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UCCS Athletics

Fernandez McGuire
Isaiah J. Downing

PREVIEW | Men's Soccer Continues Conference Action Against ASU and FLC

10/13/2021 1:00:00 PM

By: Tyler Tvelia, Assistant Sports Information Director
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS
  • The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's soccer team will look to continue their momentum as they host Adams State University on Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. before heading back on the road to take on Fort Lewis College at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17.
 
GAME COVERAGE  
LAST TIME OUT
  • The Mountain Lions went 2-0 over the weekend, taking a 3-2 victory over Regis on Thursday afternoon before shutting out South Dakota Mines in a 1-0 win on Sunday afternoon.
  • On Thursday, sophomore Alex Andersson put the team on his back as he recorded the first hat trick of his career in a 3-2 victory over Regis. The midfielder notched a team high five shots and four shots on goal as he scored in the 5th, 34th and 54th minutes.  
  • Goalkeeper Andreas Kokoska recorded a season-high nine saves, including a save in the 66th minute that thwarted a Regis penalty kick opportunity.
  • The Mountain Lions kept it rolling on Sunday afternoon, earning a 1-0 shutout victory over South Dakota Mines. UCCS scored the lone goal of the match in the 37th minute when Kolby Raineri sent a cross to Luka Cecic who finished at the net for the score.
  • Kokoska logged the full 90 minutes in frame, registering his third shutout of the season while racking up six saves on 11 shots faced.
 
RMAC RECORD/STANDINGS
  • The Mountain Lions picked up their first two conference wins last week over Regis and South Dakota Mines, moving their overall record to 6-4-1 (2-2-0 RMAC).
  • UCCS currently sits tied with Colorado Christian University and Colorado State University Pueblo in the conference standings with six points. No. 12 Colorado Mesa University and No. 25 Colorado School of Mines sit in a tie atop the standings with 12 conference points (4-0-0 record).
 
RMAC LEADERS
  • The Mountain Lions lead the nation with seven penalty kicks converted in seven chances.  
  • UCCS holds the fourth-ranked scoring offense in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) with an average of 1.82 goals per game.
  • Midfielder Alex Andersson ranks second in the conference with six goals and is tied for fifth with 12 points despite playing just 222 minutes across four games this season.
  • Junior Kolby Raineri ranks third in the RMAC with 17 shots on goal and sits fourth with 29 total shots.
  • Junior Luka Cecic holds a share of the RMAC-lead with three game-winning goals.  
  • Sophomore Andreas Kokoska ranks third among RMAC goalkeepers with 43 saves and has recorded the third most shutouts with three on the season.
 
AWARD WINNERS
  • The Mountain Lions collected a pair of RMAC Players of the Week as Alex Andersson was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week and Andreas Kokoska was tabbed RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week.
  • Andersson earns his first Offensive Player of the Week recognition of the season after being honored twice last season. The midfielder scored each of the Mountain Lion's three goals in a 3-2 win over Regis on Thursday afternoon as he led the team with five shots and four shots on goal. The native of Helsingborg, Sweden got the Mountain Lions on the board in the fifth minute after converting a penalty kick, then went on to score in the 34th and 54th minutes to help UCCS pick up their first conference win of the season.
  • Kokoska receives recognition as RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week for the second time this season after playing every minute in net during the Mountain Lion's two-win weekend. The sophomore goalkeeper played a key role in the win over Regis on Thursday afternoon, racking up nine saves while facing a season-high 31 shots. Kokoska's most important save of the afternoon came in the 66th minute when he thwarted a Regis penalty kick attempt, preserving what turned out to be a one-score win. The Czech Republic native came back on Sunday to record his third shutout of the season against South Dakota Mines as he recorded six saves in the Mountain Lion's 1-0 victory.
 
THE SERIES
  • The Mountain Lions hold an all-time record of 15-2-1 against Adams State, including a 2-0 victory earlier this season. UCCS has never lost to ASU on their home turf as they hold a 10-0 record against the Grizzlies at Mountain Lion Stadium.
  • UCCS has an all-time record of 13-41-5 against Fort Lewis, but the team has experienced more success recently, posting a 7-2-1 record in the last ten meetings with the Skyhawks.
 
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY
  • Adams State (1-10-0, 0-4 RMAC) enters the week on a four-game slide after dropping a pair of matches last week against Westminster and Colorado Mesa.
  • The Grizzlies have been outscored 34-6 this season and have averaged 5.5 shots per game while allowing 15.3.
  • Junior Brayan Fernandez leads the Grizzlies on offense with three points, while senior Josh Garcia paces the squad with eight shots and three shots on goal.
  • Sophomore Zach Carr has served as the primary goalkeeper for Adams State, logging 689 minutes in net while recording 37 saves on 120 shots faced.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS COLLEGE
  • Fort Lewis holds a 4-6-1 overall record (1-3-0 RMAC) after taking a pair of 2-1 losses last week against Colorado Mesa and Westminster.
  • The Skyhawks rank eighth in the RMAC with an average of 1.46 goals scored per game and have taken 12.6 shots per game.
  • On the defensive end, FLC has held opponents to just 1.36 goals per game while allowing 11.4 shots per contest.
  • Freshman Gabriel Legendre leads the Skyhawks with five goals and 12 points, while senior Brantley Bice has recorded a team-leading 27 shots and 13 shots on goal.
  • Goalkeeper Peter Byrne has played every minute in net for FLC, accumulating 35 saves and a GAA of 1.32.
 
HOT TAKES
  • Junior midfielder Kolby Raineri leads the Mountain Lions in shots (29), shots on goal (17), and assists (3), while adding three goals and nine points.
  • Sophomore Alex Andersson paces the squad with six goals and 12 points in just four games played this season.
  • Goalkeeper Andreas Kokoska has played every minute in frame (1011:52) for the Mountain Lions this season, grabbing 43 saves and holding a GAA of 1.78.
 
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH LEWIS WILCOX
  • Interim Head Coach Lewis Wilcox moves to 6-4-1 in his career at the helm of the UCCS men's soccer program. Wilcox is currently in his first season leading the program after spending two seasons as an assistant coach for the Mountain Lions.
  • In his second season as an assistant coach at UCCS in 2020-2021, Wilcox helped the men's soccer team navigate unfamiliar territory as the 2020 fall season was postponed to the spring of 2021. In the shortened six-game season, Wilcox played an integral part in overseeing a pair of All-RMAC recipients and six RMAC All-Academic honors. He also served as a key mentor for 2020-2021 RMAC Freshman of the Year Alex Andersson, who finished his debut season leading the team in points (9) and assists (3) while tying for the team lead in goals (3).
 
WEATHER
  • For Thursday night's home match, the weather is expected to be chilly with a nighttime low of 26 degrees and a 50% chance of rain.
  • It is shaping up to be a beautiful day in Durango, Colo. for Sunday afternoon's match, with the weather forecasted to be mostly sunny with a high near 65 degrees.
 
UPCOMING GAMES
  • The Mountain Lions will host a pair of home matches next week as they take on Colorado Christian on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. before a Senior Day meeting with Colorado School of Mines at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24.
 
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions 
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
 
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics. 
 
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