UCCS men’s soccer secured a 5-0 victory against the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers on Oct. 31, showcasing their strong offense from start to finish.
UCCS set the tone just two minutes into the game with a goal as freshman defender Luke Noameshie capitalized on a perfect corner kick from senior midfielder Dani Barajas. The shot slipped past the Hardrockers’ defense, giving the Mountain Lions a 1-0 lead. This early goal energized UCCS and helped maintain control over possession for most of the first half.
The Mountain Lions dominated in possession for most of the first half, making it easy to set up another opportunity on the goal when Barajas drew a foul in the penalty area in the 35th minute. Stepping up for the penalty kick, Barajas kicked the ball into the bottom right corner, putting the Mountain Lions up to 2-0.
The Mountain Lions continued to play aggressively into the second half. In the 66th minute, junior forward Miles Seminario’s precise pass through the Hardrockers’ defense found junior forward Nick Walker, sending a quick shot into the net and adding another goal to UCCS’ total, 3-0.
South Dakota Mines had a scoring chance in the 73rd minute. Noameshie fouled Sawyer Rueckert, giving SDM a penalty kick opportunity. However, Hayden Jaramillo’s shot struck the crossbar, keeping the Mountain Lions’ shutout.
In the 78th minute, the Mountain Lions pushed the lead further. Freshman midfielder Hugo Nordenberg launched a cross from the top of the 18, meeting a diving Sean Belzer, and the freshman defender connected with a header to make it 4-0.
Just two minutes later, Nordenberg drew another foul, with junior forward Cole Venable taking the PK and converting the penalty kick to seal the final score at 5-0.
UCCS dominated in shots, outshooting SDM 27-6, with 11 shots on target compared to the Hardrockers’ one. Mountain Lions goalkeeper Soren Russell recorded one save, securing the team’s seventh clean sheet of the season. With their seventh clean sheet, UCCS lowered their goals-against average to an impressive 0.69, leading the RMAC in GAA.
Barajas’s outstanding performance this season has him at the top of the RMAC leaderboard with nine goals, helping to place three UCCS athletes in the conference’s top 10 for goals scored.
The team stands at an overall record of 13-1-3. With this 13th victory, UCCS matched their program record for single season wins, a feat previously achieved in 2015.
The Mountain Lions are coming home to the Mountain Lion Stadium on Nov. 6 for the final game of their regular season at 5 p.m.
#24 Hugo Nordenberg launches a cross from the top of the 18 for an assist on Sean Belzers header.