DENVER, Colo. – The Regis University men's soccer team took on the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs on Sunday, but lost 1-0 to wrap up their 2023 season.
Junior goalkeeper Greg Squire was the standout player for the Rangers (6-10-2 overall, 4-5-1 RMAC) as his 12 saves against the Mountain Lions (9-4-5 overall, 5-2-3 RMAC) tied for third-most in single game saves.
"It was a tough one," said Regis men's soccer head coach, Taylor Diem. "UCCS was good and were exactly what we expected but we had chances in the game we unfortunately didn't take and when you don't finish your chances in a game where the margins are tight, it'll always be difficult to get a result. A tough one since it was the last game for our seniors, but at the end of the day we didn't have enough quality in the final third to get the three points today.
How It Happened: The Rangers' best scoring chance of the match came in the 42nd minute as junior forward Rayhan Carlson-Du Toit was in the middle of the penalty box and shot one to the lower right corner, but was unlucky as it bounced off the right post and into UCCS' goalkeeper.
UCCS' goal came in the 63rd minute from Kolby Rainieri that snuck just past Squire and into the back of the net.
Despite the deficit, the Rangers continued to take their chances at the goal. Five different Rangers had at least one shot, with Carlson-Du Toit notching five, three of which were on goal.
Regis pressed on to try and even the score, but were unable to find the back of the net by the final whistle.
Prior to the start of the match, the Rangers honored their four seniors in Kyle Bergmeier, Carter Boucher, Ben Shepherd, and Mitch Gordon.
"This group of seniors meant everything," said Diem. "You look at this group and they go back to my first games here as an assistant coach and these guys were just coming into the program. In that sense, this is my first group that's come all the way through the ranks. I'm extremely proud of what they've accomplished not only as players but as people and they're ultimately the reason why we're at where we're at and why our culture is as good as it is. Big shoes to fill, and I won't be able to replace these guys easily. They've left a serious mark on the program."
With the loss against UCCS, the Rangers were unable to make the RMAC tournament. To do so, the Rangers needed a win over UCCS, and either Westminster, MSU Denver, or Colorado School of Mines to lose their final games of the season.
As the season comes to an end, Regis looks to bounce back and come out strong in 2024.
"It's difficult to look that far ahead and know what we're going to look like next year," said Diem. "We have a lot of young players returning, a lot of quality players returning. But there's a lot of optimism looking forward in terms of what the future holds for this group. It's become pretty apparent this year that not only do we have to be talented on the ball, but we have to do the dirty parts of the game to finish in a conference that is as competitive as the RMAC is, and it's only getting tougher."
