PUEBLO, Colo. (April 10, 2016) – Entering Sunday's game as an underdog, Colorado State University-Pueblo kept it close against Westminster College for a half. However, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference leading Griffins pulled away from the Pack in the second half to leave Southern Colorado with a 17-10 win.
With the loss, CSU-Pueblo's record stands at 3-7 (0-4 RMAC). Westminster improved to 6-1 (5-0 RMAC). The Griffins outshot the Pack 59-31. They also held a 20-11 advantage in the faceoff circle.
Kelton Himmelberg (Jr., Centennial, Colo.) scored two goals in the first quarter as he helped the Pack take an early lead. Himmelberg also grabbed five ground balls for the Pack.
Jamil Modaffari (Sr., Penn Yan., N.Y.) led the Pack with three goals and four total points. Modaffari scored three of the Pack's four goals in the second half. He now has 25 points with 19 goals and six assists on the season.
Sophomore Cody Bolen (Castle Rock, Colo.) finished with two goals and an assist. Bolen scored on his only two shot attempts of the game. Bolen has two or more goals in five of his last six games and 17 goals on the season.
Nick Matzek (R-Fr., Tustin, Calif.) added to his scoring lead as he struck for two goals and an assist. Matzek has 32 points with 23 goals and nine assists in 2016.
The Pack jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals form Himmelberg and Matzek. After Westminster got on the board, the Pack scored two more times. Himmelberg's second and Bolen's first put the Pack up 4-1 over the RMAC's top ranked team.
Westminster would put up one more to cut the Pack's lead to 4-2 after one. Following another Griffin goal, Weston Bartgis (Fr., El Cajon, Calif.) launched in a feed from Blake Foerster (So., Centennial, Colo.) to the push the Pack's lead back up two. Foerster finished with two assists. Ethan Wall (Fr., Olathe, Kan.) also added two helps for the Pack.
Matzek would get one more for the Pack, but Westminster closed the first half on a two-goal run. The Griffins put in three of the final four goals before intermission to tie the game at six.
The Griffins scored the first five goals of the second half. Modaffari netted the Pack's only goal of the third quarter five minutes into the frame.
Westminster would outscore the Pack 7-1 in the third. This run would give the Griffins a 13-7 lead heading into the fourth.
After Westminster tacked on the first three goals of the final quarter, the Pack unleashed a three goal barrage of its own. Modaffari scored twice during this run, while Bolen would score the Pack's final goal. Despite this run, the Pack would end up on the losing end of a 17-10 final.
Nick Richards (So., Henderson, Nev.) stopped a season-high 20 shots. He faced 37 balls in the losing effort stopping 54.1 percent of the shots he faced. Despite the season-high save total, Richards' record fell to 2-4.
Tanner Hall (Sr., Gilbert, Ariz.) had four groundballs in the loss. He won seven faceoffs for the Pack. Brian Feiler (So., Verona, Wis.) also snagged four ground balls.
CSU-Pueblo returns to action Saturday when they visit Adams State University. Opening faceoff between the ThunderWolves and Grizzlies is set for 4 p.m.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
