UCCS loses lead in final two minutes, match in overtime

COLORADO SPRINGS - At 45 minutes per-half, soccer is the longest game clock in major sports. As such, it requires long stints of concentration that ultimately shape the game.

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs played over 88 minutes of winning soccer before allowing Colorado Mesa to score in the 89th and 94th minutes in a 2-1 overtime loss Sunday at Mountain Lion Stadium.

Late September isn't known for its hot afternoons, but as a crowd with umbrellas trying to create shade filled the stands, the heat definitely played a factor as both teams seemed a step slow at times.

Fresh legs off the bench was the successful strategy UCCS employed in the first-half however, when substitute Hannah Rather used her speed to get UCCS in position for its single goal, drawing a foul just outside the Mesa box. A Jessica Escobedo goal-scoring free kick later and UCCS claimed a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute.

With the lead and seemingly the game in hand, UCCS lost concentration in the waning minutes of the second-half when a softly kicked ball from 20 yards out by Mesa's Sophia Whigham snuck by UCCS keeper Jessica Taylor to tie the game at 1-1 in the 89th minute.

The Mavericks didn't wait long to strike again once overtime started, scoring off a corner as Kelci Crispe found the head of Kaitlynn Holt in the 94th minute for the win. Mesa improved to 5-4 on their season and 4-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

"We have to have the killer instinct to finish the ball, we had as many chances on goal as we would want," said UCCS coach Nichole Ridenour. "We get the ball and do all the work to get it up there and just aren't taking wise chances, wise shots, we're not taking the opportunities."

The Mountain Lions out-shot the Mavericks by a count of 16-10 on a day when quality shots were tough to come by.

"This is the same thing as Fort Lewis, it doesn't matter how much you control a game or dominate a game; it's all about what's on the scoreboard," said Ridenour.

The loss concludes a tough weekend for UCCS who lost a pair of one-goal games including one to nationally ranked Fort Lewis. The Mountain Lions now sit at 4-3 on the season and 1-3 in the RMAC.