Men’s soccer went into the season as the favorites in the RMAC, and they did not disappoint, bringing home an RMAC championship and making a deep run in the national tournament.
RMAC Semifinals vs. Westminster: 2-1
Heading into the RMAC tournament, the Mountain Lions had the No. 1 seed, meaning they would have the luxury of hosting all their games in the tournament.
The first team to come into town was No. 4 seed Westminster, who UCCS beat 3-2 in their regular-season matchup earlier in the year.
The first goal of the RMAC tournament came from an unlikely source. Sophomore defender Luke Noameshie chose the right time to score his only goal of the season to give UCCS a 1-0 lead five minutes into the game.
At the 23rd, Westminster would draw even and make it anyone’s game.
It would take a while for the game to see its next goal. It was sophomore forward Eduardo Macias who would break the tie and give UCCS a 2-1 lead at the 76th.
That lead would hold and while a more dramatic victory than they would’ve liked, UCCS moved on to the RMAC final.
RMAC Finals vs. MSU Denver: 3-2
Next up for the Mountain Lions was MSU Denver, the only other team from the RMAC that was nationally ranked as No. 22.
They were the No. 2 seed in the RMAC tournament so there were no surprises in the final as we got a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.
In the 17th minute, MSU Denver broke the 0-0 tie with a goal from forward Rhyson Johnson.
That goal would be the last one of the first half and in the second half, Johnson again gave MSU Denver a 2-0 lead in the 58th minute.
With their backs against the wall, UCCS caught a break with a penalty kick converted by junior forward Jack Cook to cut the lead to one at the 71st.
In the 86th, it would be Cook again, who scored to draw the game even at 2-2.
Just when we thought we had overtime, it would take less than a minute for UCCS to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as senior forward Miles Seminario scored to make it 3-2.
With the comeback complete, the UCCS defense would hold firm as they claimed the 2025 RMAC championship on their home turf.
NCAA Division II Tournament first round vs. Cal State LA: 3-3
UCCS was given the lowest seed in their region of the tournament, which was the No. 10 seed. Their first test was against No. 7 Cal State LA in Carson, CA.
Cal State wasted no time getting to work as they scored in the sixth minute.
In the 18th, they would expand their lead and go up 2-0.
Being in this exact situation just a week prior, UCCS fought back once again, and sophomore defender Diego Macias scored in the 29th minute to bring the score to 2-1.
At the 34th, it was Jack Cook who would come up big once again and tie the game up before going into the half.
The scoring frenzy did not stop there, as an own-goal would give UCCS a 3-2 lead in the 38th minute.
It was looking like Deja Vu for the Mountain Lions, as they climbed out of a 2-0 deficit once again.
The defense braced for the duration of the game, but they were one minute short as a penalty kick would save Cal State LA to tie the game up at 3-3 at the 89th minute.
After extra time was not enough to decide a winner, UCCS came up clutch in the penalty shootout, winning 4-2.
NCAA Tournament Second Round vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills: 3-1
Next up was CSUDH, who were the No. 9 seed in the region.
UCCS once again fell behind early as a 13th-minute goal gave CSUDH a 1-0 lead.
However, UCCS would once again find a way back into the game. It took them to the second half to respond. Senior forward Nick Walker scored his first goal of the postseason in the 60th to tie the game at 1-1.
Senior defender Rory Scott ran it back for a quick score as UCCS took a 2-1 lead in the 62nd.
Scott would put the game away for good with a goal in the 67th, which would be the last one of the game as UCCS won 3-1.
NCAA Tournament Third Round vs. Point Loma: 1-2
UCCS were defying expectations up to this point as they made the trip to San Diego to take on No. 3 Point Loma.
UCCS would once again be the first to concede a goal as they fell behind in the 16th.
In the 50th, Point Loma would extend their lead to 2-0.
In the 77th, Nick Walker tried getting a comeback started with a goal to cut the lead to 2-1. This time, there was no comeback magic left in the tank for the Mountain Lions as that 2-1 lead would hold for the rest of the game, ending the season for UCCS.
Final thoughts
In the RMAC tournament, there were high expectations for UCCS and they delivered. While it wasn’t easy, they brought home an RMAC championship.
It was the opposite story in the national tournament. Their stumbles in the regular season and struggles in the RMAC tournament landed them the lowest seed in their region.
Somehow, this team found a way to claw its way out of deficits and make every game competitive all the way until the end.
While their national tournament run ended in a failed comeback attempt, it was a great showing by UCCS. They had low expectations yet made it to the third round of the tournament.
The graduation of forwards Miles Seminario and Nick Walker will create some questions about the offense next season but for now, men’s soccer can enjoy riding off into the sunset with their RMAC championship title.
Forward #21 Miles Seminario. Photo from GoMountainlions.