2024 MEN'S SOCCER SEASON RECAP
- The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's soccer team finished the 2024 season with the best overall record in program history of 14-3-4 with a conference record of 6-1-3. The Mountain Lions made the conference tournament semifinal game for the third straight season and the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament for the second straight year.
- UCCS began the season going unbeaten for 11 straight games. In those 11 matches, the Mountain Lions went 9-0-2 with seven of those games being on the road. After drawing their first match against California State San Marcos, the team rattled off eight wins in a row, including a victory over the ninth-ranked team in the country at the time in Colorado State University Pueblo, before drawing Metropolitan State University of Denver 0-0. Their next win came in 2-0 fashion over Colorado Christian University before dropping the first match of the season 3-1 to Fort Lewis College on Oct. 17.
- The Mountain Lions would go on to finish the regular season 4-0-2 with draws coming in their final two matches against Regis University and then-No.15 nationally ranked CSU Pueblo to end with just one defeat before the RMAC Tournament.
- UCCS earned the fourth seed in the conference and would go on to host an RMAC Tournament Quarterfinal match against Colorado School of Mines on Nov. 10 that needed two overtimes before the Mountain Lions declared a 2-1 victory in the 102nd minute to advance to the conference semifinals for the third year in a row.
- The Mountain Lions took on and eventually fell to the first seeded CSU Pueblo in the RMAC Semifinal match on Nov. 13 with a final score of 2-1, but the season would continue, as UCCS made the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second year in a row, securing the No. 3 seed in Super Region 4 and the right to host No. 6 seed Fort Lewis in a second round matchup in the national tournament.
- The historic season for UCCS came to an end on Nov. 24, falling 4-2 to Fort Lewis in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at home where the Mountain Lions held the score to 1-1 until a last-second goal before the end of the first half allowed Fort Lewis to take a 2-1 lead that was never lost.
AWARD WINNERS
- Dani Barajas: D2CCA All-South Central Region First Team, D2CCA All-America Second Team, All-RMAC First Team, RMAC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 17)
- Dillon Clarke: RMAC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 29)
- Manny Loya: RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll
- Soren Russell: D2CCA All-South Central Region Second Team, CSC Academic All-District First Team, RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year, All-RMAC First Team, RMAC All-Academic First Team, RMAC Player of the Week (Oct. 1)
- Adin Schwenke: RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll
- Miles Seminario: CSC Academic All-America Second Team, CSC Academic All-District First Team, RMAC Men's Soccer All-Tournament Team, All-RMAC Second Team, RMAC All-Academic First Team, RMAC Player of the Week (Oct. 1)
- Rory Scott: All-RMAC First Team
- Nick Walker: All-RMAC Second Team
- Jack Souder: RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll
- Dalton Uehling: RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll
- Lars Walczyk: All-RMAC Second Team
- Nick Walker: All-RMAC Second Team
STAT LEADERS
- Senior midfielder Dani Barajas was the primary offensive force for UCCS in the 2024 season, playing in all 21 games and starting 20 for 1,316 total minutes. Barajas led the team in goals (12), points (29), assists (five), and tied for first on the team in game-winning goals (3). His 12 goals were enough to lead the RMAC with the next highest being 10, and his three game-winning goals were tied for second most in the conference. Barajas' 29 points was second in the RMAC overall, and his 1.38 points per game was fourth.
- Junior forward Nick Walker also had a strong offensive season for the Mountain Lions, as he was second on the team in goals (8), second in points (19), and first in shots on goal (23) while only recording 1,045 minutes in 17 total games played. Walker's 19 points was seventh in the RMAC, and his eight goals were tied for fourth most in the conference while tying for fifth most shots on goal and finishing seventh in total shots (42).
- Junior forward Miles Seminario played a stellar season as well for UCCS, finishing third on the team in goals (7) and points (18) while ending the season second in assists (4) and shots on goal (22). He also matched Barajas' team-lead in game-winning goals with three, tying for second most in the RMAC. Seminario's 22 shots on goal tied for sixth most in the conference with his 45 total shots being fifth.
- The Mountain Lions' stand out junior goalkeeper Soren Russell started 20 games and played 1,747 minutes while saving 68 shots and allowing 21 goals to end the 2024 season with a 0.764 save percentage and 1.08 GAA which both ranked third in the RMAC. Russell's 68 saves earned him fifth most in the conference, and his 21 goals allowed were the third fewest overall. He also shutout opposing teams five times this season which was the third most by any RMAC goalkeeper.
- UCCS dished out 31 assists in 2024, which was good for fourth overall in the RMAC. The Mountain Lions had 13 different players record an assist and averaged 1.476 per match.
- The Mountain Lions were third in the RMAC in total goals with 44, averaging 2.095 per game. They were third in the conference in shots on goal per game for a second straight season with 6.29, raising their 2023 average by 0.10 points. UCCS was third in total points with 119 as 19 different Mountain Lions ended the season having recorded at least one.
- Five different Mountain Lions appeared in every match (21) this season with those being Barajas, Seminario, Lars Walczyk, Jackson Million, and Dalton Uehling.
2024 UNITED SOCCER COACHES RANKINGS
Preseason Aug. 6 NR
Week 1 Sept. 10 #24
Week 2 Sept. 17 #8
Week 3 Sept. 24 #5
Week 4 Oct. 1 #4
Week 5 Oct. 8 #4
Week 6 Oct. 15 #4
Week 7 Oct. 22 #5
Week 8 Oct. 29 #5
Week 9 Nov. 5 #3
Last Poll Dec. 17 #18
HOT TAKES
- Dani Barajas' exceptional season earned him multiple spots in the UCCS record books. He ended with the eighth most points (29) in a season in program history, along with the fifth most by a player in their senior season. Barajas' 12 goals were also the sixth most in a season and third most by a senior while his five assists tied for ninth most in a senior season.
- Nick Walker also made UCCS history this season, recording the fifth most shots on goal in a junior season with 23 and had the seventh best single-season shot on goal percentage with 0.5476.
- Soren Russell had a great second season as a Mountain Lion as he now ranks eighth in program history in all-time saves with 140, and sixth in career save percentage at 0.773. Russell is also second in all-time goals against average, giving up just 1.09 goals per game with the sixth best overall season and third best junior goalkeeping season in 2024 at 1.08. Russell's five shutouts were the seventh best in a season overall and fifth best by a junior while propelling him to fifth most in program history with 10.
- UCCS established a new program-best win streak as they won eight consecutive matches from Sept. 7 through Oct. 3. They also had their second-longest unbeaten streak in program history this season, going eleven straight games without a loss from Sep. 5 to Oct. 10, going 9-0-2 in that stretch.
- The Mountain Lions' 14 wins in 2024 was the most in a season in program history, while their 3 losses were the fewest. UCCS also matched their previous record of seven away victories while their six home wins were the eighth most of all time.
- Lewis Wilcox is now second all-time in wins as the Mountain Lions' head coach after notching his 43rd in the 2024 season which brings his overall record to 43-21-14 in four seasons.
- The Mountain Lions' 31 assists were the third most for the program in one season, following the 2019 season where they finished with 32 and three shy of the 2023 season where they racked up 34 on the year.
- UCCS ended with 119 points in the 2024 season, finishing only five behind their highest total in 2014.
- This season's winning percentage ranks as the best in program history at .730.
- UCCS was third in the RMAC in goals as they netted 44, earning them the third most in program history as well. Their 328 shots are the second most they have taken in a single season, and their 132 shots on goal were third most for the team all-time.
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SOCIAL
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