While most DU students spent their winter breaks traveling, skiing or catching up on Netflix, some student-athletes were in full force at the end of their seasons.
Before entering the post-season, the DU men’s soccer team was the only undefeated team remaining in the NCAA.
In the Summit League Championship game against Oral Roberts University, Denver won 2-0, securing their third consecutive conference title.
Their undefeated record also secured Denver a first-round bye into the NCAA tournament. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, however, Denver fell to Southern Methodist University 1-0 in overtime.
Denver’s women’s soccer program ended their season with a 4-0 loss to Oral Roberts, finishing fifth in the Summit League rankings.
Men’s tennis had a successful showing in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Indoor Championship. Senior Henry Craig (Murrieta, California) and junior Alex Gasson (Alton, United Kingdom) finished 2-1 in their doubles matches.
The regular season will begin on Jan. 23 with the ITA kickoff in South Carolina. In the Summit League’s preseason poll, Denver is projected to win the Summit League Championship title.
The women’s tennis team also had a very successful end to their fall season at the Dartmouth College Big Green Invite. Junior Maureen Slattery (Newport, Virginia) and sophomore Julia O’Loughlin (Highland Beach, Florida) defeated the Dartmouth College ITA Northeast Regional Champions in one of their doubles matches. Freshman Bianca Mok (Boise, Idaho) also had a good showing for the Pioneers, winning two of her singles matches. The spring season for the women’s team will begin on Jan. 15 with the Long Beach Invitational.
In men’s golf, the team traveled to Hawaii for the Mauna Lani Resort Hawaii State Open. Senior Adam Ruben (Lake Oswego, Oregon) earned a tied 16th place finish after finishing +2 after three rounds. The men resume their season on Jan. 28 at the Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson.
Women’s golf sophomore, Jessica Dreesbeimdieke (Windhoek, Namibia), earned a 47th place finish at the Dixie Amateur for the Pioneers on Dec. 19. On day one, Dreesbeimdieke finished -1 and on day three she finished -2 after scoring a hole-in-one on a par 3 hole. The women resume play on Valentine’s Day weekend at the Stanford Peg Barnard Invitational in Palo Alto, California.
Women’s volleyball finished their regular season with a 27-7 record after earning the Summit League Championship, their second consecutive conference championship title. They defeated the University of Nebraska-Omaha 3-2. The Pioneers faced the No. 5 University of Washington in the first round of the NCAA tournament and lost 3-0.
Tennis and golf will continue into the spring season along with hockey, basketball, and swimming and diving.
For more information about scheduling and news about all sports, check out the DU Athletics website.
