DENVER, Colo. – The IUPUI men's soccer team held tough for another conference draw on Friday night (Oct. 2) with No. 8 Denver. IUPUI (0-5-4) gave a scare to the Pioneers as they took the nation's eighth-ranked team into 2OT before ending in a 1-1 draw. It marked the sixth time in nine games that IUPUI has played overtime this season. Denver had won 21 consecutive home games prior to Friday's draw.   

Denver (8-0-2) opened the second half aggressive as they netted the game's first goal in the 55th minute. The Pioneers' Andre Shinyashiki found the net off assists from Kenny Akamatsu and Alex Underwood. 

It looked as if Denver's goal would be enough to outlast the Jags, but senior Clint Hoffar notched the equalizer in the 74th minute. The score was Hoffar's team-high third of the year. Hoffar took advantage of an errant back pass between two defenders, leading to a breakaway opportunity. 

Denver poured on a handful of shots in the late minutes and overtime periods, but it wasn't enough to beat IUPUI senior keeper Eduardo Cortes a second time. The Jags earned a corner kick in the 110th minute to no avail. 

One week after recording an NCAA season-high 13 saves against No. 23 Omaha, Cortes played a big role in preserving this week's 1-1 draw. The Dallas, Texas native parried nine shots to give the Jags their second straight draw in Summit League play despite getting outshot 27-4, and 10-3 on goal. Included in that total was a denied PK in the 82nd minute after Hoffar had been called for a foul inside the 18. Cortes dove to his right to snare the attempt, keeping the score even. 

Denver also closed with a 10-1 advantage on corner kicks on Friday night. 

The winless Jags proved once again that the Summit League is wide open, notching two consecutive ties against the league's top-ranked opponents. Next up, IUPUI will travel to Bloomington, Ind. to face Indiana University next Wednesday (Oct. 7) at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to visit the IU Athletics Tickets page to purchase tickets.