DENVER – The [3/1] University of Denver men's soccer program continues its five-match homestand on Thursday when the Pioneers welcome the Portland Pilots to the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT, and the match will be broadcast live on the Summit League Network.
SERIES HISTORY:
Denver leads the Division I series 5-2-3. Portland won last year's meeting in the PNW by a count of 4-2. Prior to that loss, Denver was unbeaten in seven-straight matches against the Pilots, going 4-0-3 in that span. The two teams will meet for the fourth-consecutive year on Thursday night. FULL HISTORY
LAST TIME OUT:
Sam Bassett netted his third career brace and Denver also got goals from Oje Ofunrein and Bryce Willoughby in Denver's 4-1 win over Yale on Saturday night. The Pioneers home opener was played in-front of a DU men's soccer record crowd of 1,803. FULL RECAP.
DENVER STANDS AT THE TOP OF TOP DRAWER SOCCER POLL
- Denver moved up to No. 1 in the Top Drawer Soccer Poll on September 16, 2024, its second time as the top team in the country in program history.
- On October 8, 2018, Denver was the No. 1 team in the Top Drawer Soccer Poll, its first and only No. 1 ranking to date in program history.
- Prior to October, 2018, Denver had been as high as No. 3 to end the College Cup run in 2016.
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER SOCCER STADIUM
- Denver is 99-21-18 at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium since the stadium opened in 2009.
- The Pioneers are 89-10-12 at home since Franks joined the staff as an assistant in 2012 and 64-8-9 since he took over as head coach in 2015.
- DU's home opener on September 14 was played in-front of 1,803 fans at DU Soccer Stadium, the most for a men's game in program history.
TOP-10 SINCE 2015
- Denver is 113-36-31 since the start of the 2015 season.
- That record ranks 9th in the country in wins, behind Wake Forest (142), Indiana (133), Clemson (129), Georgetown (124), Stanford (123), New Hampshire (117), Washington (115), and Kentucky (114) (thru 9/15).
- Of the 16 teams that had at least 100 wins in that span entering the year, Denver has the fourth-fewest losses at 36.
2024 SCHEDULE
- Returning 20 letterwinners and 10 starters from a year ago, head coach Jamie Franks put his program up against the best once again with his 2024 schedule that was announced in June.
- In the regular season, Denver will play 11 opponents that finished in last season's RPI Top-100 (3-0-3), nine from the Top-50 (3-0-3) and four in the Top-20 (1-0-2).
- Eight of Denver's first nine matches are against teams that finished in the top-40 last season (3-0-3).
August 22 at [40] California - W, 2-1
August 25 at [8] Stanford - W, 1-0
August 29 at [35] Washington - T, 2-2
September 1 at [11] SMU - T, 2-2
September 9 at [20] UCLA - T, 0-0
September 14 vs. [29] Yale - W, 4-1
September 19 vs. [16] Portland
September 22 vs. [33] Seattle
October 2 vs. [69] Oral Roberts
October 7 at [38] Pittsburgh
November 2 at [69] Oral Roberts
MAC HERMANN WATCH LIST
- Senior attacking midfielder Sam Bassett was named to the 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List on August 22.
- Bassett had career highs in goals (8), assists (7) and points (23) in his 2023 All-American season.
- Through the first seven matches of the season, Bassett has 13 points on four goals and five assists.
- Bassett has been involved in seven of Denver's last 11 goals.
- Bassett enters the match tied for fourth in career goals (19) and is fourth in career points (56).
GET ON THE BOARD FIRST
- Denver is 135-10-18 when scoring first since head coach Jamie Franks joined the staff as an assistant in 2012.
- Since Franks took over as the head coach in 2015, the Pioneers are 101-8-12 when scoring first.
- 2015: 14-0-1|2016: 18-0-0|2017: 8-1-0 | 2018: 13-0-1 | 2019: 6-5-1 | 2020: 5-0-0 | 2021: 9-0-3 | 2022: 14-1-2 | 2023: 11-1-3 | 2024: 3-0-1
THE FRANKS FOUNDATION
- Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks is in his 10th season as the bench boss and his 13th with the program overall in 2024.
- Franks and his staff were named the 2016 National Coaching Staff of the Year after taking Denver to its first College Cup appearance.
- Franks is 113-36-31 in his time as a head coach, 148-53-39 in his time at Denver overall and 247-80-56 in his time as a player and a coach in college soccer.
- Franks is 6-8-1 in the NCAA Tournament at DU (6-7-0 as HC). As a player and coach, Franks is 22-12-3 in the NCAAs.
- In addition to National Coaching Staff of the Year, Franks is a five-time Summit League Coach of the Year (2015-18, 2023).
- Franks was the youngest head coach in Division I soccer when he was hired in 2015, and the second youngest in 2016 when he took the program to the College Cup.
- Franks led the Pioneers to back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons in his first two years in charge, the first program to go unbeaten in back-to-back regular seasons since Clemson in 1977-78.
- In his first nine seasons, Denver has qualified for the NCAA Tournament eight times and received a bye into the second round three times. Denver has played in the second round six times.
UP NEXT:
Denver's homestand will continue on Thursday, September 19 when the Pioneers welcome Portland back to the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT on the Summit League Network.
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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