GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado women's soccer used goals from Luci Gulbransen and Reece Mercer on Sunday to present its four graduating players with a 2-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory over visiting Colorado Christian University on Senior Day at Katy O. Rady Field.

The team gathered at midfield after the game to honor seniors Mei Hayashizaki, Laura Pelino, Abby Raio and Caileen Sienknecht.

Sunday's win lifts Western to ninth place in the league standings, one spot shy of a conference postseason playoff position with one regular-season game remaining.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Colorado Christian, 2-1
Records: Western 4-10-3 overall (4-6-1 RMAC), Colo. Christian 3-9-4 (2-7-3)
Location: Katy O. Rady Field, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Each team had scoring chances in the early going – including a team save by a Mountaineer defender in the 18th minute – but it was Western that would get on the scoresheet first.
• In the 24th minute, Gulbransen curled a 25-yard shot toward the top, right corner where it glanced off the post before finding its way into the back of the netting. Mercer had fed Gulbransen with a soft pass from the left side of the penalty box.
• The halftime break saw the Mountaineers still leading by that one goal after a half during which Western tallied eight shots to the Cougars' six shots.
• The Mountaineers were dominating play through much of the early going in the second half, ringing up seven shots in a 25-minute span while holding CCU without a shot.
• Mercer was on the receiving end of a well-placed pass for the second goal of the game. Gulbransen had gained possession and dribbled through the midfield in the opening seconds of the 75th, then found Brenna Wolfe to her left where Wolfe was able to bypass a defender and thread a through ball to Mercer on the right.
• CCU goalkeeper Alana Loop raced off her line to try to beat Mercer to the ball, but Mercer got their first, sliding in and sending a shot back across the goal for what would become the game-winning marker.
• The Cougars pressed their back line forward after that, creating pressure in its attacking third and eventually scoring a goal in the 79th to halve their deficit, but the score was too little, too late as Western finished off its fourth RMAC victory of the season.

TURF NOTES

• It was a … chilly … day at Katy O. Rady field, with snow flurries almost constant through the first half and a consistent, biting wind crossing from the north end to the south all game long.
• Gulbransen's goal was her second of the year and Mercer's her third. With a goal and an assist, it was Mercer's first career three-point game at Western.
• Hayashizaki would finish the game with a pair of saves, while Lopp faced more pressure in her end, needing to come up with seven saves to keep her team within striking distance.
• Western closed out the win with a 16-9 advantage in total shots and a 10-4 edge in shots on goal.

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS

• Western has 13 points in the league standings, one behind Westminster University and three behind Ford Lewis College.
• The Mountaineers close out their regular season Wednesday with a 3 p.m. home game against Fort Lewis.
• Westminster must face fifth-ranked Colorado Mesa University in its season finale on Wednesday.
• Teams get three points for a victory and one point for a tie within the RMAC standings.