University of Denver
Stanford
Players Mentioned
[RV/20] Denver Closes Opening Weekend at [9/10] Stanford on Sunday Night
8/21/2026 10:22:00 AM | Men's Soccer
The Pioneers are coming off a 2-2 draw on opening night against Cal Poly
DENVER – The [RV/20] University of Denver men's soccer program will wrap-up its opening weekend of the 2026 campaign on Sunday night when the Pioneers travel to [9/10] Stanford. Opening kickoff at Cagan is set for 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT, and the match will be broadcast on ACC Network Xtra.
LAST TIME OUT:
Denver and Cal Poly split the points in a back-and-forth 2-2 draw in both teams' season opener on Thursday night at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Dominic Kallay and Keegan Kelly both scored on Denver's opening night. FULL RECAP
SERIES HISTORY:
Denver is 1-6-1 all-time against Stanford, including 1-4 in Palo Alto. A year ago, Stanford earned a 2-1 win on its home field, a year after the Pioneers earned a 1-0 win at Stanford on a Keegan Kelly strike in his freshman year. FULL HISTORY
NEW HOME IN THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE
- On October 31, 2025, the University of Denver announced it has accepted an invitation to join the West Coast Conference in nine sports, beginning in the 2026-27 season.
- The transition was finalized on July 1, 2026, as Denver joined the 10-team league that will expand to 12 next season.
- Denver has joined the West Coast Conference in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis and women's volleyball.
- The move provides Denver with a significant enhancement to the overall reputation of the university and brand association, allying DU with highly regarded, mostly private institutions with stronger academic ranking and profiles that will further strengthen the university's position in the western United States.
DENVER AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
- Denver is 28-47-17 in its Division I history against the USC Top-25, going 14-13-3 at home, 13-28-11 on the road and 1-6-4 neutral.
- Under Jamie Franks, Denver is 19-21-10 against ranked opponents, including 10-5-2 at home, 9-14-6 on the road and 0-2-2 at a neutral site.
- The Pioneers are 12-8-4 against teams receiving votes, including 7-5-2 at home, 4-3-2 on the road and 1-0-0 at a neutral site.
- Denver is 4-13-0 against teams ranked in the top-5 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, including 2-8 in true road games.
- The Pioneers only road win against a top-5 team prior to last season's 1-0 win at No. 5 Stanford came on December 2, 2016 when the fourth-ranked Pioneers beat No. 3 Clemson 1-0 in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
- Denver's last win against a top-5 team prior to last season came in a 3-2 win against No. 3 Washington on August 30, 2018 at DU.
- Denver's first win over a ranked opponent in 2025 came at No. 14 Georgetown on October 7 (GT 1-2 DEN).
MCGOWAN AND WILLOUGHBY ON WCC PRESESAON TEAM
- In its first year in the West Coast Conference, the Pioneers were picked third in the preseason coaches poll.
- Bryce Willoughby and Kyle McGowan were named to the WCC Preseason Team.
- McGowan was drafted 68th overall in the 2026 MLS Super Draft by the New England Revolution.
- McGowan has scored 14 goals in 53 career appearances, including 11 in 22 games last season.
- Willoughby has 14 career goals and nine assists in 63 career appearances.
THE FRANKS FOUNDATION
- Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks is in his 12th season as the bench boss and his 15th with the program overall in 2026.
- 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 136-46-37 in his time as a head coach, 171-63-45 in his time at Denver overall and 270-90-62 in his time as a player and a coach in college soccer.
- Franks is 10-8-3 in the NCAA Tournament at DU (10-7-2 as HC). As a player and coach, Franks is 26-12-5 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 11 seasons, Denver qualified for the NCAA Tournament 10 times and received a bye into the second round four times. Denver has played in the second round eight times.
- Franks won the national championship as a player with Wake Forest in 2007 in Cary, defeating Ohio State 2-1 in the final.
- Franks made his sixth College Cup appearance combined as a player and coach in 2024.
A PROGRAM BUILT ON DEVELOPMENT
- Denver has 21 returners on its 2026 rosters that have spent a combined 49 seasons in the Denver Men's Soccer program.
- The Pioneers have 10 returners with at least three years of experience in the program, including five that have already been here at least four years.
- In a NCAA Athletics culture of teams relying on the transfer portal, Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks uses it rarely, using it just once this year to fill a goalkeeper spot with four-year Columbia keeper Dean Kelliher.
- Denver welcomes seven freshmen into the program in 2026.
TOP-10 SINCE 2015
- Denver is 136-46-37 since the start of the 2015 season.
- That record is good for sixth in the country in wins during that span, behind Wake Forest (160), Indiana (154), Clemson (150), Georgetown (147), Stanford (141).
- Of the 23 teams that had at least 110 wins in that span entering the year, Denver has the seventh-fewest losses at 46.
- Four of Denver's opponents are among the 23 that began the year with 100 wins since the start of the 2015 season.
RECORD BOOK WATCH
- Career Points: Fifth-year forward Bryce Willoughby is 16th in the program's DI history in career points with 37 (14-9). Kyle McGowan is 20th with 32 points (14-4).
- Career Goals: Bryce Willoughby and Kyle McGowan both have scored 14 career goals, good for 10th in Denver's modern DI era.
- Career Game-Winners: Bryce Willoughby has seven career game-winning goals, tied for the fifth most in the program's DI era.
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