The Pioneer men’s soccer team (8-4-3, 3-3-1 MPSF) posted two victories over the weekend, topping San Jose State 4-0 on Friday and defeating Seattle 1-0 on Sunday afternoon at CIBER Field.
On Friday evening, the Pioneers got out to a hot start for the second Friday in a row, scoring just 2:33 seconds into their victory over visiting San Jose State. Denver would eventually add three more goals, outshooting the Spartans 22-4 in the match and winning 4-0.
“It definitely set the tone [for the weekend],” said senior defender Blake Shannon. “We came out flying on Friday and we knew that if we play that way, we’re going to be a tough team to beat.”
Just as junior midfielder Zach Bolden had the week before against Houston Baptist, Shannon gave DU a 1-0 lead just minutes into the game. This week, the goal came off of a restart in the corner that senior midfielder Josh Wren directed to the head of Shannon at the six-yard box.
“I thought it was one of our most complete performances,” said head coach Bobby Muuss. “We got a very good goal early. We let up a little midway through the first half, but we responded in the second half; I think we outshot them 13-1. When we have a group of guys playing well at the same time, we get results like we did here tonight.”
San Jose State came into the match with a 3-1-1 record in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, yet managed just four shots for the second game in a row. Their previous game was a 3-2 home loss to UNLV. The loss at Denver was the first conference road loss of the year for the Spartans.
Denver came into the game 1-3-1 in conference, but was able to pull off the decisive victory. Junior midfielder Cole Chapleski scored twice during the game to lead the Pioneers.
His first goal put the Pioneers up 2-0 in the 23rd minute, adding another in the 81st minute. Senior forward Joe Eubanks’ scored Denver’s final goal less than a minute later.
On Sunday, the Pioneers would have to wait much longer to get their first goal. However, once again, it was Shannon who gave DU the lead.
In the 71st minute, Bolden crossed the ball into the penalty box, where senior midfielder Josh Wren got a touch on the ball before Shannon was able to drive it home. It was the defender’s fifth goal of the season, putting him in second place on the team.
After his performance over the weekend, Shannon was named the MPSF Player of the Week on Monday.
“We’ve been looking for someone that really wants to stand out on restarts,” said Muuss. “I think [Shannon] got two game winners this weekend. He’s been resourceful in front of the goal. He’s been tremendous this season.”
Once again, Denver outshot its opponent by a double-digit margin, holding a 23-4 edge on Sunday. Sophomore goalkeeper Oliver Brown only had to make one save in recording his third shutout of the season.
Despite their heavy shot advantage, the Pioneers struggled to score against a team that averages 2.5 goals against on the season.
“This group is a group that we believe can be pretty good,” said Muuss.
“It’s a sign of a good team when you don’t have your best performance and you get a result. Conference games, no matter where you play, who you play, they’re wars. But the guys got through it, showed some grit and found a way to win the game.”
