Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
0-0-1, 0-0-0
Denver
0-0-1, 0-0-0
Progress Made for CSU Soccer in opener
8/17/2023 10:57:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Rams kick off 2023 with Draw at Denver
DENVER – Colorado State began the 2023 campaign with four new players in the starting lineup. One of them, Auburn transfer Olivia Fout, scored in her debut to help the Rams draw to the Pioneers, 1-all.
Fout's goal in the 25th minute came off a corner kick from Ali Yoshida, who found Avery Vander Ven in the box. Vander Ven's shot came off the left post and dropped to Fout, who was at the right place at the right time for a close-range rebound through traffic.
Denver equalized early in the second half when Samantha Dreiling found Liv Moritz on a through ball to counterattack quickly. Moritz shot it just over the outstretched hands of Shayna Ross and into the net.
"(The goal) was definitely a crazy sequence, but it was a complete team effort," Fout said. "We worked so hard this summer and it's finally showing. It's unfortunate that we weren't able to capitalize and win, but we're making progress."
The Rams were great defensively to start the game, mounting pressure on Denver's back line and midfielders in their own half. On multiple occasions, they won the ball back in great positions to attack. The effort led them to double digit shots (11) while holding the Pioneers to just two in the half.
"(Defense) can make or break a game," Fout said. "We did a great job in the first half locking them in their defensive half and we were able to capitalize on some moments. In the second half, we kind of dropped off a little bit and weren't as high-pressure, and it showed."
Denver's quicker play and ability to break through in certain situations led to them outshooting the Rams in the second half by one shot.
Having not been able to draw or beat Denver since she took over as head coach, Keeley Hagen sees the result as a step in the right direction.
"With this being game one on the road, there's a lot of positives that we're going to be able to pull from this game," Hagen said. "I told the group 'progress,' and we're going to take this game as an energy booster and build off of it."
Fout is one of 12 new players on the roster this season. That's a large turnover for any team in one offseason, but it's clear that they're jelling just fine so far.
"I'm very comfortable on this team," Fout said. "I love everyone here; this is a great family and a great team that we've built so far. It's been a great experience so far and I can't wait to keep building."
There were four new faces in the starting lineup: Liv Stutzman, Vander Ven, Fout and Mia Casey. Many more debuted for the Rams off the bench.
One of the positives was the way some of the newcomers are integrating themselves. Fout scored in her first half of play for the Rams. Stutzman and Vander Ven played integral roles in the successful first-half defense.
"(The new players) are giving us depth, and we're calling them game changers," Hagen said. "They're giving us a lift and that's what we need."
On the way to outshooting the Pioneers 17-9 on the night, the Rams put five shots on frame, a few of which were too close for comfort for Denver. Four saves were forced out of Molly Wissman, and a few more shots sailed just wide or high of the goal.
For Hagen, it's the finishing touches that need to get better when they're creating as many chances as they did against Denver. She said that if the certain aspects of the attack are just a little bit better in those situations, more opportunities will end in goals.
"As long as you're creating," Hagen said. "You want to be able to create, and then it's just that extra focus. We created three really good chances in the first 30 minutes, and it's the extra little focus and technique to just put the ball in the back of the net."
While a draw may have been disappointing for the effort given by the Rams, the ability to create and threaten to score against a quality team away from home is encouraging. Last season, they averaged just over 10 shots per game while allowing more than 11 per game.
Next up for the Rams is their home opener against Louisiana Tech Sunday at 1 p.m., where they'll look to build on the numerous positives from game one.
Team Stats
Olivia Fout (1)
GOAL by CSU Fout, Olivia.
29:30
Liv Moritz (1)
Assisted By: Samantha Dreiling
GOAL by DEN Moritz, Liv Assist by Dreiling, Samantha.
50:25
