Women stage comeback, beat UCCS

The CSU-Pueblo women’s soccer team added to the UCCS Mountain Lions’ early season misery on Sunday by recording a bruising 2-1 victory over their Colorado Springs rivals.

Goals from Candice Duffy (Jr., Idaho Falls, Idaho) and Brittany Carver (Sr., Pueblo, Colo.) highlighted the Pack’s inspired performance and gave the Thunderwolves a quality RMAC win.  The win raises the Pack’s record to 3-3-1.

UCCS went ahead early when Ashley Collins wriggled free of her marker and scored in the 22nd minute.  The Thunderwolves responded well to being down, though, and Marli Martin (Sr. West Jordan, Utah) delivered a nice ball to Duffy at the far post for the equalizer about ten minutes from halftime.

“It was a nice free kick by Marli, and Candice made a good run and finished,” said Coach Morris, who was happy with the way his team came back and finished the first half.

“I thought we started a little slow, but we responded really well to their goal,” the coach said.  Morris was also pleased with the performance of his central midfielders, and felt that they helped dictate play and let the Pack take control of the game.  A number of players featured in the middle for the Pack, and Morris felt that Aubrielle Williams (So, Scottsdale, Ariz.), Becca Drennan (Jr., Fountain, Colo.), Melissa Christensen (Fr., Kenosha, Wisc.), Rikki Warmack (Jr., Pueblo, Colo.), and the aforementioned Martin all made heady contributions to the game.

That dominance in the middle was a key ingredient to the Thunderwolves’ fast start and sustained strong play after the break.  In fact, Carver put her team ahead for good just three minutes into the second half.  She intercepted a wayward UCCS pass and dribbled uncontested down the left wing before firing a ball past the keeper from 25 yards out for what turned out to be the winning goal.

After that, the Pack put the clamps down on the UCCS attack, allowing the Mountain Lions some possession but conceding no real chances on goal.  “It was a good win for us,” said Morris, who was proud of the way his team handled the physicality of the game.

Sarah Deziel (Jr., Eau Claire, Wisc.), who spent much of the game as the Pack’s holding midfield player, echoed her coach’s sentiments.  “We all played with a lot of heart and kept out heads on,” she said.

Both coach and player were also pleased with how well the team kept its emotions in check throughout the course of the game.  “We all keep track of each other pretty well,” said Deziel.

Steel and Silver Series

By winning today's game, the Thunderwolves now have an early advantage in the 2008-2009 version of the "Steel and Silver Series," the all-sports competition between the schools.

This season's "Steel and Silver Series" is on a new, winner-take-all points system.  In each competing sport, the school that earns the most wins in head-to-head competition will be awarded four points.  If the head-to-head competitions are split evenly, each school will be awarded two points.

The school with the best cumulative grade point average among student-athletes will be awarded five points.  The school with the most points at the end of the academic year will be awarded the Ent Federal Credit Union Trophy, which will be presented in the home city of the winning school

Because of the new system, no points will be awarded for women's soccer until the teams play in Pueblo on Oct. 12.  CSU-Pueblo is guaranteed of earning at least two points after today's win.

In the three year history of the series, UCCS has won each year.