SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- After respective historic runs in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, both Denver and Kansas City are back in the 48-team field giving the Summit League multiple teams for the third straight year. Both the Pioneers, who made it to the College Cup a season ago, and the Roos, who made a program record third-round appearance, are set to host opening-round matches on Thursday. It marks the first time a pair of Summit League teams will host opening-round games in the history of the postseason event.
The Pioneers (11-7-2), who were the No. 3 national seed during their 2024 to the national semifinals, earned the league's automatic bid after defeating the Roos 4-2 this past Saturday on their home pitch, giving them nine Summit League Tournament titles. Kansas City earned the program's first ever at-large bid after compiling an 11-3-5 mark for back-to-back Summit League Coach of the Year Ryan Pore.
DU will open tournament play against UC Irvine, who holds a 4-1-1 edge on the Pioneers in the all-time series. This will be the first meeting between the two clubs in the Mile High City. The Anteaters have won the last three matchups, including a 1-0 victory in the last tilt between the squads played in Albuquerque, N.M., in 2017.
Kansas City will host Lindenwood as the Lions will be making their NCAA Division I Tournament debut after winning the Ohio Valley Tournament. The Roos won the only previous meeting with the Lions 2-1 in 2022.
UPCOMING
Thursday, Nov. 20
First Round | Portland Region
UC Irvine at (RV/NR) Denver | ESPN+ | 3 p.m. MT
First Round | Stanford Region
Lindenwood at (21/NR) Kansas City | ESPN+ | 6 p.m. CT
Sunday, Nov. 23
Second Round | Portland Region
R1 Winner vs. No. 8 (6/10) Portland | ESPN+ | 6 p.m. PT
Second Round | Stanford Region
R1 Winner vs. No. 12 (8/19) Stanford | ESPN+ | 5 p.m. PT
2025 #SUMMITMSOC CHAMPIONSHIP REWIND
CHAMPIONSHIP
(1) Denver 4, (2) Kansas City 2 | Nov. 15
Top-seeded Denver captures title with 4-2 win over KC
• The six combined goals broke a Summit League Tournament single-match record and DU’s eight tournament goals also established a new record
• Sophomore Keegan Kelly opened the scoring in the second minute with his fifth goal in DU’s last three matches, including four in the postseason
• Junior Kyle McGowan scored twice from the penalty spot for Denver to record his second brace of the season
• Midfielder Will King’s unassisted tally in the 64th minute proved to be the game-winner
• Forward Jeremy Francou scored both goals for KC to push his season total to 11
SEMIFINALS
(1) Denver 4, (4) Oral Roberts 1 | Nov. 9
Kelly’s hat trick lifts top-seeded Denver into title match
• Denver’s four goals match the most scored by the program in a Summit League Tournament match when the Pioneers blanked Western Illinois 4-0 in the 2015 semifinals
• Denver trailed 1-0 before erupting for four goals in the final 23 minutes
• Sophomore Keegan Kelly scored the final three to secure his first career hat trick and the eighth in Summit League Championship history
• Jeff Mesidor scored his first goal of the season from the penatly spot in the 37th minute
(2) Kansas City 2, (3) Delaware 0 | Nov. 9
Second-seeded Roos blank Blue Hens to reach title match
• Graduate student Wade Muttitt broke a scoreless tie for the Roos with his 39th-minute goal
• Freshman goalkeeper Marc Popow made seven saves, including four in the first half to record his seventh shutout of the season -- it was just the third time Delaware (12-2-3) had been blanked all season
• Junior Jeremy Francou added an insurance goal in the 87th minute, which was his team-leading ninth of the season
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Team | All-Time Tournament Record | Furthest Run
Denver | 9-8-2 | College Cup (2016, 2024)
• The Pioneers matched their deepest run in program history, advancing to the College Cup as the No. 3 national seed
• This will be DU’s 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and fifth straight
• The program’s nine NCAA Tournament wins are more than the rest of the Summit League combined -- remaining current and former members in postseason have seven combined victories
• After starting 0-2-1 in first-round matches, Denver has won three straight
• DU has scored three goals in a NCAA Tournament match four different times, doing so twice in each of its runs to the College Cup -- 2016 and 2024
Kansas City | 3-4 | Third Round (2024)
• The Roos made their deepest run a season ago, winning road games in rounds one and two to be one of the final 16 teams in the field
• The program is making its fifth appearance in the postseason event and snapped a three-match losing streak with an opening round win over Saint Louis in 2024
• Kansas City is now 2-2 in first-round matches
• The Roos were the first Summit League program besides Denver to win a second-round match when they defeated No. 15 national seed Missouri State, 2-1, in 2024
AROUND THE LEAGUE
• This marks the third straight year that the Summit League will have multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to 2023 when Omaha and Denver both made the field, the last time the league had multiple teams was in 2008.
• For the first time in Summit League history, two teams are set to host a first round NCAA Tournament game in the same season.
• Denver senior Isaac Nehme became the first player in Summit League history to be named the Goalkeeper of the Year in three consecutive seasons. He enters the NCAA Tournament tied for the Summit League record for career shutouts with 34.
• Nehme registered three of those clean sheets in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, posting shutouts against Gardner Webb, Indiana and UMass.
2024 NCAA TOURNAMENT REWIND
DENVER | No. 3 National Seed (At-Large)
• Denver defeated Gardner Webb (3-0) in the second round, No. 14 national seed Indiana (1-0) in the third round and UMass (3-0) in the quarterfinals to advance to the program’s second College Cup (2016).
• The Pioneers fell in penalty kicks to eventual national champion Vermont after the teams played to a 1-1 draw in regulation. The Catamounts advanced via a 4-3 edge in PKs.
• MAC Herman Award finalist Sam Bassett scored for the Pioneers in the semifinal match with the Catamounts. He also had three assists during the tournament.
• The DU men’s soccer program had been the only previous Summit League team to make the national semifinals before returning a season ago. The 2023 Oral Roberts baseball team advanced to the 2023 Men’s College World Series.
• Sophomore Keegan Kelly, who was named the 2025 Summit League Championship MVP, had two goals and an assist during DU’s NCAA Tournament run a season ago.
KANSAS CITY | Summit League Tournament Champion (AQ)
• The Roos returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008 and made the program’s furthest run, advancing to the third round. KC had won just once in NCAA postseason play before its historic run in 2024.
• Kansas City opened tournament play with a 2-0 win at Saint Louis, scoring a pair of second-half goals to oust the Bilikens.
• In round two, the Roos rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to knock off No. 15 national seed Missouri State, 2-1. Ales Kohoutek’s first goal of the season in the 72nd minute proved to be the game winner.
• In third round play at No. 2 national seed Pitt, Kansas City opened the scoring in the sixth minute, fell behind 2-1, then squared things at 2-2 with a goal from Guille Munoz in the 74th minute. However, it would be the Panthers who would get the golden goal in the 98th minute from Albert Thorsen to advance to the quarterfinals.
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