GUNNISON, Colo.  Soccer hosted its Senior Day game Sunday at Katy O. Rady Field, with its nine seniors all taking the field in the starting lineup. Unfortunately for Western, visiting Black Hills State ended a three-year losing streak to the Mountaineers with a 3-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory.

The seniors — Grace Borden, Bridget Feely, Kylie Hickox, Natasha Kasozi, Abby Raio, Tawny Roberts, Kennedy Ross, Mary Wilson and Malia Yang – were honored with accompanying parents and friends in a post-game celebration at midfield

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Black Hills State def. Western, 3-1
Records: Western 4-8-3 overall (3-4-2 RMAC), Black Hills State 3-9-4 (3-6-1)
Location: Katy O. Rady Field, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Yellow Jackets put pressure on Western's defense right from the start, generating the first three shots of the game in the first seven minutes. And after Raio and Roberts finally broke the seal for Western, BHSU responded with the next four shots, culminating in an unassisted goal by Anacel Valenzuela-Acosta late in the 22nd minute.
• Black Hills would finish the first half with a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard and a 12-5 advantage in shots.
• The Mountaineers came out of the halftime break with more pressure from their attack as Cianna Thomas put a shot on goal and Ellie Kubena pushed a free kick just over the crossbar.
• Play went back to the other end for a brief time, but the Mountaineer attack again gained steam with possession down the right side of the field.
• Nearing the attacking third, Raio fought for possession along the right touch line, winning the 1-v-1 and immediately pressing in toward the box. Teammate Jordan Welsh had slipped behind a defender who had moved toward Raio, opening up a slot through which Raio fed a leading pass that Welsh pounded with inside the right post for the equalizer at the start of the 61st minute.
• The game remained knotted at 1-1 with Thomas getting two cracks at Dannelly and BHS's Hailey Warren getting a shot on Western goalie Aubree Orosco.
• Unassisted goals by Valenzuela-Acosta and Katy Vinton just 103 seconds apart, though, put Western in a two-goal deficit with just 12 minutes remaining.
• Elliott Dolan would nearly put one past Dannelly in the 79th, and Kubena would get another shot on a free kick opportunity, but the Yellow Jackets were able to hold firm against Western's final push to end a three-game losing streak to the Mountaineers.

TURF NOTES

• The Mountaineers, outshot in the first 45 minutes, equaled BHS in the second half, with each attack ringing up nine shots.
• Thomas ended the game with four total shots, three of which were on frame requiring Dannelly's efforts to keep Thomas off the scoresheet.
• Welsh scored her second goal of the season, following up on her game-winning goal Friday in a victory over visiting Regis University.
• Orosco would finish the day with six saves while Dannelly came up with five in earning the win for the Yellow Jackets.
• The loss slips Western back one spot in the RMAC standings to eighth, with 11 points, one point ahead of Black Hills State and Colorado Christian University. The top eight teams in the final regular season standings will advance into the RMAC tournament.

THEY SAID IT
 

UP NEXT

• Western closed its home schedule with Sunday's game and will finish on the road for it's last three games, beginning with a Friday match at MSU Denver (8-3-4, 7-2 RMAC).
• The weekend continues with a Sunday morning game at Colorado Christian.