TULSA – The [9/4] University of Denver men's soccer program got a second-half goal from Ian Smith and a five-save cleansheet from Isaac Nehme to lift the program's 10th Summit League regular season title after a 1-0 win at Oral Roberts on Saturday afternoon at the Case Soccer Complex.
Scoring Summary
[9] Denver: Ian Smith 62' (Wynne)
Oral Roberts:
Notes:
- Saturday's victory earned the Pioneers their 12th conference regular season title in their Division I history, including their 10th Summit League crown since joining the conference in 2013.
- When Denver finishes the regular season next weekend, the Pioneers will be 6-1-4 against teams that finished in the top-100 of the RPI a year ago, winning three of their last four.
- With the outright regular season title, Denver earns the right to host the Summit League Final on Saturday, November 16. Opponent and kickoff time will be determined at a later date.
- Denver improved to 10-0-1 this season when scoring first, and 107-8-12 when opening the scoring since Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks took over as head coach in 2015.
- Under Franks, the Pioneers have won eight of 10 possible regular season titles.
- Ian Smith opened the scoring just after the hour mark with his second goal of the season and the sixth of his career.
- Smith's goal was his first since his game-winning goal in the season opener at California.
- Smith's game-winner on Saturday was the fourth of his career.
- Isaac Nehme completed the 26th shutout of his career to tie Nick Gardner for the most in Denver's Division I history.
- Nehme's win was the 37th of his career, moving within five of Gardner's record.
First Half:
11' Luke Schultz took the first shot on target of the afternoon, beating his defender near the end line before uncorking his attempt, but it was right at the ORU keeper.
13' Keegan Kelly looked to open the scoring from outside the area, but his attempt was right to the feet of the goalkeeper.
24' Bryce Willoughby setup Sam Bassett just inside the top of the box, but a sliding effort from an ORU defender turned the shot away.
28' ORU found some joy down their right channel, and Juan Moreno took the first shot of the afternoon for the home side just shy of the half hour mark, but Moreno's shot was also right to the goalkeeper as Isaac Nehme picked up his first save.
36' Off the first corner kick of the afternoon, Damani Harris earned a quality chance. Nehme pushed the shot off the underside of the crossbar and the Pioneers cleared the danger.
39' Denver's best chance of the opening 45 minutes came off a turnover in the press. ORU coughed it up in their own penalty area as Kyle McGowan won a tackle in the corner of the box. After taking a couple touches, McGowan setup Willoughby in the center of the box, but the pass mixed up the striker's footwork, and he couldn't get anything on the shot and pushed it wide.
43' ORU was whistled for a back pass inside the box, but the 14-yard shot from Bassett banged off the wall to keep things scoreless.
Second Half:
49' Bassett took the first shot of the second half after a penetrating ball from Dylan Akau, but Bassett's shot was blocked and cleared by the ORU defense.
55' Oje Ofunrein rattled the woodwork on Denver's best chance in the opening hour. Ian Smith got free down the Denver left, touched it around his man and got to the endline. Ofunrein got on the end of it, but couldn't get a clean look at redirecting it into the net before it went off the post and out for a corner.
61' Ben Smith looked to continue his hot run of form, but had his first shot of the afternoon deflected in-front and straight-up in the air.
62' Ian Smith found the breakthrough for the Pioneers off a cross from Ronan Wynne. Wynne's cross from 35 yards out down Denver's right side bounced in the area and deflected off a couple players to the back post. Smith had it bounce in-front of him before taking the volley first time and driving it into the upper-90 to put the Pios in-front.
89' Oral Roberts had a couple half chances late before Nehme was called upon to make his fifth and final save of the afternoon.
UP NEXT:
The Pioneers will close out the 2024 regular season next Saturday when Denver travels to Omaha. Simultaneously kickoffs across the entire league are set for 1 p.m. CT/12 p.m. MT, and both matches will be streamlined live on the Summit League Network.
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