THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP 

• The Mountain Lions will travel to Kansas City, Mo. to play their first road game of the season against Rockhurst University on Friday at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

GAME COVERAGE 

• Live Stream: https://www.glvcsn.com/rockhurst/
• Live Stats: https://rockhursthawks.com/sidearmstats/msoc/summary

LAST TIME OUT 

• UCCS recorded a 1-0-1 record over the weekend as they defeated Newman University 3-2 on Friday and played to a scoreless double overtime draw on Sunday against MSU Billings.
• Newman got on the board first on Friday night, scoring a goal off a free kick to go ahead 1-0 in the 34^th minute. With just eight seconds remaining in the first half, Liam McGuire brought the Mountain Lions back even, 1-1, scoring off an assist from Kaydon Zamora-Reeves.
• Fouls would play a huge role in the story of the second half, as the Mountain Lions were awarded a penalty kick in the 53^rd minute which was converted by Nic Grotle to give the Mountain Lions a 2-1 lead. In the 71^st minute, Adam Baldwin was called for a hand ball in the goalie box, resulting in a red card and setting up Newman for a successful penalty kick of their own to even the score, 2-2. Less than a minute later, Adin Schwenke drew a foul on the Jets goalkeeper as he streaked towards the box, creating another penalty kick opportunity for the Mountain Lions. Luka Cecic would take the penalty shot and find the back of the net with what would prove to be the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory.
• On Sunday, the Mountain Lions outshot MSU Billings 26-7 and put eight shots on goal, but were unable to break through for a score as the Yellowjackets goalkeeper Georgios Theodoulidis registered seven saves on the night.
• Defensively, UCCS managed to hold the Yellowjackets to just three shots on goal across 110 minutes. Goalkeeper Andreas Kokoska played the full game in net, recording two saves on seven shots faced to keep MSU Billings scoreless and earn the 0-0 draw.

RMAC RECORD/STANDINGS 

• UCCS men's soccer kicks off the 2021 season with a 1-0-1 record and are one of eight teams in the RMAC that made it through the opening weekend without a loss.

THE SERIES 

• UCCS has an all-time record of 0-2 against Rockhurst, with the most recent meeting being a 1-0 loss in the Mountain Lions 2009 season opener.

SCOUTING REPORT 

• Rockhurst currently sits with a record of 0-2 on the season after they opened with a pair of losses against No. 12 Rogers State and No. 22 Midwestern State.
• The Hawks have scored one goal on 11 shots while allowing seven goals on 32 shots in their two games this season.
• Individually, Tomasso Tirabassi finished tied for the team lead with two shots across the first two games and scored the team's lone goal.
• In 108 minutes played, midfielder Jordan Andrews recorded two shots, firing both of them on goal.
• Midfielder Alessandro Macchioni (155) and defender Brenden Dolan (154) led the squad in minutes played over the weekend. 
• Goalkeeper Fabio D'Errico played 133 minutes in net, recording five saves on 23 shots faced while allowing three goals.

HOT TAKES 

• Three Mountain Lions scored goals over the weekend, with Luka Cecic and Nic Grotle each scoring the first goals of their career and Liam McGuire scoring the eighth goal of his career.
• UCCS currently leads the RMAC with an average of 20.5 shots and 7.5 shots on goal per game over the first two contests of the season. On the defensive end, the Mountain Lions allowed just 7.5 shots and four shots on goal per game.
• The shutout against MSU Billings was the Mountain Lions first since Oct. 11, 2019 against Fort Lewis.
• The scoreless double overtime draw on Sunday afternoon was the first of its kind since the 2017 season against CSU Pueblo.
• Friday night's victory against Newman was the first of Interim Head Coach Lewis Wilcox's career at UCCS.

WEATHER 

• The forecast for Kansas City, Mo. on Friday night is calling for clear skies with a daytime high of 87 degrees and an evening low of 71 degrees. 

RMAC LEADERS

• Junior Kolby Raineri leads the RMAC with 12 shots taken and six shots on goal across the first two games.
• Goalkeeper Andreas Kokoska ranks fourth in the conference with five saves and is one of just four goalkeepers in the RMAC to have recorded a shutout this season.

UCCS UNDER INTERIM HEAD COACH LEWIS WILCOX

• Interim Head Coach Lewis Wilcox moves to 1-0-1 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).

UPCOMING GAMES 

• The Mountain Lions will head to the Lone Star State to battle Lubbock Christian on Thursday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. (MT). UCCS will remain in Lubbock, Texas at LCU Soccer Field for a neutral site game against No. 25 Northeastern State on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 12 p.m. (MT). 

SOCIAL 
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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.