PUEBLO, Colo. (Oct. 11, 2026) – The No. 7 nationally ranked Colorado State University Pueblo men's soccer team continued its unbeaten run Sunday afternoon as the ThunderWolves scored twice in the second half to secure a 2-0 shutout victory over No. 14 Fort Lewis College in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference showdown at Art & Lorraine Gonzales Stadium.
With the victory, CSU Pueblo improved to 10-0-2 overall and 4-0-2 in RMAC play, taking sole possession of first place in the conference standings. Meanwhile, Fort Lewis fell to 7-4-2 overall and 4-2-0 in league action.
Junior Juan Pablo Orozco Soto continued his impressive offensive stretch, scoring the eventual game-winning goal in the 51st minute, while Don Carlo Rank added an insurance goal in the 82nd minute to seal the ThunderWolves' victory.
The win also marked another impressive defensive performance for the Pack, which limited the Skyhawks to just five shots, including only one on goal, en route to another clean sheet.
Sunday's nationally ranked matchup opened as a tightly contested defensive battle, with neither side finding the back of the net during the opening 45 minutes.
Fort Lewis generated the first scoring opportunity just under two minutes into the contest before adding another attempt in the 11th minute. The Skyhawks nearly broke through in the 29th minute when Fabrizio Aguilera sent a shot off the crossbar.
CSU Pueblo began generating opportunities later in the half, with João Lutz recording the Pack's first shot in the 33rd minute before senior Nick Cenek followed with an attempt in the 38th minute.
The complexion of the match changed late in the opening period when Fort Lewis midfielder Raul Baptista Filipe was shown a red card in the 43rd minute, forcing the Skyhawks to play the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
Despite the numerical advantage, CSU Pueblo entered halftime locked in a scoreless draw after both teams recorded three shots in the opening period.
The ThunderWolves wasted little time taking advantage after intermission.
Just over five minutes into the second half, Orozco Soto broke the scoreless tie in the 51st minute, finding the back of the net at the 50:25 mark off an assist from Silvio Termini. The goal was Orozco Soto's fifth of the season and ultimately stood as the game-winner.
Following the opening score, the Pack continued applying offensive pressure, recording 10 second-half shots while keeping the Skyhawks' attack in check.
CSU Pueblo eventually doubled its advantage in the 82nd minute when Rank scored his first goal of the season at the 81:23 mark. Gabriel Marchesoni and Leonardo Vilchis were each credited with assists on the play, giving the ThunderWolves a commanding 2-0 advantage with less than nine minutes remaining.
The Pack's defense held firm over the closing minutes to secure the shutout and preserve its unbeaten record.
For the match, CSU Pueblo held a 13-5 advantage in total shots, including a 6-1 edge in shots on goal. The ThunderWolves also finished with four corner kicks compared to five for Fort Lewis.
Rank, Cenek, Marchesoni and Logan Cozier each recorded two shots to lead the Pack, while Orozco Soto and Rank accounted for CSU Pueblo's two goals.
In goal, Esteban Gonzalez played all 90 minutes and recorded one save to earn the shutout victory. Fort Lewis goalkeepers Lucas Martin and Fred Reiter combined for four saves in the loss.
The victory extended CSU Pueblo's unbeaten start to 12 matches and gave the ThunderWolves another nationally ranked victory as they continued their push toward the RMAC regular-season title.
Up Next
CSU Pueblo will hit the road next weekend for a pair of RMAC contests. The ThunderWolves open the weekend on Friday, Oct. 16, against MSU Denver before closing the road trip on Sunday, Oct. 18, against Colorado Christian.
