A wall only holds for so long.
For Colorado State soccer, that wall was Addison Huber.
The sophomore goalkeeper spent 90 minutes standing between Kansas State’s relentless offense, facing 18 shots as CSU and KSU ended the game in a 2-2 draw.
Huber’s ability to hold the wall wasn’t unexpected.
“Last year was a learning year for me as freshman,” Huber said. “I was just getting ready for this year, and getting ready for when the time comes.”
Huber’s preparation extended beyond the city limits of Fort Collins this summer, and all the way back to her hometown in Texas.
“[Over the summer] I played 90-minute games throughout the whole time, [and] I’m playing against highly competitive players every single game,” Huber said. “Every single player I played against was on a Power Five team, so I think that helped me prepare.”
KSU was the test Huber had been waiting for.
Even with a steady offensive push from the Wildcats, Huber stayed composed and helped the Rams hold a lead for most of the match.
“It’s just part of my job, Huber said. “I didn’t even realize that I had that many shots on me,”
“She’s calm, she’s composed,” head coach Keeley Hagen said. “We’re getting hammered at times, and she’s making the saves she is supposed to make.”
Even so, Huber wasn’t happy with such a high number of shots.
“18 shots isn’t acceptable,” Huber said “We wanted to limit it to eight or less.”
Huber wasn’t alone in that fight to keep KSU off the board
On the other side of the field, sophomore Sydney Torres helped push momentum in favor of the Rams, putting up the first goal of the afternoon.
For 50 minutes the Rams held onto that lead, but it didn’t take long for the game’s outcome to change.
KSU’s Emerson Deluca scored first, followed by Gabby DeMers late in the second period, turning the shutout into a scramble for CSU in the last three minutes.
“We should have killed the game in the 86 minutes in the corner,” Hagen said. “We didn’t. That’s obviously a lesson we’re going to take away.”
Even with the lead gone, the Rams found a way to answer. Senior Mia Casey stepped up, finding an assist off Avery Boulom to draw CSU level with KSU at 2-2 to finish the game.
“(I’m) really proud of how (Mia Casey’s) grown from day one,” Hagen said. “She’s an anchor in our midfield and she can do a lot of things.”
Even with a tying goal, frustration could still be found in the end.
“We’re so close, this is a big five moment for us, and we can’t give up goals in the big five moment,” Huber said. “All props to Mia Casey for taking it on her shoulders, but it’s something that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
After the tie, the Rams want more – especially from a young squad in the program’s inaugural Pac-12 Season.
“We have youth, but they’ve got to learn and they’ve got to get better,” Hagen said.
That lesson will keep resurfacing as the team faces more experienced squads this season. But with young comes talent that can be nurtured.
“Ava Walhead is a goal scorer,” Hagen said. “I mean, it’s putting yourself in the right place at the right time, and she’s doing that. And, you know, she’s physical, and she’s a sponge right now, and drinking from a fire hydrant.
Watching that lead disappear late stung for the team.
“It was hard to watch, we’ve all been wanting it,” Wallhead said. “They’re a big team, and we know we can compete with them.”
The Rams kept the wall standing for 86 minutes, but now they have to find a way to keep it for the full 90.
“We’re just going to keep using it as fuel for our next moment,” Wallhead said.
Reach Abigail Wood at sports@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
