It was a complete team effort Friday night in Denver, as the Wildcats pulled ahead of the Rangers with a great play by the Pieri sisters, who connected for the 85th-minute game-winner. Hannah Pieri slotted a perfectly weighted pass to the top-left side of the 18-yard box for the waiting Avery Pieri, creating space for herself, and the Ranger's keeper couldn't help but watch as the ball dropped into the net. The transfer silenced the home crowd as she lifted the Wildcats to their first regular season win.
After a poor clearance from the home team, Jiana Martin pounced on the chance to fire a strike right down the center of the frame, catching the keeper off her line and giving the Wildcats the 1-0 lead in the 31st minute of the first half. Martin's solo effort notched her first collegiate goal with the vicious strike that slid below the bar.
The higher elevation didn't appear to hinder the visitors as they continued to hold off Regis and maintain constant pressure throughout the match. Emma Hofmann made four monumental saves in the victory, and ten different Wildcats found an opportunity at goal.
Unfortunately, an unlucky handball in the 79th minute drew a penalty kick for the home side, which Hofmann guessed correctly, making the save—until the pouncing Rangers put it in the net on the rebound, tying it up.
The Wildcats fought through exhaustion and kept battering away in their attacking third, finally ending with Avery Pieri showing her striking expertise with the game-winning blast. She opens up her account with the Wildcat's, after subbing back in at the 81st minute mark, receiving an outstanding defense splitting pass from her sister.
Four other 'Cats were on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes and four other's recording their first minutes for the program.
Their road trip continues with another non-conference matchup against No.4 Colorado School of Mines Orediggers, a program that made a strong run in last year's national tournament, falling in the quarterfinals to Western Washington. Kickoff will be at 11 a.m. in Golden, broadcast through the RMAC Network.
