GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 2 nationally ranked University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's soccer team opened RMAC play on Thursday evening with a tightly contested battle against Colorado Mesa University, but a pair of second-half goals by the Mavericks proved to be the difference as the Mountain Lions suffered their first loss of the season by a score of 3-2.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: #2 UCCS 2, CMU 3
Records: UCCS (5-1-3, 0-1-0 RMAC), CMU (3-1-4, 1-0-0 RMAC)
Facility: Community Hospital Unity Field | Grand Junction, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions fall to 9-18-6 all-time against the Mavericks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Mountain Lions kicked off their RMAC opener with some quick momentum as they put four shots on frame across the opening 13 minutes of action. Diego Macias and Eduardo Macias forced Colorado Mesa goalkeeper Nathan Beck into back-to-back saves in the third minute before Marcus Garcia and Dillon Clarke each tested the Maverick netminder over the ensuing ten minutes of action. The Mavericks generated pressure of their own with a pair of early corner kicks but were unable to register their first shot until the 15th minute.
- Colorado Mesa broke the scoreless tie in the 20th minute following a well-executed corner kick sequence as Richie Tabares Ochoa played the corner short to Matteo Bonelli, who quickly returned the ball to Tabares Ochoa near the top left of the penalty area. Tabares Ochoa then delivered a cross into the center of the box, where George Jones headed the ball into the right side of the frame past a diving Hugo Sjöberg to give the Mavericks a 1-0 advantage.
- UCCS responded with an equalizer in the 29th minute as Lucas Taitt carried the ball into the left side of the penalty area before switching play across the field to Clarke. The junior defender sent the ball back into the box, where it deflected off a Colorado Mesa defender and fell to Yohann Fila. Fila redirected the loose ball toward goal before Taitt managed to get a touch on the ball with his left foot, steering it into the net to level the match at 1-1. The Mountain Lions continued to apply pressure down the stretch, earning three corner kicks over the final 15 minutes of the opening half, but neither side could find a second goal before the halftime whistle.
- The Mountain Lions came out of the halftime break looking to grab their first lead of the evening, with Cole Wearner and Maddox Brown each putting attempts on frame across the opening ten minutes of the period. Despite the early UCCS pressure, Colorado Mesa struck for the go-ahead goal in the 56th minute when Afonso Taborda tipped the ball out to Hayes Malone, who stepped into a one-touch, right-footed strike that ricocheted off the inside of the left post and into the net to give the Mavericks a 2-1 advantage.
- After Sjöberg made a pair of saves to keep the Mountain Lions within one, the Mavericks managed to add to their advantage in the 71st minute as Edoardo Oliveri received a pass from James Maxwell and dribbled toward the middle of the field before lining a left-footed strike into the bottom right corner of the frame to extend the Colorado Mesa lead to 3-1.
- Facing a two-goal deficit, UCCS continued to push forward and eventually pulled one back in the 86th minute off a corner kick opportunity. E. Macias sent his service across the box to Garcia, who evaded a defender before tapping the ball to Fila for a right-footed strike into the top right corner of the net, trimming the deficit to 3-2. The Mountain Lions continued searching for the equalizer over the final five minutes, but the Maverick defense held firm to secure the 3-2 result.
STATS FROM THE GAME
- The Mountain Lions held a 19-10 advantage in total shots for the match while putting eight attempts on frame compared to five for the Mavericks. UCCS also held a narrow 6-5 edge in corner kicks.
- E. Macias paced the UCCS attack with a game-high four shots, while Wearner followed with three attempts and Jack Cook, Garcia, Fila, and Taitt each registered two.
- Fila led the Mountain Lions with three points in the match, assisting on Taitt's equalizer in the 29th minute before scoring his team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 86th minute. Taitt's goal marked his fourth of the campaign, while Garcia picked up his second assist of the season on Fila's late tally.
- Sjöberg played the full 90 minutes in frame for UCCS, surrendering a season-high three goals while recording a pair of saves.
- Beck played a key role in limiting the Mountain Lion attack to two goals, recording six saves on the eight UCCS shots that found their way on frame.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Thursday's setback snapped a five-game unbeaten streak for the Mountain Lions against Colorado Mesa that dated back to the 2022 season. UCCS had posted a 3-0-2 record against the Mavericks during that stretch.
- The Mountain Lions registered 19 shots against the Mavericks, matching their fourth-highest total of the season. UCCS has now recorded at least 18 shots in seven of its nine matches this season.
- Tonight marked the first time this season that the Mountain Lions have surrendered three goals in a match, with UCCS having allowed a total of just seven goals across its first eight contests.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will continue their road trip through the weekend as they travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a matchup against Westminster University on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:30 p.m.
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.
