DENVER – The [RV/17] University of Denver men's soccer team and [RV/RV] Oral Roberts split the points on Saturday night at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
Significant Stats:
- David Biggers opened his collegiate account in the first half to put the Pioneers ahead. The sophomore's opener in his 26th career appearance gave Denver a 1-0 lead.
- Ian Smith's primary assist was his fourth of the season and the seventh of his two-year Pioneer career.
- Dominic Kallay's secondary assist was his first of his career.
- Saturday's results leave Denver, Oral Roberts and Omaha level on four points apiece through the opening two match days of league play.
First Half:
15' Thiago Patto got the first shot on target night for the visitors, but Isaac Nehme got his body behind the ball and smothered it for his first save of the night.
30' Oje Ofunrein got Denver's first clear-cut chance of the evening. Ian Smith got a step on his defender down the Denver left, crossing it into the area, but Ofunrein's leap couldn't quite get his head on top of the ball and it went over the bar for a goal kick.
31' Lukas Fisher got Bryce Willoughby a quality look at the frame, but his shot was pushed wide of the post by goalkeeper Jakub Grzesiak.
39' Denver paid off its sustained pressure with Biggers' first-half header. Kallay, who was playing in the center of Denver's defensive midfield on Saturday night, sprayed it wide to Smith. After a few touches down the Denver left, Smith served it on a plate to the run of Biggers who found the back of the net to put the Pios in-front.
Second Half:
49' Biggers nearly made it 2-0 Denver on a similar play, but Biggers header this time was more in the center of the frame and ORU's keeper made the save.
61' Denver had a penalty shout just after the hour mark. Ofunrein touched the ball by his defender and beat him to the spot before the nation's leading scorer was cleaned out in the area, but was ruled to have been done fairly, shoulder-to-shoulder by the referee.
63' Willoughby nearly had the Pios second, but his second attempt of the night was cleared off the line.
73' Brandon O'Rourke shot it hard and low on a screened Nehme, but his shot to the near post rattled the woodwork to keep it 1-0.
74' Willoughby played a role in another quality look when he made a good run down the Denver left, but his pullback for Holger Olsson was cleared off the line by a defender to still keep things at 1-0.
84' Jose Estrada leveled things for the visitors after Thiago Patto's original shot was deflected and played pinball in the box before falling to the feet of Estrada for the leveler.
Up Next:
Denver returns to the road for back-to-back weekends, starting with a trip to Kansas City on October 7 at 6 p.m. MT. The match will be broadcast live on the Summit League Network.
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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