BOISE, Idaho — Colorado State women’s soccer was poised to finish strong in conference play, as the Rams still had a sour taste in their mouths from how last year’s tournament ended.
To start off the tournament, CSU took on San Diego State. The match, however, ended almost as quickly as it started for the Rams. The team lost 1-0, eliminating them from the tournament.
There were high hopes for the Rams to go the distance in the tournament, as they had a 10-4-5 record before the loss.
“I think despite losing in the first round of the tournament, I’m very, very proud of our girls. I think everybody gave it their all. And you know, like Keely said, games don’t always go your way. It’s the cruel game of soccer.” –Michaela McGowan, CSU women’s soccer player
“That’s how cruel our sport can be sometimes but definitely a tactical game, and I’m really proud of our whole team for their resilience and sticking to the game plan,” head coach Keeley Hagen said. “We had some chances, and, you know, SDSU took their chances, and we didn’t. At the end of the day, I am just proud of the girls.”
The Rams fought resiliently and kept the match scoreless for most of the 90 minutes of play. CSU showed it could rally in the tournament, but sometimes sports can be a brutal battle.
The Aztecs had a unique defensive style that challenged CSU, making it difficult for the Rams to score throughout the game and utilize their main weapons.
Senior forward Olivia Fout led the team in goals all season and ranked first in nearly every offensive statistical category, and in the match, SDSU worked to prevent her from scoring. When there’s an offensive threat like that, the game plan almost always targets that player.
“I think I missed a few chances that I should have at least gotten on goal,” Fout said. “But that happens. Overall, I think as a team we played really well individually. I feel like I should have executed more. But again, that happens sometimes. (It) wasn’t the (best) of my games, but I gave it my all.”
There were moments in the game that proved promising for the Rams, especially once midfielder Michaela McGowan came off the bench to give the team a boost.
McGowan was one of four Rams to be awarded postseason honors, being named to the Mountain West All-Newcomer team. She was a key player, leading the team in assists and scoring at a high level.
“I think despite losing in the first round of the tournament, I’m very, very proud of our girls,” McGowan. “I think everybody gave it their all. And you know, like Keely said, games don’t always go your way. It’s the cruel game of soccer.”
Reach Jasper Griese at sports@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegianSpts.
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