DENVER – The [6/1] University of Denver men's soccer program will open its 2024 Summit League slate on Wednesday night when the Pioneers welcome Oral Roberts to the Mile High City. Opening kickoff at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium is set for 6 p.m. MT, and the match will be streamed live on the Summit League Network.
SERIES HISTORY:
Denver is 14-3-2 in the all-time series, including 9-3-1 in Summit League regular season play. The Pioneers are 8-2-1 at home in the series with the only two losses coming on the Diane Wendt Sports Complex during the COVID-19 pandemic. A year ago, Denver won in Tulsa 1-0 to clinch the regular season title after splitting the points in a 1-1 draw four weeks earlier in Denver. The Pioneers are unbeaten in the last five against the Golden Eagles. FULL HISTORY
LAST TIME OUT:
The Pioneers captured their 100th victory at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium with a 2-1 result over Seattle on September 22. All three goals were scored within four minutes of each other. Sam Bassett finished a free kick from the top of the box to secure the victory for Denver. 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. DU kept its spot on Sept. 23 and Sept. 30.
- 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 100-21-19 at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium since the stadium opened in 2009.
- The Pioneers are 90-10-13 at home since Franks joined the staff in 2012 and 65-8-10 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 114-36-32 since the start of the 2015 season.
- That record ranks 9th in the country in wins, behind Wake Forest (143), Indiana (133), Clemson (131), Georgetown (126), Stanford (125), New Hampshire (117), Washington (116), and Kentucky (114) (thru 9/29).
- 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 (4-0-4), nine from the Top-50 (4-0-4) and four in the Top-20 (1-0-3).
- Eight of Denver's first nine matches are against teams that finished in the top-40 last season (4-0-4).
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 - T, 0-0
September 22 vs. [33] Seattle - W, 2-1
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 nine matches of the season, Bassett has 15 points on five goals and five assists.
- Bassett has been involved in eight of Denver's last 12 goals.
- Bassett enters the match tied for fourth in career goals (20) and is tied for third in career points (58).
GET ON THE BOARD FIRST
- Denver is 136-10-18 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 102-8-12 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: 4-0-1
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 114-36-32 in his time as a head coach, 149-53-40 in his time at Denver overall and 248-80-57 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 will close out its five-match homestand on Saturday afternoon when the Pioneers welcome St. Thomas to the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Opening kickoff on Alumni Weekend is set for 1 p.m. MT.
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets for the 2024 season are on sale now and can be purchased here.
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