On Sept. 21, Colorado State competed against the Nevada Wolf Pack on their new practice fields. They were coming off two consecutive losses against Utah Tech and Utah.
This game was head coach Keeley Hagen‘s attempt to get another win under the Rams’ belt before going into their second game against a Nevada team, UNLV, on Sunday.
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“We were able to get two goals off of set pieces,” Hagen said. “We had some other opportunities as well, but that’s how conference is. You take it, and you move on.”
The first half was tense, with the Rams scoring the first two goals of the match. In the ninth minute, Liv Stutzman scored an absolute laser following solid assists from Avery Vander Ven and Katy Coffin.
“We’re just looking to get that next W, and we’ve definitely made some improvements in this game, and we’re looking to build off of those improvements.” -Shayna Ross, CSU soccer goalkeeper
Following the goal from Stutzman, Mia Massey capitalized on the momentum, scoring in the 21st minute and locking in her first goal of the season.
Following the two goals from Colorado State, Nevada responded with a vengeance in the 33rd minute after a simple mistake from the Rams. The Wolf Pack’s ability to quickly take advantage of mistakes is what brought an exciting second half.
“Credit to Nevada,” Hagen said. “They came out much better in the second half and really put us on our heels.”
The second half nearly brought a Big Five moment for the Rams, with Stutzman almost scoring another goal after a big mistake that left the keeper alone in the box. The Rams also had several corner kicks that provided opportunities to score, but they weren’t able to get a foot on it.
“We’re on our new field now, so that’s really awesome,” Stutzman said. “Scoring the goal was awesome. I mean, I couldn’t have done it without good first and second touches, and I just happened to be there.”
After an extremely close call in the 70th minute by the Wolf Pack, Nevada continued to press hard. The main problem was the Rams’ inability to stay onsides, with over 10 offsides calls being placed on Colorado State throughout both halves.
It was clear Nevada was determined to tie the score, with the play developing to a much scrappier physical style. Stutzman attempted to utilize these tensions and nearly scored off a mistake from a Nevada defender.
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With 8 minutes remaining in the half, the Rams were determined to build their gap over the Wolf Pack by more than one goal, and Nevada was determined to tie the game. Especially after two consecutive home losses, CSU was fighting until the very end of this game to solidify a victory.
“It felt good, though,” goalkeeper Shayna Ross said. “I’m really proud of our defense so that the saves I made were pretty simple, routine. The defense is really key to that.”
Any time the Wolf Pack even got close to the Rams’ goal, Ross was already on top of it. Despite several close calls in the second half, Ross was able to see the play way in advance, allowing Ross to keep the score at 2-1.
“We’re looking forward to every game,” Ross said. “We take every match game by game. We’re just looking to get that next W, and we’ve definitely made some improvements in this game, and we’re looking to build off of those improvements.”
Colorado State’s next game is at home on their practice fields against UNLV. The Rams play the Rebels 1 p.m. Sunday.
Reach Emma Askren at easkren@collegian.com or on Twitter @emma_askren.
