News & Notes From Around PioNation

(above) Things are returning to normal in PioNation.  DU in first place and Colorado College in last place

The University of Denver Men's Soccer team qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time since 2008, after defeating Western Illinois 1-0 in the Summit League Championship Game on Sunday.

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The DU Men's basketball team held a lead at halftime but eventually fell to Stanford 66-57 at Magness Arena on Sunday. Chris Udofa scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds for the Pioneers.

Big Weekend On Campus

[above] DU Rugby will play at Infinity Park on Saturday

FRIDAY

#1 DU Women's Tennis vs. #5 Idaho @ Gates Tennis Center - WAC Semi's [2 PM]

#11 DU Women's Lacrosse team vs. Oregon @ Barton Stadium DU [5 PM]

DU Students: "The BIG Event" on Driscoll Green & Sturm Hall [9 PM-2 AM]

SATURDAY

Men's Lacrosse vs. Michigan Wolverines [Noon] @ Barton Stadium

Pregame Lacrosse Tailgate starts at 9 AM, and DUGS is making pancakes

DU Men's Rugby vs. St. John's University @ Infinity Park in the FINAL FOUR of the NSCRO National Championship [3 PM]

Men's Soccer Spring Season game against Air Force [6:15 PM]

DU Alum Joe Willis Saves Season For DC United

(above) 11 minute highight video

DC United eliminated the New York Red Bulls 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the MLS playoffs on Thursday night. But it was the heroics of a recent University of Denver graduate that turned the tide of the game and enabled DC United to steal a famous victory on the road.

DC United starting goaltender Bill Hamid was given a red card midway through the second half. Hamid was ejected for taking down New York's Kenny Cooper at the edge of the penalty area. Moments later his replacement, University of Denver alum Joe Willis, stopped Cooper’s penalty kick after the New York striker’s successful attempt was nullified by a teammate’s encroachment violation.

Cooper had been 10 for 10 on penalty kicks this season.

Willis, a second-year pro who made 10 regular season starts this year, entered in the 70th minute under most difficult circumstances: to face a penalty kick. Cooper converted, but the referee nullified it because Thierry Henry had entered the area before the shot.

On Cooper’s second attempt, Willis guessed correctly, sliding to his left to block the low shot. “You don’t have a lot of time to think when something like that happens,” said Willis, who will start Sunday in Houston for the suspended Hamid. “I was just moving as fast as I could to get out there.”

DC Rookie Nick DeLeon scored in the 88th minute to secure the 1-0 victory and passage to MLS’s Eastern Conference finals.

ESPN: DU Alum Playing MLS For Salt Lake

(above) DU Alum Nat Borchers may be the most under-rated defenseman in Major League Soccer

From: ESPN.com 
by Jeff Carlisle

Several weeks ago, in a casual chat with an MLS assistant coach, the topic of Jamison Olave's exceptional ability came up. The assistant concurred that the Real Salt Lake defender is perhaps the league's best but quickly added, "Nat Borchers, with his ability to organize, is the guy that really makes that defense go."

That discussion could be held up as a microcosm of Borchers' career. Sure, he was an MLS Best XI selection in 2010 -- as was Olave -- when Real set an MLS single-season record for conceding the fewest goals. But in a discussion of the league's top defenders, Borchers always seems destined to be an afterthought, especially when compared to his club teammate [read entire article].

News From Around PioNation - 4.0 Edition

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(above) Matt Donovan will get a shot to make the Islanders next season

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DU Senior David Carle was hired this week by the USHL Green Bay Gamblers according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. 

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For the second straight year the DU basketball program posted an NCAA Top Ten improvement in attendance.  Not only that, but they led the Sunbelt conference in attendance.

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If you count the three incoming transfers, the DU soccer program probably had its best recruiting class ever.  The next few seasons look to be extremely promising.

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DU Athletic Director Peg Bradley-Doppes discusses DU's current conference alignment issues and what the plan is going forward.

DU Makes Upgrades To Lax Student Section

The University of Denver Lacrosse game against #4 Loyola is almost Sold-Out. The ECAC Regular Season Championship and a #1 seed in the conference tournament is on the line. Don't wait until Saturday to purchase tickets [Only $9 each]. 

1.)  Yes the rumors are true....students can use lawn chairs on the Hill

2.)  Tailgating starts at 3 PM, Men's Soccer begins at 5 PM, Lacrosse at 7 PM

3.)  The DU Grilling Society will begin serving at 5 PM, however groups & fans are also encouraged to bring their own grills

4.)  PLEASE wear CRIMSON & GOLD this weekend as the game is on TV

5.)  Encourage ALL STUDENTS to come out and tailgate

6.)  Kappa Sigma will be doing the providing the music this week

7.)  D.U.G.S. will provide vitamin water

8.)  Invite your friends and make it an epic weekend at DU

DU Alum Joe Willis Starting For DC United

(above)  Joe Willis has been the starting goalkeeper for DU United the last few weeks

From:  Washington Post
by Paul Tenorio

More than four years had passed since D.C. United assistant coach Chad Ashton recruited a tall, gangly goalkeeper out of St. Louis to play for the University of Denver.

Ashton kept tabs on his former program after joining United’s staff, and especially on that lanky netminder. Joe Willis had grown into a 6-foot-5, 190-pound force in goal, earning all-conference honors three consecutive years. So during meetings in the fall of 2010, when United’s staff met to discuss potential college prospects, Ashton said he might have a steal [read entire article].

Friday Night Under The Lights At DU

DU vs. New Mexico Soccer Preview

Denver Post: Shore Family Reunion

While the Shore Family holds a reunion in Magness Arena on Friday night against the US National Development Team, The DU soccer team will be battling their arch rivals New Mexico with NCAA Tournament ramifications likely on the line.

College Soccer News recently named DU-New Mexico the 13th best men’s soccer rivalry in the nation. And like all good sports rivalries, the series has been close. New Mexico has a record of 16-13-3 against the Pioneers. In 15 of the past 17 meetings, the matches have been determined by one goal or ended in a tie. Last year, the home game with the Lobos was the most well attended of the Pioneers’ season.

“This is definitely one of those games that alumni, parents and people close to the program circle on their calendars,” says Bobby Muuss, DU men’s soccer head coach. “There is always a lot of excitement and support at the games against New Mexico, and the crowds continue to grow and get better every season.”

While the soccer is raging on the pitch, a different type of rivalry will be unfolding in Magness Arena. Twenty-five years after David and Sarah Shore met while attending law school at the University of Denver and chose a Pioneers hockey game as their first date, they will have an anniversary to remember Friday night at Magness Arena. Their sons will be front and center on the ice.

Drew Shore will direct DU's top line. Sophomore Nick Shore is the Pioneers' second-line center. And Quentin Shore, who will play for DU next season, will face his future team as a member of the U.S. National Development Program's (USNDP) 18-under team.

A fourth Shore brother, 12-year-old Baker, an elite hockey player as well, will be in the stands watching the exhibition game unfold with his proud parents.

DU Soccer Adds Two New Players

Joe Eubanks

UC Santa Barbara transfer Joe Eubanks and Christian Volesky of Henderson, Nev., will join the University of Denver soccer team this fall.

Eubanks, a product of Mullen High School, earned his undergraduate degree in business but has two years of NCAA eligibility because of injuries his freshman and sophomore years. Because he has his degree he won't have to sit out a year. He played in 11 matches at UCSB in 2011, scoring three goals.

Volesky, a four-time state champion from Foothill High School, scored a state-high 32 goals and was voted the most valuable player of the Southeast Region.

DU Adds Top-Notch Soccer Coach To Stable

DU Press Release

Mike Freitag

The University of Denver Soccer program stunned the college soccer community this week signing a National Championship winning head coach as an unpaid assistant. Mike Freitag, one of the most well-respected coaches in American soccer, has joined the University of Denver men's soccer staff, head coach Bobby Muuss announced.

Freitag, spent 24 years at the Indiana University playing and coaching. Only St. Louis has won more National Championships than Indiana and Frietag was involved with most of Indiana's championships as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

Freitag is one of just three coaches in the history of the NCAA to lead his team to a national title in his first season as head coach, guiding the Hoosiers to the 2004 NCAA title. Freitag was part of three national titles as the head assistant for long-time head coach Jerry Yeagley in 1998, 1999 and 2003. He was also part of the 1983 national title as a graduate assistant.

"Coach Freitag and the experiences he has had as a coach instantly make the University of Denver men's soccer program better," Muuss said. "Competing for national championships is this program's ultimate goal, and Coach Freitag has been a part of five NCAA titles at Indiana - experience that our program can certainly benefit from. We are honored to have Coach Freitag join us here at DU, and the entire staff looks forward to working with, and learning from, such a great coach."

Freitag was 86-32-19 (.697) in six seasons as head coach at Indiana, before being controversially fired by an Athletic Director that wanted to replace Freitag with Jerry Yeagley's son.

In addition to his time at Indiana, Freitag also has spent time as the assistant coach of the U-17 National Team and currently holds the post of Executive Director of Colorado Youth Soccer (CYS). In 2009, Freitag was honored with induction into the Colorado Youth Soccer Hall of Fame.

Freitag holds a U.S. Soccer Federation "A" Coaching License and a Scottish Football Association "B" Coaching License. He has coached youth soccer at all levels in Indiana and Colorado, and was a staff coach for the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Freitag's success in the game began as a player, starring at Indiana from 1976-79 and earning All-America honors in 1979. After IU, Freitag moved on to the professional ranks, playing for the San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League and the Denver Avalanche of the Major Indoor Soccer League.