PUEBLO, Colo. (September 29, 2024) - The No. 9 ranked Colorado State University Pueblo welcomed No. 5 University of Colorado Colorado Springs to Art & Lorraine Gonzales Stadium for a nonconference matinee on Sunday, falling 2-1 to the Mountain Lions in front of a large crowd.

Sunday's match was the Pack's second in a row against a Top 25 opponent, and a familiar RMAC-foe in as many games.

On Pueblo Rangers Youth Day at Gonzales Stadium, the ThunderWolves welcomed all Pueblo Rangers youth to join and cheer on the team.

In the match, Giancarlo Pretto (Sr., Lajeado Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil) scored his second goal of the season off a corner kick and fired a deflected shot off the keeper and went top shelf into the net.

CSU Pueblo registered 15 shots against nine from UCCS. Ignatius DeMark (Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.) led the ThunderWolves offense with four shots. 

Pretto, along with Jack Pascoe (Sr., Barry, Wales) and Ruben Marquez (Jr., Kissimmee, Fla.) each fired two shots on goal.

How It Happened
The ThunderWolves were unlucky on the first goal allowed after it crossed into the net in just the fourth minute for UCCS to take an early 1-0 lead.

After giving up the goal, it sparked the Pack offense and they would record four shots and earn two corners over a seven minute span but suffocating defense from the Mountain Lions resulted in each shot to go out of play.

The Pack's next best scoring chance came in the 34th minute on SOG from Marquez.

CSU Pueblo's attack continued as the offense earned five additional corners throughout the period and on the fifth attempt, a corner taken by captain Caio Oliveira (Sr., Espigao d'Oeste, Brazil) was fed into the box and after a shot attempt deflected, Pretto found the loose ball with under two minutes on the clock in the first half.

At intermission, CSU Pueblo led 10-4 in shots and held a 5-1 corner kick advantage.

In the second half, the evenly matched battle continued as nine fouls were called between the teams after ten were called in the first half.

The game intensity picked up starting in the 69th minute after a UCCS goal kick, the Mountain Lions drove the ball and was able to get behind the defense and a foul called while the play was inside the 18-yard box resulted in a penalty kick for the Mountain Lions.

The attempt was taken from earlier goal scorer Miles Seminario and Pack goalkeeper Ruben Volkert (Gr., Baden-Württemberg, Germany) made a tremendous save but his defense was not quick enough to the loose ball and Seminario rushed in and was able to get a foot on the ball and it reach inside the net for the 2-1 lead.

The Pack managed two more shots including one SOG over the last twenty minutes but the Mountain Lions slowed the pace and played keep away for much of the rest of the game.

Volkert finished his day with three saves against nine shots and five SOG.

CSU Pueblo (5-2-1) will open RMAC play this week and travel to MSU Denver on Thursday starting at 7 p.m. and will battle at Colorado School of Mines on Sunday starting at 12 p.m. in Golden.