The UMass men’s soccer team’s dream season finally came to a close in the NCAA Division 1 Elite Eight, as the Minutemen fell 3-0 on the road to No. 3 Denver on Saturday afternoon.

Denver advanced to play Vermont in the College Cup Final Four.

The common theme for UMass throughout its Cinderella run in the tournament has been getting on the board first. As underdogs in hostile environments, starting off strong is essential to help stem some of the nerves and withstand the initial surge from the home favorite. But on Saturday, the Minutemen couldn’t stop Denver’s high-powered offense and its skilled forwards.

Just eight minutes in, Denver’s Jason Belloli put the Pioneers in front – capitalizing on a corner kick from Sam Bassett that was sent perfectly to the back post. Belloli leaped to get his head on the ball and knocked it by UMass keeper Alex Geczy to make it 1-0 in favor of the hosts.

Very late in the first half, Denver added to its lead and took all momentum into halftime as Ronan Wynne cashed in on another stellar cross from a Pioneer teammate. Ian Smith put one into the box with his left foot, and once more Denver scored via a header – as Wynne lunged forward and put it past Geczy in the 43rd minute.

Less than five minutes into the second half, Denver added a third for good measure, as Oje Ofunrein tapped in an easy goal into a wide-open net. Dylan Akau and Keegan Kelly picked up assists. A whopping eight different Pioneers players tallied points in their dominant quarterfinal win, showcasing their depth at all positions.

Although UMass – which mustered three corners and three shots on goal on Saturday – fell short of a Final Four berth, the Minutemen certainly had a season to remember. UMass won three tournament games including two massive upsets over nationally ranked opponents (No. 6 Penn and No. 11 Virginia) on the road. The Minutemen have a dozen seniors and graduate students on their roster. If 2024 was their last time in a UMass uniform, they certainly made it count.

“It’s been a great ride for our guys. I think they’re thoroughly enjoying it,” Minutemen head coach Fran O’Leary said prior to Saturday’s contest with Denver. “To be sitting in the Elite Eight, having won two games against seeded opponents on the road, I think everyone is very, very happy… We’ve worked awfully hard, and we discussed how hard it is to get into the NCAA Tournament. We didn’t want to waste the opportunity by being nervous or anxious. We’ve attacked each of these games with vigor, and it’s a credit to our guys.”

UMass finished the season 13-4-5 and was one of eight teams in Division 1 to play into the first weekend of December.