DENVER – The Regis University men's soccer team confidently took on Fort Hays State on Sunday, recording a 3-0 victory to close out non-conference play this season at Regis Match Pitch.
 
How It Happened: Just 90 seconds into the game, sophomore midfielder Michael Jimenez successfully passed to sophomore midfielder Ben Shepherd, who found the back of the net to give the Rangers a very early 1-0 lead.
 
From that point on, it was all Regis needed and the defense did the rest while junior goalkeeper Tim Dolan earned his first shutout of the season.
 
Jimenez factored into RU's insurance goal in the 40th minute, connecting for an assist with junior forward Parker Klein, who crossed the ball into the low-right corner of the net for a 2-0 advantage.
 
Following a foul that resulted in a penalty kick just 88 seconds into the closing half, Shepherd took care of business again, directing a kick to the goal's lower-right corner. The shot was out of senior goalkeeper Cullen Fisch's reach, giving the Rangers a commanding 3-0 lead.
 
Regis dominated in the first half by outshooting the Tigers, 9-3, and 16-10 for the game. RU also won the shots-on-goal battle, 7-3.
 
Game Notes: Shepherd (2 G, 4 S, 2 SOG) put the Rangers up early, and Regis never looked back. Klein (1 G, 1 S, 1 SOG) gave RU an extra cushion going into halftime. Jimenez (2 A, 1 S) was pivotal in both goals with the clock running. Junior midfielder John Halter (3 S, 2 SOG) had most of his shots on-target. Dolan (3 SV) notched the Rangers' first shutout of the season.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: Regis improves to 1-2-1 in its overall record. RU kicks off Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play on Friday at 4 p.m., when the Rangers will host UC-Colorado Springs (1-1-1) at Regis Match Pitch.