DENVER, Colo. (GoThunderWolves.com - Sept. 23, 2012) - CSU-Pueblo recovered from a lackluster first half to nearly steal victory from Metro State Sunday, ultimately falling 4-3.
The ThunderWolves were flat in the first half, getting out-shot 8-3 as Metro State netted two goals in the half. CSU-Pueblo was showing a lack of sharpness that was threatening to put the Pack in a potential blowout situation.
Luckily for CSU-Pueblo, the team rallied back together and put a totally different product on the field in the second half. The ThunderWolves began with intensity and took just 63 seconds to score its first goal, coming on a touch pass to Jonny Sawyer (So., Aurora, Colo.). Just 18 seconds later, Matt Marchena (Fr., Littleton, Colo.) shot a ball from 23 yards out, finding the back of the net and suddenly tying the game at 2-2.
Four minutes after that, Dustin Geist (Jr., Durango, Colo.) took a feed from Marchena on a through ball and sent it toward the back of the net to put CSU-Pueblo up 3-2 in a remarkable turn of events.
Metro State, however, tied things up in the 53rd minute on a Kevin Pocalyko goal, and broke the Pack's back in the 80th minute with the game-winner from Andrew Mejia, finding the left corner of the net.
The hot-cold nature of the game for the Pack was frustrating, Pack coach Roy Stanley said, and created lots of questions.
"Can we put together a full 90 minutes against a quality team?" Stanley asked. "Can we maintain intensity for a full game? We were not working, not running and not making smart decisions in the first half, and that shows a lack of preparation from both the players and the coaches."
The second half awakening, however, was great to see, Stanley said, but makes it all the more frustrating, as the team showed it could beat anybody as long as it played a quality game from whistle to whistle.
"We need to start a game against a quality team and have consistency from beginning to end," Stanley said. "We had them in the second half and things were going our way, but it was the same guys going through the motions in the first half that fixed it in the second. We need the confidence to do what we need to do against a fresh, rested defense for an entire game."
After a tough string of games recently, CSU-Pueblo will get a much-needed week off, next taking the field on Sunday when it takes on UC-Colorado Springs in a "Steel and Silver Series" rivalry matchup at Rawlings Soccer Complex.
