DENVER – The No. 3 seed University of Denver men's soccer program got a goal in the opening 10 minutes from freshman Keegan Kelly and kept its second-straight cleansheet to start the NCAA Tournament in a 1-0 win over No. 14 Indiana in the NCAA Round of 16 on Saturday afternoon at the University of Denver Soccer Stadum.
[3] Denver will take on Massachusetts in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT.
Scoring Summary
[3] Denver: Kelly 9'
[14] Indiana:
Notes:
- Denver is into the NCAA Quarterfinals for the third time in program history and the first time since 2016 (1970).
- The Pioneers defeated Indiana for the first time in three previous meetings.
- Denver improved to 9-11-1 in its Division I NCAA Tournament history, and improved to 3-0-0 in the NCAA Round of 16.
- The Pioneers are now 123-39-32 under Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks, ranking sixth in the country in wins during that span.
- The Pioneers are 106-22-19 at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium, including 96-13-13 since Franks arrival as an assistant in 2012 and 71-9-10 since he took over as head coach in 2015.
- Saturday's attendance for the NCAA Round of 16 of 1,875 was a program and stadium record at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
- Denver's women held the previous stadium record of 1837 on Sept. 23, 2022 against North Dakota State.
- Denver's previous men's program record of 1803 was set earlier this season in the home opener against Yale.
- Keegan Kelly scored the fourth goal of his freshman season. Kelly scored in consecutive games to open the season, and has scored in each of Denver's first two NCAA Tournament games this season.
First Half:
9' Ian Smith and Sam Bassett combined down the Denver left to setup the first real chance for either team on the afternoon. Smith got past his man and cut down the endline to a spot just outside the 18-yard box. Smith's cross was deflected by the keeper, bounced off another Indiana defender and fell to the feet of Keegan Kelly, who made no mistake finishing inside the near post to put the Pios in-front.
12' Indiana wasted little time looking for the equalizer when Collins Oduro got free at the top corner of his box, but his shot from just inside the area was blocked in the six-yard box from Jason Belloli and out for the second IU corner of the afternoon.
41' The battle of the midfields took over with only three total shots in the first half and none after the opening quarter hour. Oje Ofunrein got free in the box late in the half, but couldn't get the ball out of his feet and only got a corner out of the chance.
Second Half:
58' Indiana earned its first corner of the half shy of the hour mark, the first attempt was headed by a Denver defender and out for another corner, before the follow up attempt went into the outside of the side netting.
77' Jansen Miller got on the end of a free kick from the right wing for Indiana's first shot on goal of the day, but Nehme made an impressive save to keep out the shot from just outside the six-yard box.
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