Rams Back on the Road

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – After a seemingly perfect homestand, the Colorado State soccer team will return to the Denver International Airport terminals Wednesday for their final regular season air travel with games at Utah State and Boise State on the ticket for Thursday and Sunday, respectively.

The Rams (6-5-2, 5-3 Mountain West) will play Thursday against the Aggies (10-4-3, 3-3-2 MW) at 3 p.m. MT at the Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field. A two-day break follows before CSU will face the Broncos (8-6-2, 2-4-2 MW) Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Boas Soccer Complex.

With three games left, the standings watch has commenced around the Mountain West, but with such a parity across the board not even the two current last place teams have been ruled out. Only eight points separates the two first-place teams, New Mexico and Fresno State (16), with the two bottom teams, Boise State and Nevada (8). Alone in third after the Lobos and the Bulldogs are the Rams with 15 points and in control of their own destiny if they take care of business. The Aggies head into the weekend holding the sixth spot in the standings, which is where the line is drawn for the six-team Mountain West Championships.

After this weekend, the Rams close out their schedule with a bus trip on Oct. 28^th to Laramie to take on Wyoming. If advancing to the conference tournament for the second time in program history, the Rams would return to DIA for a final time in 2021 with the tourney starting on Nov. 1^st in Boise, Id.

"Obviously, there is an advantage to be playing at home, but we just need to continue what we are doing and stick to the gameplan of getting better each game," head coach Keeley Hagen said. "It's a good thing to get away at times, because it gives us an opportunity to grow closer as a team and spend that time together that you don't get when you are at home."

The Rams went 4-for-4 on their recent home stay, checking the boxes of wins for all the marquee games of Homecoming, State Pride, Pink Out and Senior Day. The latter represented the first Senior Day victory in program history and the Rams' fifth win in a row – also a program record. Like a script, senior Kristen Noonan netted the golden goal to defeat UNLV, 2-1, which marked her second goal of the day and third of the weekend, prompting Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors. The weekly accolade was the second in a row or actually third since freshman goalkeeper Shayna Ross was named MW Defensive Player of the Week and Co-Freshman of the Week after the first home series.

"Repetition is the key for us," Hagen added about the opponents. "It doesn't matter who we play. We just need to focus on ourselves and adjust here and there based on our counterparts. This first game will be a tough game, but we just have to show up ready to go."

CSU Soccer Notebook

How to Follow
Game Live Stats: https://csura.ms/SOCStats
Game Live Stream: https://csura.ms/Live (Mountain West Network)

Last Time Out
- The Rams got the last laugh in the five-goal game versus Nevada, 3-2. Gracie Armstrong had a hand in each with one goal and two assists. Sunday's Senior Day couldn't have been scripted better as senior Kristen Noonan scored both goals including the golden goal.

Timeline of the Rams' Roll
- Three Sundays ago, Colorado State defeated San Jose State to earn its first road win and first MW win of 2021.

- After returning, the Rams beat Colorado College for the first time ever and earned the season's first MW home win. Victories over Air Force and Nevada followed before CSU outlasted UNLV for the program's first Senior Day win and extend the season's win streak to five – a program-record.

Back-to-Back MW Player of the Weeks
- Kristen Noonan was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after her three-goal weekend.

- On Oct. 11th, freshman goalkeeper Shayna Ross was named MW Defensive Player of the Week and Co-Freshman of the Week for two shutouts.

Lineup Shuffle, Done.
- Through 13 games, the Rams have utilized eight different starting lineups. However, the lineup has not changed in the past four games. Only one Ram (Kenady Leighton) has started all 13 games. Page 3 has the breakdown of the starting lineups.

Offense Heating Up
- After starting conference play 0-3 without a goal, CSU has scored nine goals in the past five games for a 5-0 record in that stretch.

"C" Badger
- After a team vote, captains were picked prior to game one and the results were all seniors; Sam Studt, Haylee Blach and Baylee Bedard.

- Studt has started 52 of her 56 career games. Blach has started all 19 career games played at CSU. Bedard has started 32 of 42 games played since arriving in 2018.

Series History
- The Rams trail the Aggies 4-5 overall with a 1-3 record in Logan. Prior to last season's loss at USU, CSU won four straight in the series. CSU is looking for its first win versus Boise State. Full series history and last meeting box scores are on page seven.

Aggie Notes
- Last weekend, Utah State tied Air Force and Colorado College in away games. The Aggies are 7-2 at the Chuck & Gloria Bell Soccer Field, including a 2-1 slate in conference.

- Statistics-wise, USU leads the MW in assists, and least goals allowed and resides in the top five for shots, saves and points. Ashley Cardozo is second in the MW in points, while Diera Walton leads the conference in saves.

Bronco Notes
- Before the Rams arrive, Boise State will play Wyoming on Thursday. BS has been better at home this season than on the road, going 5-1-0 (1-1 MW) when playing at Boas Soccer Complex where they will finish out the season.

- The 2019 MW champions went 5-4-1 in the spring season and were picked to finish third this season but are in jeopardy of having their first season not above .500 in the MW since 2015. BS leads the MW in shots, shutouts and least goals allowed along with the Aggies.

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Gracie Armstrong

Baylee Bedard

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