Colorado men’s Gold outlasts Colorado State, moves on to Nationals
The Colorado Buffaloes survived a rival upset bid at Kittredge Field on Saturday.
As the No. 6 team in the USCCS rankings, the Buffaloes were heading into this match looking to take an easy victory against a struggling Colorado State Rams team. However, this match ended up going down to the wire.
The first goal of the match was scored by Colorado forward Dex Rhody. It happened on the Buffaloes’ first real chance of the match, giving them an early 1-0 lead two minutes into the match. This early momentum didn’t last long, though, as the Rams stifled Colorado’s offense for a prolonged period of time. They then evened the match in the 27th minute with a goal of their own.
With around 15 seconds remaining, Colorado defenseman Lucas Godoy floated a ball into the box looking for forward Milo Kiezun as a last-ditch effort to take a late victory. The ball flew over Kiezun’s head and deflected off of a CSU defenseman and into the goal.
Right after the ball went in, Colorado players exploded with excitement, sprinting around the field and jumping in the air. The large section of students and parents in attendance was aghast at what it had just seen. It was absolutely the premier moment of Colorado men’s club soccer this season.
This 2-1 victory pushed the Buffaloes to 7-1-1. This puts them firmly atop the Rocky Mountain division with 22 points. However, whether they finish the season with this top spot is still up in the air.
In second place, the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers are 5-2-0. They have two matches remaining, meaning that they can end with a maximum of 23 points.
Mines plays the other two Buffaloes teams next week. On Thursday, Oct. 29, it faces off against Colorado Silver at home before heading up to Boulder to play Colorado Black on Sunday, Nov. 1. In order for CU Gold to take the top spot in the division, Mines has to lose or draw in one of its two remaining games.
This contention for first place has very high stakes. The USCCS national tournament allows for the top three teams from the Rocky Mountain division to get into each of the three tournaments (gold being the highest), meaning that the Buffaloes and the Orediggers are fighting for one spot in the USCCS Gold Bracket.
CU Gold’s miraculous victory took its playoff push out of its hands. This upcoming week of soccer will now determine the fate of the Buffaloes.
Comments