GUNNISON, Colo.  A pair of goals just before halftime broke open a tie game and helped lift visiting Cal State San Bernardino to a 5-1 non-conference victory over host Western Colorado Friday afternoon at Katy O. Rady Field.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: CSSB def. Western, 5-1
Records: Western 0-6, CSSB 2-2-1
Location: Katy O. Rady Field, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Friday's scoring began early, as the visiting Coyotes lit up the scoreboard first, pushing a breakaway and cross into the box inside the left post late in the fourth minute of first-half action.
• Western's deficit didn't last long however, as one minute later Natsuki Murakami found the equalizer from the CSSB doorstep.
• Mountaineer pressure in their attacking third resulting in a corner kick attempt, with Sarah Connolly lining up to insert from the corner.
• Her strike was a line drive that hugged the goal line and landed just past the near post where Murakami beat her defender to the spot and deflected the cross up high under the crossbar and just inside the left post.
• Neither team pressured with on-frame shots for the next 35 minutes, but the last five minutes of the half turned the momentum toward the Coyotes as they broke the tie late I the 41st minute then added a dagger two minutes later to take a two-goal advantage into the intermission.
• A fourth goal for CSSB was added in the 60th and another in the 85th that squashed any comeback hopes by the Mountaineers, who got off six shots in second-half action but only one of those on frame.

PITCH NUMBERS

• Aubree Orosco would finish with six saves in taking the loss for Western, while CSSB's Ryann Munoz would earn the win after collecting four saves.
• The Coyotes would forge a 17-11 advantage in total shots, and an 11-5 edge in shots on goal.

THEY SAID IT


UP NEXT
The Mountaineers will square off Sunday morning at 10 a.m. against Nebraska-Kearney at Rady Field in Western's final non-conference game on its schedule.