GUNNISON, Colo.  For the second year in a row — and only the second time in program history — Western Colorado soccer defeated Regis University, earning a 3-2 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Friday afternoon at Katy O. Rady Field on Jordan Welsh's goal in the 68th minute.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Regis, 3-2
Records: Western 4-7-3 overall (3-3-2 RMAC), Regis 5-9-2 (4-5-1)
Location: Katy O. Rady Field, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Tied at 2-2, Regis had just taken possession and executed a goal kick, but the Rangers were unable to maintain possession with Western taking over in the midfield.
• Reilly Schindler would eventually end up with possession 30 yards out and split two Regis defenders with a through ball to Welsh. She chased it down and from 10 yards out with her second touch crossed a shot with her left foot past charging Ranger goalkeeper Kayla Arucan who was unable to make the save.
• Western played one of its better halves of the season during the opening 45 minutes of action. It came out strong from the opening whistle, generating possession in its attacking third, eventually resulting in a goal from Natsuki Murakami just five minutes in.
• Though the Rangers ended up outshooting the Mountaineers 10-4 in the half, Western equaled the visitors in possession time and took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
• Regis, though, turned the tables in the opening minute of the second half, getting the equalizer from Madeline Gardner in the first minute.
• Western pushed back in front five minutes later, however. Murakami earned possession deep in Ranger territory and right of the goal. From nearly the end line she sent a cross that made it all the way to the back post where Tawny Roberts was waiting with a step on her defender, deflecting the pass into the left corner for the go-ahead marker.
• The advantage did not last long as Natalie Bunch scored an unassisted goal four minutes later to knot the score up again at 2-2.
• Throughout this time, Western goalie Aubree Orosco was keeping her team in the game. She had four saves after that initial Ranger goal in the second half, and after Welsh's score made three more saves, one a point-blank shot from the top of the goal box.

TURF NOTES

• The ironies of Welsh's game-winner are that not only was it her first goal of the season and her first career game-winning goal, but she scored her first career goal last season in the game at Regis, opening the scoring in the Mountaineers' eventual 3-2 victory, their first over a Regis squad.
• Friday's game was also Murakami's first three-point game with her game-opening goal and her assist on the Roberts goal.
• Both teams generated more on the attack in the second half, with Western closing the gap in shots, 21-17 overall.
• Orosco, with 10 saves in the victory, reached double digits in saves for the third time this season.
• Friday's win gives Western 11 points in the RMAC standings, a figure that sits seventh – with the top eight teams in the regular season advancing to the postseason conference tournament.

UP NEXT

• Western closes out the home portion of its schedule with Sunday's 11 a.m. game against visiting Black Hills State (2-9-4, 2-6-1 RMAC).
• The game is billed as a White Out and will also serve as the team's Senior Game with nine graduating players getting recognized in a post-game ceremony.