DENVER - The No. 6 seed University of Denver men's soccer team fell 2-0 to No. 3 seeded Air Force in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Quarterfinals on Thursday night, ending the Pioneers' season.

“We were slow out of the gate,” head coach Bobby Muuss said. “Air Force scored a goal on a service and we went down 1-0 early.  We came out with a little more life in the second half, went to a 4-3-3 to try to push the game and press them, but in the end we just didn’t produce very many good chances.”

Air Force (12-5-2) opened the scoring in the fourth minute, as Zane Dydasco put a rebound into the back of the net. Freshman goalkeeper Oliver Brown (Louisville, Ky.)made a diving save to keep out an initial header by Eric Tise, but the ball bounced around the six yard box, and Dydasco knocked it into the net to put AFA up a goal.

Neither team produced another quality chance throughout the rest of the first half, and the Falcons went into the locker room with a 1-0 lead.

The Pioneers (5-11-3) two best chances to score in the second half came off the foot of freshman midfielder Brian Hoyt (Tempe, Ariz.) and off the head of junior defenderDrew Beckie (Highlands Ranch, Colo.). Both chances fell into the arms of AFA keeper Matt Underwood.

DU threw numbers forward late in the match, and the Falcons took advantage on a counter attack in the 90^th minute, as Kevin Durr scored his sixth goal of the season to book AFA's spot in the semifinals. 

Air Force outshot Denver 16-9 in the match and held a 3-1 advantage in corners. 

The Falcons will play No. 2 seed Cal State Bakersfield at CIBER Field on Friday at 7:30 p.m. MT. That match will follow by a matchup at 5 p.m. MT between No. 1 seed New Mexico, which is also No. 1 in the nation, and No. 5 seed San Jose State, which wonThursday's first quarterfinal match 4-2 over Sacramento State.

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