OMAHA – The [4/2] University of Denver men's soccer program got a pair of first-half goals and didn't concede until the 89^th in a 2-1 win at Omaha on Saturday at Caniglia Field.

The Pioneers, who clinched their 10^th regular season title and earned the right to host next weekend's Summit League Final (Saturday/2 p.m. MT) last week, will host Kansas City next weekend to play for another trophy and the league's automatic bid. (BUY TICKETS)

Scoring Summary
[4] Denver: Ofunrein 26' (Kelly, Wynne), 27' (Wynne)
Omaha: Perkins 89' (Astwood)

Notes:

• Denver's two first-half goals came 39 seconds apart, the fifth-fastest consecutive goals in the Pioneers Division I history, and the fastest since DU had goals from Cole Chapleski and Joe Eubanks 31 seconds apart against San Jose State in October, 2012.
• The two goals were the second fastest goals by the same player, behind only Brian Todd's two goals nine seconds apart in October, 1999 in a 6-1 win over Belmont.
• The Pioneers are 143-10-18 when scoring first since Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks joined the staff as an assistant in 2012.
• Denver is 108-8-12 when scoring first since Franks took over as head coach, including 11-0-1 this season.
• Isaac Nehme's win on Saturday was the 38^th of his career, trailing Gardner by four for the DU record.
• Denver's 12^th win of the campaign ties for the sixth-most in Denver's DI history.
• The Pioneers have scored 35 goals this season, good for the seventh most in a season in Denver's DI history.
• Denver's 45 assists is the third most in Denver's DI history, three off the record set in both the 2016 and 2018 seasons.
• DU heads into next weekend's conference final on a five-match winning streak, the longest for the Pios this season.
• Oje Ofunrein scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season.
• Ofunrein has became the fifth different Pioneer in the program's Division I history to score 20 career goals, and now sits at 21.
• Ofunrein's 21 career goals are one behind teammate Sam Bassett for fourth in Denver's DI history.
• Ofunrein's game-winner was the eighth of his career, tying Colin Audley (2006-09) for third in Denver's DI history. 
• The multi-goal game was Ofunrein's first since netting a hat trick in the 2023 Summit League Semifinal against Kansas City. 
• Ronan Wynne had two assists in the contest, his fourth and fifth of the season.
• Wynne has assists on each of Denver's last three goals.
• Keegan Kelly had the primary assist on Ofunrein's opener, his first career assist.

First Half:

9' Keegan Kelly had the first attempt of the game out of a cross from the Denver right, but Kelly wasn't able to steer his shot on target, and Omaha cleared the danger.

14' Omaha's second corner kick of the afternoon bounced dangerously across the six-yard box, but neither team was able to get on the end of it, and it went in behind for a goal kick.

19' The most dangerous chance of the opening 20 minutes fell to the feet of Omaha's Naz Astwood, but his shot from the corner of the box was pulled wide of the far post.

26' Ofunrein got the Pioneers on the board inside the half hour mark. Down the Denver left, Ian Smith played it to Sam Bassett at the top of the box. Bassett changed fields and played it out wide to outside back Ronan Wynne. Wynne hit it hard and low across the six-yard box and found the run of Kelly who was looking for the far post and Ofunrein met it in the middle of the six-yard box and redirected it in.

27' Denver doubled its lead less than 40 seconds later. Isaac Nehme got it wide in Denver's defensive third to Wynne who played a long ball over the top of the Omaha back-four to the pacey run of Oje Ofunrein. Ofunrein took a couple touches which ended up decreasing his angle before the Denver striker went upstairs with it, chipping it over the goalkeeper before it bounced inside the far post to make it 2-0 Denver.

The Pios created a couple more half chances near the end of the half, and took a 6-1 edge in shots back into the locker room.

Second Half:

50' Ian Smith took the first shot of the second half, but just got under his attempt from just inside the corner of the box, over the bar and out for the corner.

54' Off a recycled corner, Bassett tried to beat the keeper to his near post, but the well-positioned Nathanael Sallah made the save.

55' As Denver continued to build the pressure, an attacking throw in bounced in the box and fell to the feet of centerback Jason Belloli, but he couldn't get his feet sorted quickly enough and his attempt jumped over the far.

57' Lukas Fisher had Denver's next clear attempt to build the lead to three, but he drove his shot hard and at the chest of Sallah to end the threat.

70' Maarten Gravekamp got to the end line to try to create something for Omaha past the midway point of the second half, but he ran out of space at the end line and drove his cross right at Nehme.

89' Brett Perkins banked a shot off the post and in as the home side was able to pull one back late, but the Pios held on to a 2-1 win.

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