PUEBLO, Colo. (November 3, 2024) - The No. 16 ranked Colorado State University Pueblo men's soccer team celebrated Senior Day in a big way on Sunday and scored a season high seven goals, en route to a 7-0 shutout win over South Dakota Mines, earning three very important Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference points heading into next week's regular season finale, here on Sunday at Art & Lorraine Gonzales Stadium.

With the win, CSU Pueblo now leads the RMAC with 22 conference points, just ahead of Regis with 21 conference points and UCCS who has 20 conference points. The regular season finishes on Wednesday as the ThunderWolves will go into hostile territory and battle at nationally ranked UCCS with the RMAC title still up for grabs.

In the game, the ThunderWolves were led Tobi Osifodunrin (Sr., Brighton, Colo.) who recorded a hat trick, along with two goals from Jose Bustamante (Jr., Davie, Fla.) and one goal each from Dylan Zavatini (Gr., Santa Catarina, Brazil) and Robert Zanfir (Sr., Dallas, Tex.).

It was a friendly and helpful match for the ThunderWolves as five players recorded an assist.

"Perfect performance today to honor our outgoing seniors. We were dominant in every facet of the game. Jose with 2 goals and Tobi with a hat trick demonstrated our continued improvement in the final third," said Pack Head Coach Oliver Twelvetrees. "Now we have the chance to complete our first goal of the season and win the RMAC on Wednesday. We are playing our best football of the season at exactly the right time."

For the game, CSU Pueblo out shot South Dakota Mines by a 14-2 clip and earned eight corners.

The ThunderWolves scored four goals in the first half and three in the second.

The first score was delivered in the 20th minute when Bustamante took a pass from Luke Smith (Sr., Bolton, England) and put the ball into the net.

Less than five minutes later, the Pack again possessed the ball deep in Hardrocker territory and after a scramble inside the 6-yard box, Osifodunrin was able to get a piece of the ball and the ball went just under the hands of SDM goalkeeper Daniel Freitas.

Four more minutes passed before the ThunderWolves added a third goal off a throw in from Ignatius DeMark (Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.) found Zavatini, and he was able to get his noggin on the ball and sent it inside the left post for the 3-0 lead.

Osifodunrin scored his second goal in the match during the 31st minute on a pass from Jack Pascoe (Sr., Barry, Wales, England).

At the break, CSU Pueblo led 4-0 and had recorded five shots and earned all eight of its corners for the game came in the first forty-five minutes.

At the net, Ruben Volkert (Gr., Baden-Württemberg, Germany) started for the Pack and stood tall and faced zero shots from the Hardrockers. Ryan Nun (So., Broomfield, Colo.) entered in between the posts to start the second half.

In the second period, Bustamante added the fifth score and his second of the match, during the 57th minute after a counterattack by the ThunderWolves allowed for them to drive the ball forward. Logan Cozier (R-Fr., Pickering, Ontario, Canada) and Joey Joiner (Sr., Westminster, Colo.) were credited with assists on the play.

In the 67th minute, a called foul was called against SDM while inside the penalty box and earned the Pack a PK attempt and was taken by Osifodunrin and he stepped in calm as can be and earned his first hat trick at CSU Pueblo.

Nun faced two shots and made one save during the final period and maintained the clean sheet victory.

Following the match, Coach Twelvetrees, his staff and players recognized and honored 15 players who are ending their soccer playing careers at the conclusion of the season.

CSU Pueblo (12-3-2, 7-1-1 RMAC) will return to the pitch on Wednesday for its biggest contest of the season at UCCS, beginning at 5 p.m. at Mountain Lion Stadium.