University of Denver
UCLA
Players Mentioned
Denver Begins Second Weekend of 2026 at [17/22] UCLA Friday Night
8/27/2026 10:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
The Pioneers head back to California for second-straight match-up against nationally ranked foe
DENVER – The University of Denver men's soccer program will open up the second weekend of the regular season on Friday night when the Pioneers head right back to California to take on [17/22] UCLA. Opening kickoff on B1G+ is set for 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT.
LAST TIME OUT:
Bryce Willoughby scored his first goal of the season in the opening six minutes, but Stanford finished with three unanswered to earn the victory over the Pioneers last Sunday night in Palo Alto. FULL RECAP
SERIES HISTORY:
Denver is 0-1-1 all-time against UCLA, earning a 0-0 draw at UCLA in September of 2024. 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 28-48-17 in its Division I history against the USC Top-25, going 14-13-3 at home, 13-29-11 on the road and 1-6-4 neutral.
- Under Jamie Franks, Denver is 19-22-10 against ranked opponents, including 10-5-2 at home, 9-15-6 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).
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 136-47-37 since the start of the 2015 season.
- That record is good for seventh in the country in wins during that span, behind Wake Forest (160), Indiana (155), Clemson (151), Georgetown (148), Stanford (142) and Washington (137).
- Of the 23 teams that had at least 110 wins in that span entering the year, Denver has the seventh-fewest losses at 47.
- 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 15th in the program's DI history in career points with 39 (15-9). Kyle McGowan is 20th with 32 points (14-4).
- Career Goals: Bryce Willoughby became the 10th player in the program's DI history to reach 15 career goals when he scored the opener at Stanford on August 23. Kyle McGowan is in a tie for 11th in the program's DI history with 14 career goals.
- Career Game-Winners: Bryce Willoughby has seven career game-winning goals, tied for the fifth most in the program's DI era.
DENVER'S HOME FOR COLLEGE SPORTS
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