COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The No. 4 seeded and No. 23 nationally ranked University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's soccer team dropped a 4-1 decision in the quarterfinal round of the RMAC Men's Soccer Tournament against No. 5 seed Westminster University on Sunday afternoon inside Mountain Lion Stadium.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: (4) #23 UCCS 1, (5) WU 4
Records: UCCS (10-3-6, 5-2-3 RMAC), WU (8-7-4, 5-4-1 RMAC)
Facility: Mountain Lion Stadium | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: With the loss today, the Mountains Lions all-time record against Westminster falls to 19-10-1. This also snaps an eight-game unbeaten streak against Westminster.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Westminster scored first in just the fifth minute as Parker Stebbing unleashed a shot from about five feet outside the box that seemed to freeze Hugo Sjöberg as it spun into the right side of the net.
- The Griffins almost immediately started playing defensively, trying to control possession and limit UCCS scoring chances. However, Kieron Richardson intercepted a pass in the 18th minute, which led to Sean Belzer crossing the ball into the box where Cole Wearner headed it just over the net.
- Yohann Fila drew a foul just outside the box in the 32nd minute, giving the Mountain Lions another scoring opportunity with a close free kick. Olly Reynolds got the shot on net for what looked like a goal after Oliver Olsen dove past the shot, but a ridiculous kick save kept the ball out, and Fila drove the rebound shot over the net.
- Westminster tacked onto their lead in the 52nd minute as senior midfielder, Owen Gallo, worked his way into the box and an open shooting lane, before sending the ball over a diving Sjoberg and making it a 2-0 game.
- The Mountain Lions answered in the 59th minute as Gustavo Diaz Avila sent a long pass into the box, right to Fila who headed it by a diving Olsen and cut the Westminster lead in half. Fila nearly tied the game just a few minutes later on a corner kick, but he sent the header attempt over the net.
- Westminster got a counterattack off a costly UCCS turnover, and after a long cross from Kasen Smith snuck through the box past multiple Mountain Lions, including Sjöberg, Gallo was in the perfect position at the end to stick it into the wide-open net and extend the Griffins lead to 1-3.
- The Griffins sealed in in the 85th minute, taking advantage of the Mountain Lions aggressiveness, and pushing the counterattack, giving Gage Wood a run at goal with no defenders, which he easily turned into a fourth goal for Westminster.
STATS FROM THE GAME
- Fila scored the lone goal for the Mountain Lions, his eighth of the year. Diaz Avila recorded his first point of the season with the assist.
- Reynolds and Marcus Garcia both put two shots on target, the only Mountain Lions to do so tonight. Garcia also led the match in shots with three.
- The Mountain Lions led the match in shots (12-8) and corners (8-2), while being even with the Griffins in shots on target at six apiece.
- Gallo and Olsen shone for Westminster, with Gallo scoring his team leading seventh and eighth goals, and Olsen saving five of six shots on target.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With his goal, Fila tied Lucas Taitt for the team lead with eight and took sole possession of the team lead in points with 19.
- Diaz Avila's assist was his first assist and point of the season, as well as the first of his career.
UP NEXT
- With tonight's loss the Mountain Lions will await their selection fate in the NCAA DII Men's Soccer Tournament. The selection show will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9.
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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.
