Photo by: David Stewart

The DU men’s soccer team split its games over the weekend, falling 6-0 to the No. 3-ranked University of New Mexico Lobos on Friday night before finding redemption two days later with a 5-4 win over conference foe UNLV.

Friday, Denver lost to UNM for the second week in a row after a defensive lapse by the Pioneers allowed the Lobos’ first goal. Senior midfielder Lance Rozeboom beat freshman goalkeeper Oliver Brown after Brown jumped the wrong way, putting UNM up 1-0 in the 42nd minute.

After holding a 9-5 shot advantage over UNM in the first half, the Pioneers struggled with controlling the ball in the second half and UNM finished the game with a 14-12 shot advantage.  

In the 49th minute, UNM’s junior forward Blake Smith assisted redshirt freshman forward Carson Baldinger to score off a corner before DU allowed the next four goals of the match.  

While the Pioneers struggled against the Lobos, they earned their second win over the Runnin’ Rebels in as many weeks on Sunday.

In the second overtime period of the contest, senior forward Matt Kirby shot the game winner in the 105th minute off an assist from senior midfielder Jarod Stigall, putting the score at 5-4.  

DU also got two goals from freshman forward Christian Volesky, one from sophomore midfielder Zach Bolden and one from junior forward Alex Tarnoczi.

“We were very efficient in the game, going into halftime 2-0,” said head coach Bobby Muuss. “We missed a really good chance in front of the goal about five or six minutes into the second half to put the game away, but give credit to UNLV. They just kept fighting and fighting.”

Bolden began the scoring in the 29th minute with his first goal of the season. In the 38th minute, Volesky headed the ball into the goal after pass exchanges between junior forward Joe Eubanks and Kirby. Volesky scored again in the 69th minute off another assist from Eubanks, and Tarnoczi scored with 27 seconds left off an assist from sophomore defender Blair Jeralds to send the game to overtime.  

Brown saved a UNLV overtime shot, his eighth save of the match, to send the teams into the second overtime period.

Stigall won the ball from UNLV and passed to Kirby, who came from the opposite wing to give the Pioneers the victory.

With the split results, the Pioneers’ record in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) stands at 2-2-1.

The Pioneers return to the road on Friday to play Sacramento State at 5 p.m. and San Jose State Sunday at 3:30 p.m.