UD Outmuscles Denver 3-1

DAYTON (OH) -- A workman-like effort in the season opener for the UD men's soccer team was enough to secure a 3-1 victory over the Denver Pioneers in the nightcap of a Friday doubleheader at Baujan Field. In a match that saw Denver earn seven yellow cards including a red card ejection, UD capitalized on a first-half Alex Torda goal and added two more in the second half to start 1-0 (0-0) on the season. The Pioneers fall to 0-1 (0-0).

Fans had to wait until nearly 9:15pm to see the home team play. The first match of the evening pitting Wright State against Wisconsin went into double overtime, while UD's match against Denver was suspended 45 seconds after kickoff and delayed 45 minutes because of lightning. Roughly half the fans elected to leave for good but for those who stayed, they witnessed a physical match that showcased a lot of long ball service and few shots on goal.

Denver looked a bit quicker in the first 15 minutes of play and it kept UD from finding a groove. The Flyers had trouble linking passes together and settled for the long ball over the top that routinely had little purpose. While both sides weren't showering the net with shots on goal, the Pioneers had UD in a defensive posture to open the game and looked dangerous offensively.

That slowly changed as the half wore on however. Torda's goal in the 19th minute changed the momentum considerably. Zach Weiss serviced a hard, low cross from the right side and Torda redirected the blast from 5yds out for the 1-0 lead. Denver goalkeeper Teale Stone was in front of the play but had no chance as things happened instantly.

Dayton took advantage of the lead and put more pressure on Denver's defensive line. Balls that were sent in the air earlier in the half were now being threaded between the fullbacks, finding Flyers as they ran into space and directly on goal. The Pioneers did enough to turn away the chances, but even as the half ended with UD up only 1-0, they were suffering from a half-step speed deficiency that would ultimately be the difference maker in the final 45 minutes.

Served with just one yellow card in the first half, Denver did their best in the second frame to earn Skymiles from referee John Bonintondi. It started in the 55th minute with the second yellow of the match and five more would follow suit. Pioneer defender Chase Humphrey earned his second booking of the night -- one in each half -- and was sent to the bench in the 57th minute to give the Flyers a man advantage.

Six minutes later Weiss would add his own goal with a low shot to the far post from 18yds out that skidded through the mixer untouched. The Pioneer bench earned a yellow card shortly thereafter and the plastic was raised in steady fashion until the final whistle.

UD would add an insurance goal in the 71st minute when Florian DeCamps slotted a free kick inside the right post from 22yds out. The free kick was on the heels of -- of all things -- a Denver yellow card that set up the opportunity.

Denver salvaged whatever pride they had left with a garbage tally in the 85th minute from Leon Abravanel. Ryan Aweida sent a through ball past a napping Flyer defense and Abravanel had only a helpless but charging Alex Davis to beat.

Season openers are seldom masterpieces and this was no exception. There were a few quality buildups that included the feet of several players, but a lot of long balls without a direct purpose consumed the run of play at times. When Dayton created possession from the back and moved the ball forward, Denver had to work a lot harder to stop the momentum.

Many of the yellow cards earned by Denver were legitimate (late, studs up tackles), but a few others were highly questionable and just seemed to snowball as the match continued. The more Denver added their own dissension to the problem, the more excuses the referee had to find the slightest faults. Despite the bookings, Denver managed to outshoot the Flyers 12-10, while UD had a 8-7 corner kick advantage. The Flyers were even whistled for more total fouls (14-11).

The Pioneers field a quality side nearly every season and last year was no exception. Picked to finish second in their conference once again behind national power New Mexico, Denver should win a number of games this year. Missioned accomplished for the Flyers.

Dayton caps off the Marriott Classic on Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm against Wright State. Denver plays Wisconsin at 11:30am.