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Pioneers make men’s NCAA field
The University of Denver men’s soccer team will play the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in Santa Barbara, Calif., in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night at 8 p.m.
This marks the second NCAA Tournament appearance for the Pioneers under Bobby Muuss, who also led DU to the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
“We are thrilled to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament,” Muuss said. “The team worked hard all year to win our second Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season championship, and I am happy the selection committee rewarded us with an at-large bid.”
Denver was 9-6-4 overall and 6-2-2 in the MPSF this year, winning their final four games to clinch the MPSF regular season crown, which DU also won in 2008. The Pioneers were upset in the MPSF Tournament by host and eventual winner Sacramento State, which went on to repeat as MPSF Tournament champions. The Hornets earned the MPSF’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, and New Mexico also received an at-large bid, giving the MPSF an unprecedented three teams in the NCAAs.
“It’s a testament to the character of this group to bounce back from a challenging start to the season to get back to the NCAA Tournament,” Muuss said.
The winner of the game between the Pioneers and Gauchos will travel to Berkeley, Calif., to take on No. 6 seed California on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Denver played then-No. 14 Cal to a 2-2 tie after two overtimes on Sept. 24.
The Pioneers also knocked off then-No. 20 Georgetown 3-1 on Sept. 12 and tied then-No. 16 Portland 3-3 on Sept. 10 during the nonconference campaign.
UC Santa Barbara is hosting the 2010 College Cup with the NCAA semifinals on Dec. 10 and championship game on Dec. 12.
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