You don’t always need to be the bigger dog in the fight to win it.
Colorado State (3-10-3) soccer was able to draw with Boise State (12-2-2) Thursday night 0-0.
In three of the last four matchups between these programs, the result has been a draw. After BSU took away the win last season, the Rams were ready to fight with all they had.
CSU was able to hold on defensively due to the efforts of junior Danielle Charleston, who was the primary anchor for the defense that kept shutting down Bronco attacks.
“I’m short, but I feel like I have to prove a point I deserve to be here,” Charleston said. “You have to just take advantage of everything that you do, and it also proves a point if you win against those tackles, against those bigger girls, it shows the grit, (it) shows the hard work.”
For the first 80 minutes, Charleston and the Rams won the battle, until they slipped up and the Broncos were able to get a shot off, just missing the goal.
But there was still time on the clock and she and the Rams needed to find a way to recover.
“Keeley (Hagen) showed us an Instagram reel, and it was just a reset,” Charleston said. “This guy had a tattoo in his hand. He tapped it every single time, and that helped him reset. And I kind of was tapping my hand and yelling a lot, saying to reset, reset. I think that just helps me focus.”
Not only did Charleston have to reset at a certain point in the game, the entire team did.
“It takes all of us,” Charleston said. “The conversation was that people, this is their last. It could be their last three games here. We’re almost at our last home game, so I mean, like just playing for each other and just working for each other. I think that’s what helps.”
That communication and finding a way to take chances on the field really showed heading into the second half after some missed scoring opportunities in the first.
“During half, we talked about just over communicating, keep doing the things that we’re doing and do them a little bit better each play,” senior captain Mia Casey said. “The missed passes, for instance, maybe taking one less touch or the passes that we’re getting through just checking your shoulder where your defender is, and I think everyone really stepped up to the plate with that in the second half because I mean the stats kind of speak for itself.”
The CSU defense was able to hold the BSU attack to only three shots in the first half and a total of seven throughout the entire game, even holding the Broncos’ NCAA freshman record holder Campbell Wilson to zero shots on goal.
“Part of being a defender is you get exposed if you don’t win your one-on-one duels, and you know I was just proud of how (Danielle) has continued to learn and especially learn from her mistakes,” head coach Keeley Hagen said. “I was proud to see her just fighting on the ground and doing all the things that she can do.”
That physicality was potent during the game, with 22 combined fouls between the teams throughout the 90 minutes.
“I mean it’s just being gritty,” Hagen said. “Things aren’t gonna go your way, but I think you saw our players throwing their bodies and putting their bodies on the line and being physical and also (helping the) defense.”
Not only was the team taking every shot at goal, but sophomore goalie Addison Huber took every chance to pick up the ball from the Broncos’ feet.
“Addie’s been great, and to get a shutout against this team is really huge for us, considering the year we’ve had and the kind of team they are,” Casey said. “We’re really proud of Addie.”
From upperclassmen to underclassmen, every single person is working hard on the field, and it’s shown — especially by this young group of players that has learned to mold this season.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to play the best 11, and they’ve earned it,” Hagen said. “The players that we’re going to play are the ones that are executing consistently in training, and we get them in the game, and that’s that’s what we’re doing. It’s baptism by fire by them, but they’re doing a great job, and they’re learning on the job right away.”
And with all that skillset on the field, it came down to one thing: doubling down.
“Today we talked a lot about defending always with two and helping defense,” Casey said. “I think the defense doubling down was really good today. That’s something we’ve been working on practicing all week.”
Casey played heavily on both sides of the ball, putting up two shots and committing three fouls throughout the game.
While the green and gold didn’t come into this game being the favorites, they still stood up for the challenge when it came time. CSU’s record now stands at 3-10-3 on the season as they prepare for a road bout against Oregon State in their second-to-last game of the regular season.
Reach Brett Schuman at sports@collegian.com or on social media @rmsmsports.
