Skip To Main Content

UCCS Athletics

MSOC QF Preview

PREVIEW | Mountain Lions Set to Host Westminster in RMAC Quarterfinal Match

10/30/2026 10:00:00 AM

By: Tyler Tvelia, Sports Information Director
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP
  • The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's soccer team secured the No. 4 seed in the 2026 RMAC Men's Soccer Tournament and is set to host the No. 5 seeded Westminster University Griffins in a quarterfinal matchup at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Mountain Lion Stadium.
  • On the opposite side of the bracket, No. 3 seed Fort Lewis College will host No. 6 seed South Dakota Mines at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The winner of Sunday's matchup between UCCS and Westminster will travel to No. 1 seed Regis University for a 7 p.m. semifinal match on Wednesday, Nov. 4, while the winner of Fort Lewis and South Dakota Mines will travel to No. 2 seed Colorado State University Pueblo for a 7 p.m. semifinal match that evening.
GAME COVERAGE TICKETS
  • All fans will be charged admission and are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets online.
  • Ticket Prices:
    • General Admission - $16.00
    • Kids (6-17), Over 65 & Military - $11.00
    • Children 5 and Under – Free
    • Students – Free
RMAC NETWORK
  • Fans who are unable to attend in-person will be able to view each game of the RMAC Men's Soccer Tournament on the RMAC Network. Championship Day Passes will be available to purchase and will permit fans access to all championship broadcasts for 24 hours. All championship broadcasts are included with the purchase of a monthly or annual subscription.
2026 REGULAR SEASON IN REVIEW
  • The Mountain Lions opened the 2026 campaign with a pair of shutout victories over Sul Ross State University (8-0) and St. Mary's University (3-0) before battling then-No. 1 nationally ranked Midwestern State University to a 1-1 draw in their home opener. UCCS remained unbeaten throughout the remainder of its eight-game non-conference schedule, posting a 5-0-3 record that included a 2-1 road victory over then-No. 17 Regis.
  • UCCS endured a challenging start to conference play as they dropped their first game of the season at Colorado Mesa University and followed with draws against Westminster and South Dakota Mines. The Mountain Lions quickly got back on track with four consecutive victories, including home wins over then-No. 24 Regis and then-No. 14 Fort Lewis College. Following a setback at MSU Denver on Oct. 18, UCCS closed the regular season with a 4-1 victory over Colorado School of Mines and a scoreless draw against No. 2 nationally ranked Colorado State University Pueblo. The Mountain Lions finished with a 10-2-6 overall record and a 5-2-3 conference mark, collecting 18 points to secure the No. 4 seed in the RMAC Tournament.
UNITED SOCCER COACHES NATIONAL RANKINGS
  • The Mountain Lions opened the 2026 season ranked No. 18 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason National Poll and remained inside the top 25 throughout the entire regular season, climbing as high as No. 2 on Sept. 22. UCCS landed at No. 23 in the most recent publication of the national poll, released on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
2026 United Soccer Coaches Rankings
Preseason           Aug. 4               #18
Week 1                Sept. 1              #12
Week 2                Sept. 8              #4
Week 3                Sept. 15            #3
Week 4                Sept. 22            #2
Week 5                Sept. 29            #14
Week 6                Oct. 6                #23
Week 7                Oct. 13              #16
Week 8                Oct. 20              #23
Week 9                Oct. 27              #23
 
NCAA POWER INDEX
  • New for the 2026 season, the NCAA Power Index (NPI) serves as the primary selection tool for determining the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament field. The formula considers wins, strength of schedule, quality wins and match location, including home, away and neutral-site results.
  • The Mountain Lions were ranked No. 6 in Super Region 4 and No. 15 nationally with 58.249 NPI points in the rankings that were released on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 29. Super Region 4 includes programs from the RMAC, Lone Star Conference, California Collegiate Athletic Association, PacWest Conference and Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
  • The region's NCAA Tournament field will feature 10 teams, with conference automatic qualifiers factored into selections. Soccer NPI rankings will be updated daily throughout the remainder of the season.
  • The final field of 40 teams for the 2026 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament will be officially revealed during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 9 at 4:30 p.m. (MT).
RMAC AWARDS
  • The UCCS men's soccer program had four student-athletes combine for six weekly conference awards throughout the 2026 campaign.
    • Week 2 (Sept. 8): Yohann Fila – RMAC Offensive Player of the Week
    • Week 2 (Sept. 8): Hugo Sjöberg – RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week
    • Week 3 (Sept. 15): Dillon Clarke – RMAC Defensive Player of the Week
    • Week 4 (Sept. 22): Lucas Taitt – RMAC Defensive Player of the Week
    • Week 9 (Oct. 29): Lucas Taitt – RMAC Defensive Player of the Week
    • Week 9 (Oct. 29): Hugo Sjöberg – RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week
  • The conference is set to announce the 2026 All-RMAC Teams and Major Awards at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, followed by the RMAC All-Academic Teams at noon on Friday, Nov. 13.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
  • The Mountain Lions finished the regular season with the third-ranked defense in the RMAC, surrendering just 1.00 goals per game while limiting opponents to 5.06 shots on goal per contest. UCCS also ranks second in the conference and 24th nationally with an .802 team save percentage.
  • Maddox Brown led UCCS field players with 1,539 minutes and started all 18 matches during the regular season. Gustavo Diaz Avila (1,377 minutes) and Olly Reynolds (1,207 minutes) also logged significant time along the Mountain Lions' back line, while defensive midfielder Dalton Uehling recorded 1,363 minutes on the pitch during his senior season.
  • Hugo Sjöberg made 17 starts between the sticks, posting a 0.92 GAA with 66 saves across 1,460 minutes of action. Sjöberg leads the RMAC and ranks 16th nationally with a .815 save percentage, while his six clean sheets place him in a three-way tie for the conference lead and tied for 26th in NCAA Division II. He also ranks third in the conference in GAA and second in saves.
  • Offensively, UCCS ranks fifth in the conference in scoring with 2.06 goals per game. The Mountain Lions rank second in the RMAC and fifth nationally in total shots per game (17.89), while sitting second in the conference and 10th nationally in both shots on goal per game (7.72) and corner kicks per game (6.39).
  • Lucas Taitt leads the Mountain Lions with eight goals, ranking tied for seventh in the RMAC and tied for 49th nationally. Yohann Fila has added seven goals as the duo shares the team lead with 17 points apiece. Cole Wearner (six goals, three assists) and Eduardo Macias (four goals, five assists) round out the team's double-digit point scorers with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Macias leads UCCS in assists, while Toby Benitez has contributed three goals and Marcus Garcia and Jack Cook have scored twice apiece.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. WESTMINSTER
  • The Mountain Lions hold a 19-9-1 all-time record against the Griffins and are 7-1-1 in the series under the leadership of current head coach Lewis Wilcox. UCCS is unbeaten in its last eight meetings with Westminster dating back to the 2022 season, including a 2-1 victory in last year's RMAC Tournament semifinal match.
  • In their regular season matchup on Sept. 27, the Mountain Lions played to a 1-1 draw against the Griffins in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dalton Uehling netted his first collegiate goal off an assist from Eduardo Macias before Westminster equalized late in the first half.
SCOUTING WESTMINSTER
  • Westminster opened the 2026 campaign unbeaten through its first five matches, including a 3-1 victory over then-No. 14 Western Washington University, before dropping its final three non-conference contests to finish with a 2-3-3 record.
  • The Griffins endured a 0-2-1 start to conference play before rattling off three consecutive victories over Adams State University, Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota Mines, then went on to split its final four matches, closing the regular season with a 3-2 road victory over Colorado Mesa University on a game-winning goal by Gage Wood with just two seconds remaining. The Griffins finished with a 7-7-4 overall record and a 5-4-1 conference mark, securing fifth place in the RMAC standings with 16 points.
  • Defensively, Westminster ranks sixth in the conference with 1.53 goals allowed per game. Redshirt sophomore Oliver Olsen has played all 1,620 minutes between the sticks for the Griffins, posting a 1.56 GAA, 37 saves, and two clean sheets.
  • The Griffins also rank sixth in the RMAC in scoring with 1.88 goals scored per game, while sitting seventh in total shots per game (13.60) and sixth in shots on goal per game (6.28).
  • Wood and Owen Gallo share the team lead with six goals apiece, while Max Edwards has contributed five goals and Parker Stebbing has added three. Wood leads the Griffins with 16 points and four assists, while Gallo (14) and Edwards (11) have also recorded double-digit point totals.
HOT TAKES
  • The Mountain Lions completed an unbeaten home record during the regular season for the first time in program history, posting a 5-0-4 record at Mountain Lion Stadium.
  • UCCS has recorded double-digit victories in five consecutive seasons from 2022–26, compiling a combined 57-22-24 record during that stretch. The Mountain Lions are also making their fifth consecutive appearance in the RMAC Tournament.
  • The Mountain Lions went unbeaten in five matches against opponents ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 this season, posting a 3-0-2 record that included victories over Regis twice and Fort Lewis, along with draws against Midwestern State and CSU Pueblo.
  • With postseason play still ahead, the Mountain Lions' offense already ranks among the best in program history in several single-season categories, sitting seventh in points (106), ninth in goals (37), tied for third in assists (32), sixth in shots (322), and third in shots on goal (139).
  • UCCS scored at least one goal in its first 17 matches of the season before its scoring streak came to an end in the scoreless draw against No. 2 CSU Pueblo in the regular-season finale.
  • The Mountain Lions have established a program record with six draws this season.
  • Dalton Uehling made his 74th career appearance in the regular-season finale against CSU Pueblo, moving into a tie for ninth in program history in games played.
  • Hugo Sjöberg continues to climb the program's career goalkeeping charts, ranking 10th in saves at 132, fourth in GAA at 1.116 (minimum 1,000 minutes) and fifth in shutouts with 11. His .815 save percentage this season would also rank fifth on the program's single-season list.
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH LEWIS WILCOX
  • Head coach Lewis Wilcox is in his sixth season at the helm of the UCCS men's soccer program and holds a 65-30-25 overall record. The Mountain Lions are making their fifth consecutive RMAC Tournament appearance under his leadership.
  • Wilcox guided UCCS to its first RMAC regular season and tournament championships in 2025, leading the Mountain Lions to the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament for the third consecutive season. As the No. 10 seed in the tournament bracket, the Mountain Lions earned their first two NCAA Tournament victories and advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time in program history.
  • Under Wilcox's leadership, UCCS student-athletes have collected 25 All-RMAC honors and four conference major awards, including Alex Andersson's 2021 Player of the Year, Matteo Moreno Madrid's 2022 Co-Freshman of the Year, Soren Russell's 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year and Luke Noameshie's 2025 Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
  • The Mountain Lions have also earned 13 D2CCA All-Region honors, six United Soccer Coaches All-Region selections and two D2CCA All-America accolades during his tenure. Academically, UCCS has secured eight RMAC All-Academic First Team honors, nine CSC Academic All-District selections and three CSC Academic All-America awards. 
WEATHER
  • The forecast for Sunday afternoon's matchup calls for mostly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50s and south-southeast winds around 10 to 15 miles per hour.
UP NEXT
  • With a win over Westminster, UCCS would advance to face No. 1 seed Regis University in the RMAC Tournament semifinal round at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4 in Denver, Colo.

For everything UCCS Athletics, follow the Mountain Lions on social media and stay tuned to gomountainlions.com.
 
SOCIAL
X – @GoMountainLions
Instagram – @gomountainlions
Facebook – GoMountainLions
 
Print Friendly Version
Skip To Footer