Box Score GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The University of Colorado Colorado Springs scored three goal against one of the top defenses in Division II to earn its first trip to the RMAC Tournament Championship Game in a 3-0 win against No. 9 Colorado Mesa tonight at Walker Field. The Mountain Lions (11-8-1) will play for the tournament championship for the third time in program history and the first time since 1998.
UCCS earned goals from
Conor Langenbahn,
Josh Berntsson and
James Roberts, while
David Meyer earned his fifth shutout of the season and his second against the Mavericks. The Mountain Lions' 11 wins this season ranks fourth in season victory records.
Langenbahn scored with 1 minute and 41 seconds left in the first half off an assist fro Berntsson to put UCCS ahead 1-0 at halftime against the Mavericks. Berntsson then followed it up with a loose ball in front of the net in the 16th minute, and then
Klinton Spencer drew the foul inside the box to set up Roberts' penalty kick goal in the 80th minute. Six of the 13 goals given up by the Mavericks this season have been to UCCS after a 3-0 win for the Mountain Lions on Sept. 21, in Colorado Springs.
Meyer made a season-high eight saves and moved into fourth in season records and seventh in career records with the shutout.
The victory moved Head Coach
Johnnie Keen into first among UCCS coaches in playoff victories with three. A win would mark the first conference tournament championship for men's soccer in program history.
The Mountain Lions will take on Colorado School of Mines at 1 p.m., on Sunday, in Grand Junction. The Orediggers defeated Regis 4-0 in the first semifinal of the night. UCCS and Colorado Mines split the season series with a win by each team on their home field.