SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Junior Nick Walker netted a game-winning goal in the 75^th minute on Sunday afternoon to lead the No. 5 nationally ranked University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Westminster University at Dumke Field.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UCCS 2, WU 1
Records: UCCS (12-1-2, 5-1-1 RMAC), WU (4-6-5, 0-4-3 RMAC)
Facility: Dumke Field | Salt Lake City, Utah
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions improve to 17-9 all-time against the Griffins and are now hold a five-game winning streak in the matchup dating back to the start of the 2022 season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After holding possession of the ball for much of the opening half of action, the Mountain Lions finally broke through for the first score of the game in the 41^st minute after earning their third corner kick of the period. Senior Dani Barajas played the ball into the box on the set piece and found the right foot of junior Rory Scott, who slipped the ball past Westminster goalkeeper Roark Looney for the 1-0 lead.
• The Mountain Lions continued to swarm on the defensive end for the remaining few minutes of the half as they kept the Griffins without a single shot attempt and carried their one-goal lead into the intermission.
• Coming out of the halftime break, the Griffins began to gain some momentum on the offensive side of the ball as they recorded a pair of shots on goal in the first six minutes of the second half that were both saved by UCCS goalkeeper Soren Russell. After earning a corner kick in the 68^th minute, Westminster managed to find an equalizer as Cam Neeley placed a cross into the front part of the box, where Landon Ward got a head on the ball and put it into the back of the net to even the game at one goal apiece.
• Less than ten minutes later, the Mountain Lions found themselves back on top with junior Nick Walker putting his ball skills on display, beating three Griffin defenders inside the penalty area to find space for a left-footed strike into the right corner of the net that gave UCCS a 2-1 advantage in the 75^th minute.
• With the lead back in their hands, UCCS clamped down on the defensive end for the final 15 minutes of the match as they held Westminster to just two harmless shots down the stretch to secure a 2-1 road win.

STATS FROM THE GAME

• The Mountain Lions doubled up the Griffins in total shots (14-7) while holding a 5-3 advantage in shots on goal and 6-4 edge in corner kicks.
• Scott tallied his second goal of the season in the first half, while Walker recorded his fifth of the campaign on the game-winner in the 75^th minute.
• Barajas notched his second assist of the year, giving him a team-leading 18 points on the campaign.
• Walker and midfielder Lars Walczyck combined for eight of the Mountain Lions' shots in the game with each player totaling four.
• Russell played the entire 90 minutes in frame for UCCS, nabbing two saves and surrendering one goal.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• After earning a pair of wins this weekend, UCCS moves to 7-0-2 on the road this season, which matches the all-time program record for road wins in a single season that was established during the 2023 campaign.
• With just three games remaining on their schedule, the Mountain Lions currently hold a 5-1-1 record and 16 points in the conference standings, which places them third behind Regis University (19 points) and Colorado State University Pueblo (18 points). UCCS will match up with both Regis and CSU Pueblo during their upcoming three-game homestand to close the regular season.

UP NEXT

• The Mountain Lions return home next week for a pair of conference matches as they will take on South Dakota Mines on Friday, Nov. 1 at 12 p.m. before welcoming Regis University inside Mountain Lion Stadium for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday, Nov. 3. UCCS will honor their graduating class prior to the kickoff of Sunday's match against Regis with a senior day ceremony that will begin at approximately 12 p.m.

SOCIAL
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics. 
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