
- Ofunrein's goals were his second and third of the season and the fourth and fifth of his Pioneer career.
- Fisher's goal in the final five minutes of the half was his first of the season and the eighth of his Pioneer career.
- Sam Bassett assisted on the Ofunrein breakthrough with his second assist of the season and the eighth of his career.
- Ian Smith assisted Ofunrein's second of the night, his first assist of the season and the fourth of his career.
- Friday night was the fourth time in Denver's Division I history that the Pioneers scored at least three goals in a half against a nationally ranked team, and it was the first time that Denver led 3-0 in the intermission against a ranked side.
- SMU's goal in the second half was the first goal Denver has allowed this season, breaking Denver's 235:19 stretch of holding its opponents scoreless.
- Jack and Sheila Weinberg head men's soccer coach Jamie Franks improved to 99-33-24, one win off becoming the second coach in program history to each 100 career wins.
- Denver earned its second result of the season against a program that finished last year in the RPI top-100.
- The Pioneers improved to 92-21-16 at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium, including 82-10-10 since Franks arrived on campus in 2015 and 57-8-7 since the nine-year bench boss took over as head coach.
- DU improved to 23-41-15 in its Division I history against ranked opponents, including 11-13-3 at home and 14-15-7 under Franks overall.
First Half:
1' Bailey Sparks got the first shot of the night off for SMU in the opening minute. Isaac Nehme pushed the shot off his post and out for an early Mustangs corner.
6' Jason Belloli got Denver's first shot on goal off a Denver set piece, but his shot was kept out by the visiting keeper.
24' Just before the mandatory water break, Sam Bassett took a corner from the keepers right that picked out the run of Ofunrein right on the top of the six-yard box for his second-straight match opener.
28' On the other side of the timeout, and just 3:50 later on the clock, Ian Smith played a dangerous ball from the left flank that went just over the reach of Holger Olsson. Ofunrein trapped it at the top of the box and took it on his next touch past the SMU keeper for his second of the night and third of the season.
42' Lukas Fisher got on top of a pass on the left side of the box before dribbling with his defender on his hip to the top of the box and curling it inside the near post to put the Pioneers 3-0 up.
Second Half:
56' SMU got itself on the board in the 56th minute when Alexander Petraeus took a shot from the right side of the box and beat Nehme, the first goal Denver has allowed this season.
76' Denver brought on Aaron Kronenberg to help kill off the game, stemming the tide to limit the Mustangs chances in the final quarter hour.
Up Next:
Denver will close out the middle weekend of its six-match homestand on Monday night when the Pioneers welcome [RV/30] Creighton to the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Kickoff on the Summit League Network is set for 7 p.m. MT.
Tickets:
Season and single game tickets for Denver men's and women's soccer are on-sale now and can be purchased here.
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