From boot to dome and in.
The Avery Vander Ven to Liv Stutzman, connection was alive and well in Colorado State soccer’s 1-0 victory over California Baptist.
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The Rams offense came out of the gate swinging early, getting several good looks on the net, but with every chance came a stop by CBU goalkeeper Mikayla O’Brien.
That was until first-year Kaja Dionne dribbled the ball down the field, drawing a penalty and setting up a free kick for Vander Ven. From there, Vander Ven booted the ball right into the head of Stutzman in the 19th minute, netting what would end up being the game-winning goal.
That goal was not only Stutzman’s first goal of the season but also the first goal to ever be scored at the brand-new CSU Soccer Field.
“It feels awesome,” Stutzman said. “I couldn’t do it without my teammates. It’s a great ball in from Avery (and a) great effort today from the whole team.”
It didn’t take long once the ball left her foot for Vander Ven to realize she would be getting her second assist of the season.
“Once I saw it beat the front line and head to the far post, and of course Liv is on the back post, … I was like, ‘She’s going to score that,’” Vander Ven said.
Despite a dominant start to the game, which saw CSU outshoot CBU 10-3 with a 6-1 shot-on-goal advantage, the Rams still found themselves warding off several good looks at the end to try and prevent an equalizer from the Lancers.
The Rams aren’t new when it comes to being in tight situations. With each nail-biter, CSU gets better — something the team will hope to do each and every game until the Mountain West tournament.
“We’re taking a lot of coaching points from Keeley (Hagen), and everyone really wants to get better together,” Vander Ven said. “And I think being able to grow from one game and then being able to implement the points into the next is really exciting.”
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Each of those coaching points has helped the Rams move to 2-1-1 on the season, showcasing some promising things.
One of the nice surprises of the season has been Dionne, who has started in every game so far this season. Although she has yet to net a goal, she has more than passed the eye test.
Dionne looked like one of the fastest players on the pitch, and as a true first-year, she’s only scratching the surface of her potential.
“She came in fit, she came in prepared and, obviously, you can see her speed is pretty lethal,” Hagen said. “She’s doing a great job. For any freshman, it’s like drinking out of a fire hydrant with all the information and speed of play, and she’s making some really good strides.”
Those good strides have helped the Rams jump out to a great start, but despite a promising opening season, the Rams are still missing their key piece from last year in the starting lineup, leaving their true potential up to the imagination.
Olivia Fout has been absent from the starting lineup in each of the Rams’ first four games. Fout is the single-season goal leader for the Rams and is the reigning MW Newcomer of the Year.
After suffering a knee injury in the MW championship game last season, she has logged minutes in each of the Rams’ first four, but it’s been off the bench. As Fout continues to work her way back up to that level, she brings hope of the heights that can be reached.
“We’re progressing her back, and we’ll get her ready when she’s ready,” Hagen said. “And I think that’s the biggest thing — as we do this progression, (we) want to make sure that she feels good.”
Reach Damon Cook at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @dwcook2001.
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