SIOUX FALLS, SD – Denver forward Keegan Kelly and Kansas City forward Elie Kisoka shared the Summit League Men’s Soccer offensive player of the week honors, while DU defender Ian Smith secured the defense honor, league officials announced Monday.
Both Kelly and Kisoka made their debut for their respective teams and did so in impressive fashion.
Kelly opened DU’s scoring list in the 2-1 away win at Cal in the opening game with a header in the 25thth Minute and scored the only goal in the Pioneers’ 1-0 win against (5/4) Stanford. The Auckland native from New Zealand sank a long-range shot in the 49th minute.th Minute when DU defeated a top-5 team for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2018.
Kelly is the first Pio since Smith in 2022 to score in his first two college games.
Kisoka’s debut was equally impressive, as he contributed to all three goals for the Roos as they opened the season with a 1-0 away win over St. Mary’s and a 2-2 draw with San Francisco.
The Marseille native scored both goals in the closing stages of those two games, scoring his first collegiate goal when he beat the St. Mary’s goalkeeper with a long-range shot from 30 yards out to give the Roos a season-opening win.
Against the Dons, Kisoka helped KC overcome a 2-0 deficit in the final 20 minutes by setting up the first goal and then scoring the equaliser with a header in the 84th minute.th Minute.
Smith played all 180 minutes in DU’s two wins against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents, helping a defense that allowed just one goal and four shots on goal. Smith scored the game-winning goal for the Pios in the 54th minute.th minute against Cal and led a defensive unit that allowed Stanford a single shot on goal in the final 71 minutes of the game.
CO-OFFENSIVE TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
Keegan Kelly, Denver
Fri | F | Auckland, New Zealand
- Scored DU’s first goal of the season in a 2-1 win at Cal
- Scored the decisive goal in 49th Minute of the 1-0 win at (5/4) Stanford
- First Pio since Smith in 2022 to score a goal in each of his first two college games
- For Kelly, this is the first weekly award in the Summit League.
Elie Kisoka, Kansas City
Jr. | F | Marseille, France
- Contributed to all three goals in KC’s 1-0-1 start to the season
- Scored the decisive goal in 84th Minute in the 1-0 win at St. Mary’s
- Scored a goal and an assist in a 2-2 draw in San Francisco
- For Kisoka, this is the first weekly award in the Summit League.
Also nominated: Omar Mora (Oral Roberts), Theo Klein (Omaha).
DEFENSIVE TOP PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Ian Smith, Denver
Jr. | D | Littleton, Colorado.
- Played the full 180 minutes in the Pioneers’ two wins against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.
- Scored the decisive goal in 54th Minute of DU’s 2-1 win at Cal
- Helped limit the defense (5/4) Stanford without a shot on goal in the final 71 minutes of the 1-0 win
- This is Smith’s second weekly award in the Summit League.
Also nominated: Brandon McGaugh (Kansas City).
The best players of the week in men’s football 2024
26.08.
O: Keegan Kelly, Denver
O: Elie Kisoka, Kansas City
D: Ian Smith, Denver
#SummitMSOC
