SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's soccer team remained perfect defensively, but struggled to find the net in a nil-nil draw at Westminster University Sunday afternoon.
INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
Final: #14 UCCS 0, WU 0
Records: #14 UCCS (12-2-4, 8-1-3 RMAC), WU (7-2-6, 4-2-3 RMAC)
Facility: Dumke Field | Salt Lake City, Utah
All-Time Series: This marks the 15
th match between the Mountain Lions and Griffins, with UCCS dominating the matchup 9-4-2 historically.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- First opportunity of the match came just under ten minutes into the action when Westminster had a nice build up play that was put out of play by the Mountain Lions on the endline to allow the first corner kick of the afternoon. UCCS did well to clear the chance on the restart to keep the Griffins quiet.
- The Mountain Lions found themselves in trouble in the 23rd minute as the ball squirted through the Mountain Lions backline to the feet of an awaiting Kim Hendrickson. Nylah Mirshafiei, who has been very big for the Mountain Lions the last two matches, was equal to the task with her left hand, as UCCS again escaped the chance unharmed.
- The halftime horn sounded without any scoring, as Westminster held a clear advantage with six shots over the Mountain Lions who had yet to try towards net.
- The Mountain Lions fixed that right away in the second half, as a good build up found the feet of Emily Aguilar 23 yards out from goal, unfortunately Aguilar got underneath the ball on her shot and put it above the bar.
- The best chance for the Mountain Lions came in the 71st minute as Abby Stassi had it on her foot in the penalty area, but her shot was kicked out on the toe flick from Griffins keeper Marin MacKenzie to keep the match scoreless.
- The intensity picked up in the final 15 minutes as both teams began to trade chances and the play swung up and down the pitch, as UCCS looked to finally find paydirt in the 86th. Abby Stassi received a pass over the top, doing well to stay onside, and ripped a shot off the bottom of the crossbar that somehow did not fully cross the line with the match still remaining without a score.
- The Mountain Lions were coming in waves in the final minute, but the effort would come up empty, as the Griffins and Mountain Lions drew a scoreless 90 minutes in Salt Lake City.
STATS FROM THE GAME
- After being held without a shot in the first half, UCCS peppered 13 shots in the second half. Westminster had just 10 shots in the game, with six coming in the first 45 minutes.
- Luka Johnson led all subs with 52 minutes played, shooting twice with one landing on frame.
- Nylah Mirshafiei was stellar in goal once again for the Mountain Lions, making four saves on 10 shots faced.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Mountain Lions finish the conference schedule with back-to-back draws, heading to the postseason for the ninth straight season.
- The Mountain Lions have been held scoreless for the last two matches, failing to find the net for 192 minutes of game time. However, they have been impenetrable defensively as they have not conceded in three matches, 241 minutes of match play.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions await the final day of conference play on Wednesday to learn of their postseason position. UCCS is idle for the last day of matches inside the RMAC. For all updates on tournament seeding and scheduling, stay tuned to GoMountainLions.com and @GoMountainLions on social media.
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.