The UCCS Mountain Lions men’s soccer team continued its undefeated streak with two key victories that solidified their No. 4 national ranking, which is their highest rank in the last five seasons.
The team now stands 7-0-1 for the season. The seven-game-winning streak is the longest in UCCS history for men’s soccer.
UCCS vs CMU
UCCS’ men’s soccer ties the program winning streak at home with a win over Colorado Mesa, 2-1.
The Mountain Lions controlled possession in the first half over the Mavericks. UCCS had 13 total shots with four on goal compared to the Mavericks’ five shots and one on frame. #21 Miles Seminario had two of the four shots on goal.
During the 27th minute of the match, CMU’s midfielder Joao Pedro Moraes recorded the first goal of the night, locking onto the right side of the goal and putting the ball past goalkeeper Soren Russell.
In the 33rd minute, senior midfielder #7 Dani Barajas put the Mountain Lions on the board, with a shot into the bottom right of CMU’s goal and a double assist came #10 Lars Walczyk and #20 Soulo Letsoalo. Barajas now leads in goals scored this season for both the Mountain Lions and the RMAC.
Going into the second half, both teams struggled to find the back of the net until the 59th minute of the game, as midfielder #2 Dillon Clarke netted the go-ahead goal for his first goal of the season off the assist by #8 Jackson Million. The score remained the same for the remainder of the 90 minutes, 2-1, and the Mountain Lions took the close match.
The Mountain Lions outshot the Mavericks 22 to 12 with six shots on goal to CMU’s five, overall.
Eight different Mountain Lions recorded shots in Thursday’s game with Seminario leading the team and establishing a new season-best with five total, and Walczyk, Letsoalo and Million each recorded an assist.
Two seasonal firsts for the Mountain Lions happened in the game with a season-high of 22 shots and no cards being drawn for any of the players.
UCCS vs CSU Pueblo
Ranked 5th in the nation at the time, the Mountain Lions took down #9 CSU Pueblo in a top 10 matchup that saw UCCS bring home their 7th consecutive match without a loss.
Sunday’s matchup started off quickly with the Mountain Lions finding the back of the net in the fourth minute. Junior forward Cole Venable gained possession for UCCS, moved the ball down the left side of the field and passed a perfect ball into the box toward Seminario, who headed the ball into CSU Pueblo’s goal to open the match’s scoring.
After UCCS’s early goal, both teams exchanged shots and had a few solid scoring chances. CSU Pueblo found an equalizer right before halftime in the 44th minute. Following a corner kick, CSU Pueblo’s midfielder, Caio Oliveira, delivered a cross that defender Ignatius DeMark headed toward the goal, only to be blocked by the UCCS defense. ThunderWolves defender Giancarlo Pretto seized the rebound and fired it into the top of the net, leveling the match 1-1 as both teams entered halftime.
In the second half, UCCS’ first major scoring chance came in the 61st minute when a CSU Pueblo yellow card led to a free kick. Freshman forward Eduardo Macias took the shot, but it went high and wide.
Five minutes later, CSU Pueblo’s Jack Pascoe had a close-range shot, but Russell made a remarkable save. Shortly after, Seminario earned a penalty kick in the 71st minute. After being initially saved by the ThunderWolves, Seminario followed up on the rebound to score, putting UCCS ahead by a goal. The Mountain Lions held firm defensively, allowing just two harmless shots in the final minutes to secure the victory, 2-1.
The Mountain Lions were outshot by the ThunderWolves, 15-9, while both teams recorded five shots on goal. With their win over the ThunderWolves, the Mountain Lions have established a new program record with a seven-game winning streak.
In the most recent RMAC Coaches Poll, the Mountain Lions’ two victories propelled them up to the number 4 ranking in the country.
Up next for the Mountain Lions, they open their conference slate as they travel to Golden, Colorado tomorrow on Thursday for a 6 p.m. kickoff against Colorado School of Mines.