The Colorado State-Pueblo Thunderwolves closed the gap in the Steel and Silver Series with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with a 2-1 victory over the Mountain Lions Wednesday in men's soccer.

Colorado State-Pueblo earned two points in the rivalry series for the win. UCCS leads the series 9-4.

More importantly as far as the soccer team was concerned was that CSU-Pueblo closed to within a point of UCCS for fourth place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. UCCS (5-6-1, 3-3-1 RMAC) has 10 points in the standings, while CSU-Pueblo (7-6-1, 3-4) has nine.

Colorado State-Pueblo took the lead at the 51:03 mark. Ryan Creager launched a direct free kick from just off the left corner of the penalty area that cleared the protective wall and arced into the upper right hand corner of the goal. It was the second straight game that UCCS had been beaten on such a play, since Colorado college did the same thing from the left side on Saturday.

Forty-nine seconds after Creager's goal, the Mountain Lions struck back. Jeff Moore hit a free kick hard and low that somehow managed to find its way through the traffic in front of the net. With his vision obscured, CSU-Pueblo goalkeeper Mike Baker dove late to hit right, managing to deflect the ball but not control it.

Jeff Halligan was Johnny-on-the-spot to record his third goal of the season.

The Thunderwolves scored the game-winner in the 67th minute. Lawrence Payne found Wes Warmack wide open on the right sideline, Warmack drove down the sideline and sent a crossing pass to Luke Babson. Babson's header deflected off the left post and into the net.

UCCS in now 1-4-1 in its past six matches.