Women’s soccer was the first team in the conference to qualify for the RMAC tournament this year. While two draws dropped them down to the third seed in the tournament, they will host Westminster on Nov. 9.
The team had the most potent offense in the conference this year, scoring 41 goals.
This conference-leading offense was led by redshirt sophomore forward Abby Stassi, who scored 14 goals. Defender Elise Broberg was second in the conference in assists, recording seven on the year.
While offense was the strong suit of the team, the defense should not be overlooked. They ensured opponents could not come back after falling behind.
UCCS allowed the fourth fewest goals this season but ranked last in saves per game. Opposing offenses had trouble putting up quality shots on the Mountain Lions, never mind scoring goals, keeping junior goalkeeper Nylah Mirshafiei at ease every game.
In the opposite corner is Westminster, who earned the No. 6 seed in the tournament.
The bright spot for this team is their defense, who only allowed six goals the entire season, which was good for third in the RMAC, one spot above UCCS.
Strong defensive showings were vital for them this season, as the offense was shut out a total of seven times this season.
These two teams just played each other last week on Sunday, Nov. 2, ending in a 0-0 draw, raising a level of concern for the best offense in the conference, since they also had a 0-0 draw against Colorado Mesa just a few days prior.
Colorado Mesa had the best defense in the conference this year, allowing the least number of goals.
Regardless, two straight games without a goal is unfamiliar territory for the team that has made it look easy all season. Fans can only hope that the offense finds their match against Westminster.
With both defenses being elite, we might be looking at a next-goal-wins situation in the first tournament game. This could be dangerous for UCCS. One defensive miscue on their part could be all it takes to shatter their championship dreams.
This type of match favors consistency; both defensives will have to put their best effort out there knowing that a one-goal lead might be difficult to overcome for either team.
If the Mountain Lions can win that game, they will face CSU Pueblo, Adams State, or Colorado School of Mines in the next round.
The good news is that UCCS beat CSU Pueblo and Adams State in their regular-season matchups, not allowing a goal in either game. The bad news is that Colorado School of Mines gave UCCS its only conference loss of the season with a 2-1 showing.
If No. 8 CSU Pueblo or No. 7 Adams State can pull off an upset against No. 2 Colorado School of Mines in their matchup, the Mountain Lions will have a clearer path to the finals. If the seeding doesn’t lie, then the team will have a chance to banish their demons against the second-best offense in the conference.
On the other side of the bracket is Regis, Fort Lewis and Colorado Mesa. The team got wins against Regis and Fort Lewis in the regular season, but Colorado Mesa is looking like the favorite to make out that side of the bracket.
Their regular-season matchup against Colorado Mesa ended 0-0, meaning no one can tell who the better team is in that matchup.
The semifinal and final will be hosted by Colorado Mesa, which could be bad news if UCCS has to meet them in the final, but it might also be a blessing during the semifinal as a game in a neutral field would be much better than having to travel to Golden to take on Colorado School of Mines.
Watch UCCS host Westminster on Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. on the RMAC Network through their pay-per-view or subscription options.
Photo from GoMountainlions.