DENVER – Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks earned his 100th career win in match 158 of his career, a 4-0 win for the [17/19] University of Denver men's soccer team over UC San Diego on Friday night at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
Oje Ofunrein highlighted the Pioneers attack with his first career hat trick, and captain Ben Smith netted his first of the season to add a Denver fourth.
Significant Stats:
- Franks became the second head coach in Denver's history to reach the century mark in career wins. The ninth-year bench boss improved to 135-50-33 in his time as an assistant and head coach overall, and to 234-77-50 as a player and coach in college soccer.
- Ofunrein netted his first career hat trick on Friday night, the 13th in the program's Division I history. Ofunrein's hat trick was Denver's first since Andre Shinyashiki recorded five hat tricks in the 2018 season.
- Ofunrein scored his third goal in the 59th minute, making it the 11th fastest hat trick in program history.
- Ofunrein's breakthrough in the second minute was the second fastest in the program's Division I history (1:02), and the fastest since Josh Drack's opener in 2019 at Washington (:26).
- Ian Smith and Sam Bassett earned assists on the opener. Smith's was his second helper of the season and the fifth of his career, while Bassett tallied his third assist of the season and the ninth of his career.
- Denver outshot UC San Diego 6-3 in the opening 45 minutes, and held a 66-34% possession advantage.
- Ofunrein's second and third goals of his first career hat trick were 1:32 apart, the sixth-fastest consecutive goals by the same player in the program's Division I history, and the fastest since Lukas Fisher scored two 49 seconds apart in October of 2021.
- Ben Smith scored his first of the season and the fourth of his career in the second half to pad Denver's lead to 4-0.
- Denver's defense held UC San Diego without a shot on goal Friday night, the 22nd time in Denver's Division I history that its defense has held an opponent without a shot on target. Friday also marked the second time this season that has happened (San Diego State in season opener).
First Half:
2' Denver got an early start in the opening 62 seconds when Oje Ofunrein connected with his heel and into the back of the net. Bassett split defenders down the left channel to Ian Smith. Smith took a touch and crossed it to the top of the six-yard box to the run of Ofunrein who connected on his sixth-career goal to put the Pioneers in-front.
17' Bassett nearly doubled the home side's advantage a quarter hour later off the Pioneers first corner kick of the evening. The Pios played a short corner and Bassett curled back around the ball and got free for a shot at the top of the box. His near-post strike was saved by keeper Mitchell Wilson and out for a second corner.
39' Jonah Kawamura had the best chance for the visitors in the opening 45 minutes, but his attempt from just inside the box was wide of Isaac Nehme's near post.
Second Half:
57' Ofunrein's middle goal of the hat trick came off a dangerous ball from inside the midfield stripe from Ben Smith. Ofunrein beat his defender, and just beat a leaping goalkeeper to the ball, floating his header over the keeper and into the open net.
59' Ofunrein completed his hat trick a couple of minutes later, continuing his run off a heavy touch and taking advantage of a bad bounce through the goalkeeper's hands before he knocked it into a wide open net from 10 yards out.
62' Bassett struck both woodworks on the north end in a four-minute stretch as Denver looked for its fourth of the night.
66' Smith got his first goal of the campaign, continuing through a slide tackle and touching it past the keeper before knocking it into the open net.
Up Next:
Denver will close out its season-opening six-match homestand on Sunday night when the Pioneers welcome Central Arkansas to the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Kick is set for 7 p.m. MT 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.
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
