The DU Men’s soccer team traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the clash of the Summit League Championship Semifinals. The Crimson and Gold took on the Kansas City Roos in a fierce battle that carried over into three overtime periods before finishing with a shootout that went to the Kansas City Roos 5-4.
Junior forward Oje Ofunrein took no time to begin the game, with a goal just under four minutes into the start of the matchup. Assisted by redshirt sophomore defender Ian Smith and redshirt freshman forward Bryce Willoughby, Denver used this push to continue their offensive-focused play style and continue moving the ball forward.
For Ofunrein, however, this wasn’t enough. Junior midfielder Sam Bassett took an unbelievable corner kick, perfectly setting up Ofunrein to chest it in to continue Denver’s early lead in the game. The Roos tried to combat this offensive domination by the Crimson and Gold, but it was difficult to try to sweep by the powerful offensive line.
The Roos finally pushed through after Ofunrein’s second goal, and while sophomore goalkeeper Isaac Nehme attempted to save this push, the Roos managed to sneak past him and just barely get the score to 2-1.
Denver didn’t take kindly to this push and immediately used this to put pressure back on the Roos defensive line. Sophomore midfielder Holger Olsson used this momentum to move forward in what would have been a breathtaking goal, had it not been called offsides.
The Roos put Nehme’s abilities to the test after a corner kick with only 15 minutes remaining in the first half. They crossed into the six-yard box and scored after Nehme’s attempt to save the shot. The Summit League Semifinals were tied at halftime, 2-2.
The Roos came back swinging at the beginning of the second half, pushing forward three shots on goal that Nehme’s cat-like senses were able to pounce on. However, after 10 minutes in the second half, the Roos finally pushed through and ended up scoring when the ball bounced off of the roof of the net, where there was nothing Nehme could do to save it.
The Crimson and Gold once again knew they had something to prove, instantly pushing the ball forward with a combative four shots on goal in less than 10 minutes. Ofunrein once again showed what he was there to do, securing the hat trick with 17 minutes remaining in the game.
The last minutes of the game were nothing short of fervent, when DU kept up with another five shots on goal, unfortunately with no goals. The game pushed to overtime with a chance for a spot in the league finals at stake.
DU dominated the first overtime, and while all of their shots were called offsides or went too wide, the Denver energy was still high. This carried into the next two overtimes, with nothing but saves from both goalies.
Finally, the semifinals went into a shootout. Nehme’s ability truly shined here, making a total of two saves in the shootout while doing the most he could for the Denver team.
The lineup of shooters for Denver was nothing short of exceptional, making some incredible goals that were always matched by the Roos. When it came down to the seventh shot, the Kansas City Roos bested the DU Crimson and Gold, winning in a shootout after triple overtime.
The Crimson and Gold will not move on to the Summit League Championships, but both teams put on a fervent effort throughout the season. The Crimson and Gold will now look toward the NCAA Tournament draw, and after Monday’s selection show, they will host Long Island University on Thursday at DU Soccer Stadium. Kickoff time is TBA.
