SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster men's soccer team cut a three-goal deficit to one late in the second half before falling 4-2 to MSU Denver in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams at Dumke Field on Friday evening.
 
Westminster (1-2, 0-1 RMAC) trailed 3-0 with five minute remaining when Jonnathan Rodriguez redirected a cross from Ivan Lezama into the goal for his first goal of the season. Just over one minute later, Jordan Jones played a ball into the penalty area where is was Rodriguez again that finished to make it 3-2 with just over three minutes remaining.
 
MSU Denver (3-1-1, 1-0) responded only 26 seconds later as Kevin Beck hit a shot off the post that bounced to Jaydon Moreschini to settle and fire into the net for the final 4-2 advantage.
 
The visiting Roadrunners led for much of the evening as Dustin Berg scored in the ninth minute to give them an early lead. Brock Labertew made it 2-0 in the 57th minute when he found a loose ball in the box following a free kick. Berg would then add his second of the contest in the 70th minute on a shot from distance.
 
The goal goals by Rodriguez are his first two of the season and game just over a year since he scored twice in a game against Midland on September 12, 2014. The 1:14 between goals is the ninth-fastest two-goal span by the Griffins since 2006.
 
MSU Denver finished the game with an 18-7 edge in shot attempts with the Griffins getting four of their seven attempts on goal. The visiting side and a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks and committed 12 fouls to the 11 by Westminster.
 
Rodriguez scored his two goals on his only two shots on the game. Hunter Stutz also got two shots off with Jacob Smith and Hunter Kone getting the other Griffin shots on goal.
 
Sean Lyne suffered the loss in goal despite making seven saves.
 
Westminster will return to action on Sunday when they host UC Colorado Springs in a game that starts at 2:30 p.m. at Dumke Field.