LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 15) -- The 23rd ranked Denison University men's soccer secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over the Transylvania Pioneers on Sunday afternoon, capping off their trip to Kentucky with a strong finish.
In a physical contest featuring 19 combined fouls, both teams fought through a gritty, back-and-forth affair. The Big Red broke through late in the second half, with
Jake Krueger scoring both goals to lift Denison to a well-earned victory.
"Today was the second game of an away double weekend and in those games you usually need a few different guys to step up," said head coach
Brandon Bianco. "We got that today from a number of players and another great performance from
Jake Krueger. We'll build on this and move into the new week."
The breakthrough came in the 79th minute, initiated by a strong push down the left flank from Cameron Kist. After a few close attempts earlier in the contest, Denison finally found the back of the net. Kist weaved through three Pioneer defenders before unleashing a low drive that skimmed past the keeper. Waiting on the backside,
Jake Krueger timed his run perfectly, sneaking behind the last defender to meet the shot with a sliding finish, putting Denison ahead 1-0.
Denison didn't let up after their first goal, maintaining pressure and pushing for a second. Just three minutes later, Krueger found himself at the center of the action once again. A well-worked give-and-go between Denison attackers along the left side opened space inside the 18-yard box, allowing
Corey Brunner to take a shot. The Pioneer goalkeeper managed to parry the initial attempt, but the ball only made it as far as
Jack Rice, who quickly volleyed it back toward goal. In a scramble to keep the ball out of the net, the Transylvania keeper got a hand on it again, but it wasn't enough. Krueger, showing his knack for being in the right place at the right time, crashed the box and headed it home to double the lead and seal the win for the Big Red.
Denison's defensive unit was crucial to securing the victory. The backline, with a disciplined and organized performance, limited Transylvania's chances and prevented them from registering a single shot on target. As a result, goalkeeper
Tommy Prokos had a relatively quiet game thanks to the solid effort from his back line.
The Big Red will return to action in Granville next weekend, looking to carry their momentum into a home matchup against Case Western Reserve University at 1 p.m. on Saturday. With the win, Denison improves to 4-1-1 as they continue their strong run through non-conference play.
