STANFORD, Calif. – The [RV/15] University of Denver men's soccer team got a second goal in as many matches from freshman Keegan Kelly and the trademark Fighting Football defense stood tall down the stretch to lead the Pios past [5/4] Stanford 1-0 on Sunday evening at Cagan Stadium.
Scoring Summary:
[RV[ Denver: Kelly 49' (Schommer)
[5] Stanford:
Significant Stats:
- Goalkeeper Isaac Nehme became the seventh keeper in the Pioneers Division I history to reach 100 career saves, stopping two Cardinal shots in the opening 45 minutes to reach the milestone.
- Keegan Kelly scored his second goal of the opening weekend of his collegiate career, the first Denver student-athlete to score in each of his first two collegiate matches since outside back Ian Smith scored in the first two matches of his redshirt-freshman season of 2022.
- Denver improved to 24-43-15 in its Division I history against ranked opponents, including 15-17-7 under Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks.
- The Pioneers improve to 4-11 against teams ranked in the top-5 in the United Soccer Coaches' Poll, including 2-6 in true road games (2016 NCAA Quarterfinal at Clemson).
- Sunday marked Denver's first win against a top-5 team since 2018 against Washington.
- Denver now has 10 Power-4 wins under Franks.
- The Pioneers are 134-10-17 when scoring first since Franks joined the staff as an assistant in 2012.
- Denver's defense didn't allow a shot on target for Stanford in the final 71 minutes.
- Nehme earned cleansheet number 22 of his career to pass Matt Bredehoft and move into second place on Denver's DI list. The win was also victory number 28 for Nehme, good for fourth in Denver's Division I history.
First Half:
3' Denver had the only real half chance of the opening 10 minutes of play when an early corner pinballed in the area, but the closest Pio to it Oje Ofunrein was unable to get a shot off before the ball bounced to Keegan Kelly who tried to earn another corner but missed the man and the frame and it went out for a goal kick.
15' Stanford got a couple cracks at Denver's net off a set piece opportunity from the right flank, but Isaac Nehme made the initial save and Denver's defense blocked the second attempt and cleared the danger.
19' Fletcher Bank forced the second save of the half a few minutes later, shooting from 35 yards out right into the center of the frame and into the gloves of Isaac Nehme. The save was the 100th of Nehme's career
39' Denver's first shot of the evening came from Lukas Fisher. After chesting down a right wing service into the box, Fisher took a half touch and then tried to flick it into the top left corner but missed the target from just right of the penalty spot and out for a goal kick.
Second Half: 46' The
Pioneers earned an early set piece opportunity for the second-consecutive half, but Sam Bassett's low-driven service was cleared out behind for the Pioneers third corner of the night.
49' For the second match in a row to start the season it was Kelly that got the Pioneers on the board first. Denver won the first ball off a Stanford goal kick, a sequence that fell to Kelly. The Denver freshman dribbled to the top of the box down the Denver right and struck it nicely, bouncing it into the bottom right corner for the breakthrough.
71' Stanford earned a dangerous free kick 30 yards out but within the width of the 18-yard box, but Denver's defense cleared the trouble without allowing an attempt at goal.
74'Stanford's Shane Flores rattled the underside of the crossbar from just inside the box. After a lengthy video review to see if it crossed the line, the call on the field was upheld and the Cardinal earned their sixth attacking corner of the night, but it went behind for a goal kick.
83' Denver's best chance at making it 2-0 came from a beautiful attacking sequence from Bryce Willoughby. Willoughby was played a free kick to the left channel before cutting inside in-between two Stanford defenders. Willoughby then pulled it back to the run of Ofunrein, but he had his shot blocked in-front by a defender.
88' After some sustained pressure from the Cardinal, Stanford played a dangerous cross into the box, but Nehme outjumped the attacking players and punched it wide to relieve the pressure.
UP NEXT:
The Pioneers will return to Denver before heading right back out to the west coast to take on Washington on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. MT on B1G+.
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets for the 2024 season are on sale now and can be purchased here. Denver opens its home schedule on September 14 against Yale, a 7 p.m. MT kickoff.
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