In case any college soccer fans needed reminding, the parity of DI men’s soccer was on full display in the opening weekend of the 2024 season.
Highlighted by a top 5 upset, two surprising draws and a game-winning banger over a ranked opponent, this past weekend gave indications of a thrilling season to come. Here’s a recap of the action:
Denver upsets No. 5 Stanford, 1-0
Talk about a collegiate debut. Freshman Keegan Kelly went two-for-two in goals this weekend, with his second goal delivering Denver’s first win against a top-5 team since 2018.
🚨 TOP 5 UPSET 🚨@DU_MSoccer upsets No. 5 Stanford, 1-0.#NCAASoccer x 🎥 ACCNX
pic.twitter.com/yvmnteheMi— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) August 26, 2024
Colgate’s long-range beauty bests No. 13 Virginia, 1-0
Another top-ranked upset and another career landmark achieved. This time it was Colgate sophomore Jack Beerling who came off the bench to net his first career goal off a first-time finish from distance.
What a time to score your first career goal, @jack_beerling!!! 😎@ColgateMSOC upsets No. 13 Virginia, 1-0. #NCAASoccer x 🎥 ACCNX
pic.twitter.com/YULRM57AbO— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) August 26, 2024
No. 6 UNC and No. 10 SMU tie unranked opponents
Oral Roberts locked in a 1-1 tie with No. 10 SMU while Cal Baptist held No. 6 North Carolina to a scoreless draw despite 25 Tar Heel shots. These two near-upsets are further evidence that rankings often hold little power in the 90-minute realm of possibilities — that is, in the increasingly narrow margins of DI men’s soccer competition.
No. 12 Western Michigan edges No. 9 New Hampshire 1-0
Not enough to qualify as an upset, but a matchup worth mentioning. Both of these teams made it to the third round of last year’s NCAA tournament and both lost a large chunk of their experienced rosters. It’s good to see the new crop of transfers, freshmen and players new to the spotlight, stepping up to uphold the quality of play. For the Broncos, it was redshirt junior Connor Burkett who scored the game-winner with his second career goal.
BRONCOS BROUGHT IT 🔥
No. 12 @WMUMensSoccer defeats No. 9 New Hampshire, 1-0. #NCAASoccer x 🎥 ESPN+
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