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WSOC RMAC 2025 R1 Preview Graphic

PREVIEW | Women's Soccer Begins RMAC Tournament Play Against Westminster University

11/6/2025 9:00:00 AM

By: Jake Ross, Assistant Sports Information Director
THIS WEEKEND'S MATCH UP
  • The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's soccer team is set for their ninth straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament berth, opening play on home turf. UCCS finished the regular season with a 12-2-4 overall record and an 8-1-3 conference tally, entering the postseason field as the #3 seed.
  • The Westminster University Griffins wrap up the regular season with a 7-3-6 overall record while going 4-3-5 in conference action. The Griffins occupy the 6th seed in the tournament field, hitting the road to visit Olympic City after finishing the regular season with a 1-0 loss at Colorado Mesa Wednesday evening.
GAME COVERAGE TICKETS
  • Ticket prices are set at $16 for adults, $11 for Kids ages 6-17, Seniors over the age of 65 and Military members. Tickets can be purchased online here.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE NETWORK
  • Fans unable to attend in-person will be able to watch the match on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Network. There is a direct link to the broadcast here, and can also be accessed by clicking the watch button on the women's soccer schedule page. The broadcast will be available by pay per view. Fans that purchased a season pass to the RMAC network will also have access to all postseason matches for all sports.
2025 REGULAR SEASON IN REVIEW
  • The Mountain Lions began with a mixed bag of results in their first three matches, all against sides that were nationally ranked, or receiving votes. A 3-2 win against RV Cal State East Bay, a 2-2 draw with RV Western Washington, and a 2-1 loss at #7 Dallas Baptist had UCCS 1-1-1 to begin the fall.
  • The Mountain Lions began to click on the second half of their non-conference trip to Texas, when they smothered St. Edward's University 4-1 in Austin, before returning home to Colorado Springs to take down Division I Air Force 2-0 at the United States Air Force Academy. A confident 3-0 win on home turf over Cal Poly Humboldt wrapped up the non-conference slate, with UCCS commanding a 4-1-1 record heading into conference play.
  • The first half of conference play was an enjoyable stretch for the Mountain Lions who stormed their way to a 5-0-1 record through the first six conference matches, with the lone blemish being a 0-0 draw in Lakewood with Colorado Christian. The stretch finished with a signature win over then #25 Regis who UCCS dispatched with a 3-0 result at home, as the Mountain Lions geared up for the final portion of the conference schedule.
  • Leading the conference in goals by a wide margin, UCCS was met with defensive stances from the final six opponents on their RMAC path and was only solved once. That was by #13 Colorado School of Mines to start the final six matches, as UCCS fell 2-1 in Golden on October 17th. UCCS rebounded with three straight victories at CSU Pueblo (1-0), vs New Mexico Highlands (3-2), and vs Adams State (4-0). The final two matches of the year were each scoreless draws on the road, both against top defenses in the RMAC in Colorado Mesa and Westminster who ranked 1st and T2nd in fewest goals allowed, respectively.
RMAC BRACKET
  • The RMAC Tournament Field consists of eight total teams with the number one seed receiving a bye to the semi-final round. Seeds two through six begin play in the quarterfinal section of the bracket, with teams seeded seventh and eighth facing off against one another in an opening play-in round two days prior to the quarterfinal matches with the winner advancing to play the second seed.
  • Ahead of UCCS in the bracket is (1) #23 Colorado Mesa and (2) #7 Colorado School of Mines. Both the Mavericks and Orediggers finished with nine conference victories, just one more than the Mountain Lions who finished with eight conference wins.
  • The middle seeds at #4 and #5 are filled by Fort Lewis College and Regis Unviersity who will face one another in the quarterfinal round in Durango on Sunday.
  • Westminster slots in as the 5th seed and will face the Mountain Lions in the quarter-final round in Colorado Springs on Sunday afternoon.
  • The final two seeds were claimed by Adams State who finished 5-6-2 in RMAC play, and CSU Pueblo who compiled a 3-5-4 RMAC total. The Grizzlies will host the ThunderWolves in Alamosa on Friday to kick off the postseason, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinal round to take on (2) Colorado School of Mines in Golden on Sunday.
RMAC LEADERS
  • The Mountain Lions scored the most goals as a team in the regular season with 41, outscoring the second ranked offense, Colorado School of Mines, by eight. Abby Stassi paced the Mountain Lions with 14 goals, the second most in the RMAC regular season and sixth most in Division II. Ten Mountain Lions found the net in the regular season, with Brook Pavlich (6), Emily Aguilar (5), Luka Johnson (4), Casey Tadlock (3), Taylynn Levi (2), Mikaela Carlson (2), and Noelia Garcia (2) all netting multi-goal seasons.
  • Elise Broberg topped the team in assists with seven, tying her for the 19th most in Division II. Just behind her is Taylynn Levi with 6, with Emily Aguilar (4), Brooke Pavlich (3), Abby Stassi (3), and Reagan Dare (2) all having multiple assists on the year. In all, a dozen Mountain Lions helped find the net with assists on the season, as UCCS led the league with 31 assists, six more than any other team in the league.
  • In her first season in between the sticks for UCCS, junior keeper Nylah Mirshafiei has been very good for UCCS, helping the Mountain Lions to the 4th best defense in the conference. Mirshafiei's nine clean sheets were fourth most by a RMAC keeper, also slotting in fourth for Goals Against Average with a mark of .726 in over 1,600 minutes played.
ALL-TIME SERIES
  • UCCS and Westminster have met 15 times historically, all coming in the last decade. In the last three meetings, the sides have battled to each capture a win, with the last match finishing in a draw.
SCOUTING THE GRIFFINS
  • Westminster relies heavily on their defensive prowess, allowing just six goals against during the regular season. That mark was tied for second fewest in the league with Fort Lewis, just two goals more than Colorado Mesa who allowed just four.
  • Freshman forward Addie McCallister, and senior defender Kara Dickey lead the Griffins in goals with three a piece, as junior defender Gracie East led the breakout for the Griffins with three assists.
  • Freshman keeper Marin MacKenzie mans the Griffins goalmouth, allowing just five goals against this season on 124 shots faced while making 49 saves. MacKenzie turned in 10 clean sheets on the season, combining with junior keeper Brighton Jakeman in one match for an 11th.
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH J. B. BELZER
  • Head coach J.B. Belzer is in his sixth season as the UCCS skipper, holding a 78-24-13 record in his time in the Springs. Belzer is in his 30th season in the RMAC after spending 24 years at Regis University in Denver. Overall Belzer owns an impressive 394-170-50 record on his career between Regis and UCCS, owning the sixth most wins out of active Division II coaches. He has the 14th most wins in the history of Division II women's soccer.
  • During his time at UCCS Belzer has guided the Mountain Lions to a regular season title in three out of his six seasons, with one RMAC tournament championship in 2021.
  • Last fall was the first time the Mountain Lions failed to qualify for the NCAA postseason under Belzer's supervision, however, currently ranked #4 in the South Central Region the Mountain Lions are poised to return to the big dance this fall. The 2023 season was the most successful NCAA tournament run for the Mountain Lions under Belzer, who made it into the final eight teams before falling to Point Loma Nazarene 1-0 who would go on to win the National Championship.
WEATHER
  • The forecast for Sunday afternoon in Colorado Springs is brisk, with a daytime high of 44 degrees and an overnight low of 24 degrees. Match time temperature is predicted to be right at the high of 44 degrees with sunny conditions, cloud cover is expected to move in during the halftime break and remain throughout the second half.
UP NEXT
  • The winner of the RMAC Quarterfinal match will advance to the RMAC Semifinal round which will take place on Wednesday, November 12th in Grand Junction, Colo.
 
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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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