Denver 4-0 Western Illinois (Devoss 2’, Crosswait 25’, Stevenson 53’, Akamatsu 82’)

DENVER – The [8/7] top-seeded University of Denver men’s soccer team advanced to its third-straight Summit League Final with a 4-0 victory over No. 4 seed Western Illinois on Thursday night at CIBER Field at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.

Denver will host No. 3 seeded Oral Roberts on Saturday at 3 p.m. MT in the Summit League Championship. The Golden Eagles defeated No. 2 Omaha in the first semifinal on Thursday evening by a count of 2-1 in the second period of extra time.

Thursday night’s victory stretched Denver’s home unbeaten streak to 28 matches, the longest active streak in the nation, and tied for the 11th-longest in NCAA history. The Pioneers also remained the only unbeaten team in Division I with the semifinal victory.

DU’s sixth-straight shutout extended the Pioneers current streak to 612:18, marking the longest run in Denver’s Division I history. Overall, DU's longest match stretch without allowing a goal is eight, in the 1988 campaign (turned DI in 1998). 

Denver (14-0-3) opened the scoring just two minutes in as redshirt-freshman Scott Devoss (Centennial, Colo.) half-volleyed an Alex Underwood (Winnetka, Ill.) corner kick from six-yards out at the back post. The breakthrough was Devoss’ second goal of the season.

The Pioneers made it 2-0 in the 25th-minute as redshirt-junior Chandler Crosswait (Bedford, Texas) netted his third of the campaign from six-yards out in the center of the area, off build-up play from junior Karsten Hanlin (Centennial, Colo.) and freshman Andre Shinyashiki (Sao Paulo, Brazil). The Denver rookie picked up a pass at midfield, running at the Western Illinois back-four, before finding Hanlin down the left side. Hanlin played his cross to the top of the six-yard box finding the run of Chandler for the sixth of the junior’s career.

Following the intermission, sophomore Cole Stevenson (Leawood, Kan.) made it 3-0 in the 53rd minute deflecting a Western Illinois clearance into the back of the net. Stevenson started the build up at midfield, feeding Crosswait at the top of the box. Crosswait slid a pass to fellow Texan Reagan Dunk (Dallas, Texas), who played a dangerous ball across the top of the six that deflected off Western Illinois center back Austin Gochneaur and then Gochneaur’s clearance deflected off Stevenson and into the back of the net for the sixth of the sophomore’s career.

Freshman Kenny Akamatsu (Niigata, Japan) netted the first of his career to make it 4-0 Pioneers in the 82nd minute. The crafty Denver freshman turned his defender three times after receiving the ball from sophomore outside back AJ Fuller (Littleton, Colo.) to wrap-up the scoring on a chilly evening at CIBER Field.

TICKETS: 2015 Summit League Men’s Soccer Championship match tickets are on sale, and can be purchased here.