Colorado State University Athletics
Thursday, October 31
Fort Collins, CO
4:00 pm
Colorado State
0
vs
0
Wyoming
Rams Miss Opportunity on Final Day
10/31/2024 7:03:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Team enters Mountain West tourney as No. 3 seed
Keeley Hagen isn't a big fan of draws for starters. Thursday's felt like the worst one yet.
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Utah State opened a door, but her Colorado State women's soccer team couldn't cross the threshold in finishing the regular season with a scoreless draw with rival Wyoming.
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A win would have earned Colorado State a share of the Mountain West title and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament. Now the Rams enter as the No. 3 seed and will play Sunday (5 p.m.) in San Diego.
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"I think our group had a lot of things to say after the game. We weren't our best today, and you're playing against a team that's trying to get in he tournament and survive, and we're trying to get to where we want to go," Hagen said. "It's just a bummer. Definitely a missed opportunity for our group, and they know that.
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"You get toward this part of the season, and this is the last game you can do that. Now it's win and advance or your done."
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The Rams finish the regular season 11-4-4 overall, 7-1-3 in conference play. Their opponent in the tournament would be either New Mexico or Colorado College, depending on outcomes later in the night.
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The Rams took their shots – 20 in all – putting nine on net. Some of the best looks sailed a bit high, even wide, but the best opportunity came in the final two minutes of the game when Wyoming keeper Haley Bartel stuffed Kaja Dionne on the doorstep.
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Hagen's reference to what the team said was all about what the Rams didn't do and how they didn't do what they wanted. The first point was they played tense. No one on the team knew Utah State had beaten Boise State by the time the second half began.
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Still, the team knew what was possible, which midfielder Mia Massey said they as a group gave too much thought.
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Tournament games carry the same type of weight – advance or go home. That's what she said the team has to carry forward with them, even more so than what they did in the tournament a year ago, when the Rams made a run to their first title-game appearance.
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"I think it does help, but we need to stay present. We saw it tonight," said Massey, who had two shots in the game. "If we focus on other factors, we play more tense. We can't think about what we did last year and just focus and see what we can do this year.
"It's a learning curve, this game. We haven't had that much adversity this year in conference play. In a weird way, it's good we're having it now. In the tournament, only one team wins and only one team gets to go to the NCAA Tournament. Having it now could be good for us."
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Hagen said the scouting report was spot on, the only issue was the Rams went against it when attacking. Wyoming's defensive numbers were in the middle, yet that's where the Rams kept pushing the attack, giving the Cowgirls a chance to counter.
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They finished with 15 shots, six on net, and inside the final three minutes of the game hit the crossbar twice with the help of CSU goaltender Libby Brooker, who notched her third clean sheet with six stops.
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She tipped the second close call, and the ricochet came right back into her waiting hands.
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"There's definitely an oh-my-goodness-thank-God moment. It's just part of being a goalkeeper and making saves," she said. "You can have the internal excitement and then you've got to go and make the punt, execute the distribution. It's a very interesting position because the ways we're involved in the attack is so different.
Â
"I'm just trying to take care of my job defensively and then helping my team attacking. That helps calm me down in those crazy, crazy moments."
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With the focus shifted to Sunday, Hagen and the Rams have other concerns, namely the health of starters Mia Casey and Katie Dunne. Casey, who entered the day leading the conference in points, missed most of the game with a leg injury, though she tried to give it a run in the second half. That's when Dunne, a starting defender, had to leave the field.
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"Once you get to postseason play, it doesn't matter how you win, you just have to find a way to win," Hagen said. "It doesn't matter who is on the field, you've just got to get it done. Whoever is available, we'll get them out there and let's go."
Â
One opportunity was missed, but another awaits when play begins Sunday.
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Utah State opened a door, but her Colorado State women's soccer team couldn't cross the threshold in finishing the regular season with a scoreless draw with rival Wyoming.
Â
A win would have earned Colorado State a share of the Mountain West title and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament. Now the Rams enter as the No. 3 seed and will play Sunday (5 p.m.) in San Diego.
Â
"I think our group had a lot of things to say after the game. We weren't our best today, and you're playing against a team that's trying to get in he tournament and survive, and we're trying to get to where we want to go," Hagen said. "It's just a bummer. Definitely a missed opportunity for our group, and they know that.
Â
"You get toward this part of the season, and this is the last game you can do that. Now it's win and advance or your done."
Â
The Rams finish the regular season 11-4-4 overall, 7-1-3 in conference play. Their opponent in the tournament would be either New Mexico or Colorado College, depending on outcomes later in the night.
Â
The Rams took their shots – 20 in all – putting nine on net. Some of the best looks sailed a bit high, even wide, but the best opportunity came in the final two minutes of the game when Wyoming keeper Haley Bartel stuffed Kaja Dionne on the doorstep.
Â
Hagen's reference to what the team said was all about what the Rams didn't do and how they didn't do what they wanted. The first point was they played tense. No one on the team knew Utah State had beaten Boise State by the time the second half began.
Â
Still, the team knew what was possible, which midfielder Mia Massey said they as a group gave too much thought.
Â
Tournament games carry the same type of weight – advance or go home. That's what she said the team has to carry forward with them, even more so than what they did in the tournament a year ago, when the Rams made a run to their first title-game appearance.
Â
"I think it does help, but we need to stay present. We saw it tonight," said Massey, who had two shots in the game. "If we focus on other factors, we play more tense. We can't think about what we did last year and just focus and see what we can do this year.
"It's a learning curve, this game. We haven't had that much adversity this year in conference play. In a weird way, it's good we're having it now. In the tournament, only one team wins and only one team gets to go to the NCAA Tournament. Having it now could be good for us."
Â
Â
Hagen said the scouting report was spot on, the only issue was the Rams went against it when attacking. Wyoming's defensive numbers were in the middle, yet that's where the Rams kept pushing the attack, giving the Cowgirls a chance to counter.
Â
They finished with 15 shots, six on net, and inside the final three minutes of the game hit the crossbar twice with the help of CSU goaltender Libby Brooker, who notched her third clean sheet with six stops.
Â
She tipped the second close call, and the ricochet came right back into her waiting hands.
Â
"There's definitely an oh-my-goodness-thank-God moment. It's just part of being a goalkeeper and making saves," she said. "You can have the internal excitement and then you've got to go and make the punt, execute the distribution. It's a very interesting position because the ways we're involved in the attack is so different.
Â
"I'm just trying to take care of my job defensively and then helping my team attacking. That helps calm me down in those crazy, crazy moments."
Â
With the focus shifted to Sunday, Hagen and the Rams have other concerns, namely the health of starters Mia Casey and Katie Dunne. Casey, who entered the day leading the conference in points, missed most of the game with a leg injury, though she tried to give it a run in the second half. That's when Dunne, a starting defender, had to leave the field.
Â
"Once you get to postseason play, it doesn't matter how you win, you just have to find a way to win," Hagen said. "It doesn't matter who is on the field, you've just got to get it done. Whoever is available, we'll get them out there and let's go."
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One opportunity was missed, but another awaits when play begins Sunday.
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Players Mentioned
GK
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's SoccerColorado State Soccer: Fout (L), Hagen (M), McGowan (R) (9/1/25)
Monday, September 01
Colorado State Soccer: Mia Casey (L) & Kate Dunne (R) (8/6/25)
Wednesday, August 06
Colorado State Soccer: Keeley Hagen Media (8/6/25)
Wednesday, August 06
Colorado State Soccer: Keeley Hagen Preseason 2024
Wednesday, August 14