DENVER, Colo. - The Regis University men's soccer team kept the #8 Midwestern State University (Texas) Mustangs out of the win column, with Regis's Elias Taubo converting on a second-half penalty shot to force a 1-1 draw.
The Rangers move to 0-0-2 on the season against two strong regional opponents.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Midwestern State set the pace for much of the first half, taking 11 shots to Regis's two. Regis goalkeeper Greg Squire gave a steadily impressive 90-minute performance, recording eight saves and holding the Mustangs scoreless in the first half.
"I thought [Midwestern State] definitely had more of the ball, but to keep it 0-0 going into halftime, I thought was a sign of our resilience on the defensive side of things," head coach Taylor Diem said.
The scoring began when Midwestern State's Samuele Muroni found the back of the net at 62:10. The Rangers did not stay quiet for long, as Taubo answered with a rousing penalty kick at 80:12. The Rangers observed a notable momentum shift with more possession and control in the second half.
"As the game went on, the spaces on the field opened up a bit more, which allowed us to play in different areas. I thought our wide players, specifically Liam [Corr], Blaise [Richard], and Ellie [Taubo] did really, really well in terms of finding the ball wide and being dangerous when we found them higher up the field," continued Diem.
The Rangers move forward with a motivated outlook, preparing for four non-conference opponents before opening RMAC competition on Sept. 26.
"It puts a bit of wind in your sails to be able to get a result, but at the end of the day it's only our second game and there's still a lot of games to play," Diem said. "It's definitely a positive to build on, but we know as a group and as a coaching staff that the work isn't anywhere near done."
Game Notes:
Up Next:
The Rangers hunt for their first win on Thursday, Sept. 12, hosting Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) at 5 p.m.
