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Brooks Kirchheimer
Clarion sports editor
The pre-season could not have gone any better for the DU men’s soccer team, the regular season has not exactly been the same.
The Pioneers went undefeated in nine exhibition and pre-season games and did not give up one goal. To start the regular season DU (3-2-0) has defeated Marquette (1-0), lost to St. Francis (0-1), beat Birmingham Southern (7-0), lost to Evansville (1-2) and defeated Albany (2-0).
The Pioneers begin the season with the program’s first new head coach in a decade and resolve fueled by missing a chance to play in the NCAA tournament last season.
“Obviously to make the tournament, last season we should have made it,” said junior Joey Mathot about the team’s goals for the season.
Sophomore Kellan Christensen has scored three goals, Mathot has contributed two goals and an assist and junior Kyle Christensen has scored two goals. Also, senior Jacob Chase, freshman Ryan Garren, junior Leon Abravanel and senior Colby Pearce have all found the back of the net once.
“The loss (to St. Francis) at the beginning was a little bit of a surprise it is too bad we are not 3-0 because we had three home games, but it is better to have a hiccup now than at the end of the season,” said Mathot.
The Pioneers were ranked as high as No. 15 in the country last season and finished with a 11-5-2 record and second in the MPSF conference.
New Head Coach Bobby Muuss could not be happier with the performance his team has given him so far.
“I tell you what, I could not ask for more from the guys I quote, un-quote inherited. At the same time they welcomed me, they welcomed my staff, I could not ask for any more from them in terms of work ethic and really believing in what we are trying to do and, I think, we are getting better every day.”
Muuss comes to DU after serving the past six seasons as the top assistant coach at Wake Forest. As for his former team being No. 1 in the country right now, “I could not be more happy for the guys there. I recruited a lot of them. I worked with all of them. I am one of their biggest fans and obviously their coach is one of the big reasons I am here right now.”
The Pioneers will next play in the Husky Fever Classic this weekend in Seattle. They will open the tournament on Friday night against Washington and then play Portland on Sunday afternoon. DU’s next home game will be Oct. 13 when they host Air Force Academy’s Falcons at 1 p.m.
