DU Pioneers beat UC Irvine, advance in NCAA men’s soccer tournament

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.