From passive to pouncing, the Pioneers are marching on.
The University of Denver men’s soccer team opened its NCAA Tournament run with a 2-0 first-round win over UC Irvine on Thursday afternoon at University of Denver Soccer Stadium. And the Pios have a true freshman to thank for it.
When outside back Kai Carlson stepped onto DU’s campus for the first time this fall, he leaned on defensive tendencies he developed at the Portland Timbers academy. But at his position in DU head coach Jamie Franks’ system, he had to adjust.
The Pioneers thrive with attacking wingbacks with speed, precision and a willingness to attack. Carlson rode the bench for half the season while he built up that part of his game. Forward Ian Welch became a close friend and role model over that time, Carlson said, and some of his attacking habits have been passed down.
After a much-too-passive first half, Carlson subbed on in the 69th minute and wasted no time changing the story. Receiving a ball from a center back, he saw space and attacked it, forcing a defender to make a decision. The result was a wide-open Bryce Willoughby as a target on the byline.
Carlson found the winger, who then provided service to Kyle McGowan for the opening goal in the 71st minute.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself since being here,” Carlson said. “… I’ve learned that if I’m confident in myself, I can make things happen going (into the attack), and I can also get back and defend and help us keep a clean sheet.
“Building that trust has really helped me a lot to get to where I’m at.”
It was difficult for Franks, who often takes a traditional approach of redshirting freshmen, to keep Carlson off the field — especially at a position that isn’t all that deep. He’s got stalwarts like senior Dylan Akau and Will King, but Carlson has proven he can make an impact off the bench.
Both career assists for the freshman have come in the postseason — one against UC Irvine on Thursday, and one in the Summit League semifinal against Oral Roberts.
“He’s a gamer, you know? We loved Kai (as a recruit) because of his instincts. He plays off his instincts, he trusts himself, he really believes in us and in his game,” Franks said. “He’s just come such a long way this fall. It’s so hard for incoming guys to come and play college soccer, but he’s just done a great job learning and growing. We knew he was ready for this moment.”
The beneficiary of Carlson’s impulse to attack was McGowan, whose first shot rebounded straight back to him, allowing him to blast it into the roof of the net for the opening goal. It was his 10th of the season, making him the seventh player in program history to reach double figures in a single season.
Seven of those goals have come since Oct. 10.
Like in the Summit League final on Sunday, once the first goal came, it didn’t take long for another. Keegan Kelly found a streaking Luke Schultz at the penalty spot, who took an extra touch toward the right post before blistering the roof of the net himself from a tight angle in the 74th minute.
A marvelous kick save by Isaac Nehme in the 85th minute took the sting out of the Anteaters’ attack and slammed the door shut on a comeback effort.
Now, both Carlson and McGowan — both from Oregon and the Timbers academy — can look forward to going home for the weekend. The Pioneers will take on the eighth-seeded Portland Pilots, a familiar face from earlier this season. Back in September, the Pioneers were “surprised” by then-fourth-ranked Portland, which jumped out to a 3-0 lead within 55 minutes. DU scored twice in the final 10 minutes, but ran out of time to find an equalizer.
Carlson didn’t play in that match, as he had yet to battle his way onto the pitch. If anything, the memory of that game from a bench point of view pumps him up even more.
“I was super excited (when the bracket was released). Portland is a great team, and it’s tough to go back there and play, especially with the atmosphere they have,” Carlson said. “But I know that with the team we have, the players we have and the heart that we show, we’re just a different team (than in September). I know we can go there … and keep this run going.”
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.