BILLINGS, Mont. – With temperatures pushing triple digits on Saturday at Yellowjacket Field, visiting University of Colorado Colorado Springs picked up a 3-0 victory over the Montana State University Billings men's soccer team in the final match of the 7th annual Rimrock Classic in memory of Trevor Wildberger.
 
The Mountain Lions (2-1-1) scored twice in the final four minutes of the first half and bolstered the win with a third goal in the final five minutes of the match while dodging several bullets to post the clean sheet. "It was a tough one today for the boys," said MSUB head coach Aaron Champenoy. "Unfortunately we had a brief mental lapse at the end of the first half that UCCS capitalized on to go up before halftime. That really took the wind out of us."
 
The Yellowjackets (0-2) knocked on the door on numerous occasions but couldn't find a finishing touch in their second straight shutout defeat to start the 2022 season. "I thought we started the game really bright and did all the things that we were hoping to do outside of getting a goal in the first 40 minutes," said Champenoy. "We were sharp, controlled the tempo in the midfield, and created a couple of good chances."
 
UCCS goalkeeper Declan Domyan made the first of his five saves throughout the match in the 29th minute, when he denied a shot by Callum Bryan from close range. One of MSUB's best chances to score came just two minutes later, when Valdemar Fogt pushed an open shot attempt just high of the crossbar from the top of the 18-yard box.
 
As time wound down in the opening half, the Mountain Lions were the first to strike with Lars Walczyk making the score 1-0 in the 42nd minute. The play originated in the midfield, as Marvin Putu flicked Walczyk on into the box where the latter tucked a low shot past MSUB goalkeeper Jeremi Campagnolo from the right side.
 
Less than two minutes later, UCCS struck again when Abe Lopez finished an assist from Miles Seminario to double the lead just before the halftime whistle.
 
The Yellowjackets had chances throughout the second half to pull level, with Jeremie Briquet causing problems for the Mountain Lions in the attacking third. The junior midfielder had a shot towards an open net blocked by the UCCS back line in the 66th minute, before two more attempts missed just wide of the post.
 
Domyan delivered another huge stop in the 72nd minute, when he dove to deny a Ryan Hanley attempt from point-blank range to keep the score at 2-0. Bryan Maxwell, who pushed forward constantly from his outside back position, had a strike near the right goal post deflected away by the UCCS back line in the 82nd minute in what proved to be MSUB's last big chance of the game.
 
Kolby Raineri put the score out of reach with five minutes to go, receiving a pass from the back line and embarking on a long run up the right side of the pitch before beating his mark into the goal box. From there, the striker placed a powerful right-footed shot just inside the right goal post beyond the reach of a diving Campagnolo.
 
The Yellowjacket goalkeeper had six saves throughout the match, while Maxwell, Pascal Pisarek, and Guillermo Gonzalez each played the full 90 minutes on the back line for the 'Jackets. "The second half we weren't quite as bright but we still created a few good moments," said Champenoy. "We just couldn't put together a complete game, and against an opponent the quality of UCCS that's going to hurt us for sure. We have to work on getting mentally tougher and battling through the tough times. We will keep getting better and better as the year goes on, and continue to find our identity."
 
Center back Carlos Vargas was outstanding throughout the game for the Mountain Lions, commanding the aerial game and contributing heavily to the team's shutout victory. UCCS out-shot MSUB 20-11 in the match, while placing nine attempts on frame. Raineri led the way with four shots and three on target.
 
THE BUZZ: Bjarne Fedkenhauer was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…MSUB is now 1-10-2 all-time against UCCS and it was the first meeting between the teams in Billings.
 
NEXT WEEK: The Yellowjackets' Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tour continues on the road, with matches at Colorado Mesa next Thursday at 7 p.m. and Fort Lewis College next Saturday at 4 p.m. in Grand Junction. Live coverage for next week's games can be found online here.