Liv Stutzman scored the lone goal of the night as Colorado State soccer defeated Omaha 1-0 to wrap up non-conference play.

The Rams defense was the key, as Omaha was only able to get up one shot throughout the entirety of the game.

CSU heavily outshot Omaha 13-1 as it controlled the ball for a large majority in this matchup. CSU also outnumbered Omaha in shots on goal 7-0 and corner kicks 13-2.

Stutzman scored in the 29th minute off of an assist from Sofia Coulombe, finding the bottom left corner of the goal on a grounding right-footed shot.

The kick only added to the original momentum that the Rams carried through the first 30 minutes, as they showed no signs of slowing down on the offensive end the rest of the night.

“We had so many opportunities, especially in that first half,” Stutzman said. “Taking every chance I could get, I was a little selfish there, but it ended up working out and it was great.”

Stutzman now has two goals on the season, almost half of her five goal total from last year in a little more than a third of the games played so far.

CSU excelled in pushing the ball downfield, and forward Kaja Dionne, alongside midfielder Mia Casey were large parts in doing so using their speed.

The Rams dominated time of possession, something that led to their season-high 13 corner kicks, which steered the way for even more opportunities to get shots up and tire out the Omaha defenders.

Dionne took two shots Friday night, with none being on-goal, but she showcased her quickness and sprinted down the pitch and set up many good looks for the Rams, which helped them dominate the ball.

“We just practice spotting the gaps and their positioning and how to get through that,” Dionne said. “And especially when we’re playing wide is super helpful. … So just knowing when to go and where to go was the best.”

Omaha started its goalkeeper Mia Reedtz Rehde Olesen in the first half, but made the switch to play Maja Baun in the second half.

However, the switch made little difference for Omaha as its struggles came on the offensive end, stemming from a tough defensive showing from the Rams.

“I think it was just trying to play more of a complete game,” coach Keeley Hagen said. “When you’re defensively organized first, that’s gonna help.”

The Rams needed to play with high intensity from the opening kickoff until the final seconds of the game. Omaha came into the game undefeated with a 6-0-2 record, having scored six goals in its prior four games.

“I’m just really proud of the group and the energy that they came out with,” Hagen said. “And they were able to maintain that energy.”

Following this win, CSU finished its season-opening stint of non-conference games with a 4-3-1 record, ending on a high note as it handed Omaha its first loss of the season.

The Rams (4-3-1) will hit the road to take on Air Force (4-2-1), their first Mountain West opponent, at 7 p.m. on Sept. 26. 

Reach Devin Imsirpasic at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter at @DImsirpasic

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