On Sept. 29, the Denver men’s soccer team took the field against NCAA Top 25-ranked opponent, University of South Florida Bulls.
Prior to the match, a heavy rain and hailstorm impinged the conditions of CIBER Field, resulting in excessive water and slippery grass.
Within the first five minutes, forward freshmen Andre Shinyashiki (Sao Paulo, Brazil) went down and was removed with a hit to the back of the leg, but returned second half.
With only 10 players on the field for Denver, the South Florida Bulls quickly noticed and knocked the ball out of bounds to allow the Pioneers to substitute for Shinyashiki.
This attitude of mutual respect dictated the remainder of the game as both teams continued to adjust to the status of the field surface and attempted to adapt to the slickness of the ball and grass.
The first half of the match wrapped up 0-0 with three corner kicks for Denver and two shots on goal for the Pios, including a driven shot by junior midfield captain, Sam Hamilton (Evergreen, Colorado).
The second half of the match saw physicality and initiative from both teams with three shots on goal taken per side.
Things really heated up, however, when The Summit League Offensive Player of the Week, freshman midfielder Frank Carsonie (Hilliard, Ohio), drew a foul just outside of the box creating a free-kick.
Redshirt junior midfielder, Karsten Hanlin (Centennial, Colorado) lined up 22 yards out, top of the box in the 73rd minute. Hanlin netted the free kick, marking his second goal of the season, similar to his free kick against Utah Valley on Sept. 20.
The final 17 minutes saw high intensity from a fired-up Denver and a determined South Florida; a yellow card was issued to the Bulls senior defender, Brendan Hines-Ike, (Denver, Colorado) in the 86th minute.
Following the final whistle, the Pioneers stormed the field to celebrate the victory.
Following the 1-0 South Florida win, the Pioneers ranked 8th in the nation according to the NCAA and kicked off their Summit League home opener against Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) on Friday, Oct. 2 battling to earn a 1-1 tie.
