Colorado State soccer drew 0-0 against Wyoming in the Border War to wrap up each teams’ respective regular season.
Both teams had great looks throughout the full 90 minutes of action, but stellar defense and acrobatic saves ensured the ball never found the net.
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Following this draw, the Rams will finish their regular season with an 11-4-4 record, securing themselves a spot in this year’s Mountain West tournament.
With a 7-1-3 record in conference play this season, the Rams have a good sense of each team as they head into the conference tournament which will be held in San Diego, Calif. starting Nov. 3.
“Tournament time is just different in the chance that you lose and you’re done,” coach Keeley Hagen said. “Everybody knows what’s on the line, and so we just have to empty the tank every time.”
Coming into today’s matchup, the Rams were already locked into the Mountain West tournament, but with a chance today to possibly move up as high as the No.1 seed or drop as low as the No. 3 seed bearing various scenarios around the conference.
Utah State opened a door Thursday night for the Rams to sneak into first place in the Mountain West with their win over Boise State earlier. For the Rams to come out, not play their best and miss out on a wide-open opportunity, lots of disappointment came from the team after the tie.
“No,” said senior Liv Stutzman, when asked if she was satisfied with today’s performance. “We talk a lot about execution in our program and obviously not being able to execute was really tough.”
Goalkeeper Libby Brooker pitched yet another shutout, including two massive saves in the final 10 minutes to add onto her six for the night. However, this disappointment with throwing away a large chance relayed with her as well.
“I said to the team my word that I feel describes this game is ‘unsatisfying,’” Brooker said. “It’s a missed opportunity I think. … I mean, a shutout is the best you can get defensively, so I’m proud of my defense, proud of some of the things that I did tonight. … We just got to make sure that we are applying the pressure offensively as well.”
Utah State, with its win, gave the Rams the opportunity to clinch the No. 1 in the upcoming tournament. This opportunity ended up backfiring, as now following this CSU draw, Utah State has jumped ahead of them, leaving the Rams as the No. 3 seed in the tournament.
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The top two seeds in the Mountain West earn a first-round bye and do not play until Nov. 6.
“I think it’s just a bummer,” Hagen said. “Definitely a missed opportunity for our group, and they know that. And so, you get towards this part of the season, and this is the last game maybe that you can do that — because now it’s win and advance — or you’re done.”
Being the final regular season game meant this was the final game of the season at home in Fort Collins. For seniors and the leaders of this team, ending in a scoreless draw was not an ideal way to finish their tenure playing at CSU Soccer Field.
Stutzman, playing her old school in Wyoming, whom she spent her freshman and sophomore seasons with, gave it her all in her final home game, leading the team with eight shots and six of those being on-goal.
“It’s been awesome being part of this program,” Stutzman said. “Obviously, we are not done yet with the tournament, but tough to leave the conference play with a tie.”
The Cowgirls were aggressive, and smothering on defense when the Rams would approach scoring range on offense. Goalkeeper Haley Bartel finished with a season-high nine saves, and the Rams were unable to take advantage of some fast-paced offensive play throughout the game.
“We were our own worst enemies today,” Hagen said. “We’ve got to figure out how we can avoid that, because if we can continue to focus on us and how we’re doing and getting better, then we’ll see more of the team that we’ve seen all season long, so that’s what we’re looking for.”
With all the Mountain West regular season games done, the Rams are confirmed to be facing the No. 6 seeded Colorado College at 4 p.m., on Nov. 3, in San Diego. CSU looks to keep its season alive in the elimination game, brushing past this performance.
“We’re gonna watch the film, regroup,and get ready for our game on Sunday,” Hagen said.
Reach Devin Imsirpasic at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter at @DImsirpasic.