COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's soccer team opened their new spring season with a bang as the Mountain Lions handled the Western Colorado University Mountaineers at a final score of 5-1 inside Mountain Lion Stadium.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final: UCCS 5, WCU 1
Records: UCCS (1-0, 0-0 RMAC), WCU (0-1, 0-0 RMAC)
Location: Mountain Lion Stadium | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: UCCS leads the all-time series with a 9-2 record as the Mountain Lions currently hold a five-game winning streak against the Mountaineers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
• It didn't take long for the Mountain Lions to find a rhythm with Tarah Patterson redirecting a ricochet Kendall Stevenson shot off the right post into the net to grab the quick 1-0 lead in the third minute.
• Later in the first half redshirt junior Tori Maydew capitalized off an Amelia Junge corner kick with a header that found the back of the net for her first goal in over two years and the 2-0 lead in the 35^th minute.
• The Mountain Lions stifling defense held the Mountaineers to just one shot and one shot on goal to end the first half.
• Entering the first half with a commanding 2-0 lead, UCCS came out in the second half with the same offensive pressure as Junge and Makenna Fowler streamed down the field for a Fowler to Junge connection leading to a 3-0 lead in the 45^th minute.
• The Mountaineers then cut into the Mountain Lions' lead in the 59^th minute as WCU's Caileen Sienknecht netted the team's first and only goal to bring the score 3-1.
• After recording a goal in the first half, Maydew came to make another scoring appearance in the second half as Ella Fischer found Maydew in front of net in the 62^nd minute where she increased the Mountain Lion lead 4-1.
• Sophomore Zoe Sims joined in on the scoring frenzy as a Gabrielle Lancaster corner set Sims up for a perfectly placed header that found the right side of the net in the 67^th minute to make the score 5-1.
• WCU threatened to score once again in the 82^nd minute but a Mountaineer free kick from the left corner of the goalie box proved unsuccessful as the diving Gabrielle Laipenieks bagged the save and helped solidify the 5-1 win.
 
STATS FROM THE DAY
• The Mountain Lions quadrupled the Mountaineers shots and shots on goal with 28 shots to WCU's 7, and UCCS' 14 shots on goal to Western's three.
• UCCS did not allow a single WCU corner kick in the match with five corner kicks being registered by the Mountain Lions.
• Tori Maydew ended with a game high four points off a pair of goals with Amelia Junge tallying three points of her own with an assist and a goal.
• Tarah Patterson and Makayla Merlo helped lead the offensive attack with a game high six shots and four shots on goal apiece. 
 
BEYOND THE BOX:
• Head Coach J. B. Belzer notches his first career win with the Mountain Lions.     
• Maydew is now the sole owner of ninth all-time in the program's all-time goals list with 14 career goals.

 
UP NEXT:
The Mountain Lions are back in action Wednesday, Mar. 10 as they head south to visit Colorado State University Pueblo for a 1 p.m. match.
 
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.