SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Owen Gallo scored the only goal of the match at 55:01, and the Westminster men's soccer team held MSU Denver without a shot on target in a 1-0 win on Friday night at Dumke Field. The Griffins out-shot the Roadrunners 9-5, put five shots on goal, and moved up to fifth in the RMAC standings.
Game Breakdown
First Half
Westminster controlled the early chances, out-shooting MSU Denver 4-1 in the first half. Gallo tested Roadrunners goalkeeper Dominic Miller twice, with saved shots at 18:46 and 20:42, and the Griffins earned a corner kick at 20:49. Gallo had another shot go wide at 33:02, and Stellan Blomberg's attempt at 33:57 went wide right. MSU Denver's lone first-half shot was a Jared Mojardin attempt that went wide right at 24:23. Miller made two saves in the half, and the match went to the break scoreless.
Second Half
Gallo broke the deadlock at 55:01, finishing off an assist from Parker Stebbing to give Westminster a 1-0 lead. The Griffins kept pressing for a second goal. Gage Wood forced a save from Miller at 58:32, Stebbing sent a shot high at 59:09, and Ethan Ross was denied by Miller at 75:27. Wood had another look at 79:00, but it went wide left.
The Griffins held the Roadrunners without a shot on target for the entire match. MSU Denver managed four second-half shots, but three were blocked, with John Lucio at 52:51, Aran Garza at 65:09, and Gavin Wunsch at 72:51, and Garza's other attempt went wide right at 72:57. Westminster held on for the 1-0 win.
Griffin Performances
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Owen Gallo scored the game-winning goal, his fifth of the season, and led all players with four shots, three on target, over 90 minutes
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Parker Stebbing recorded the assist on Gallo's goal and added a shot in 90 minutes
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Gage Wood put a shot on goal in 49 minutes off the bench
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Ethan Ross put a shot on goal in 90 minutes
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Oliver Olsen earned the win and the shutout in goal over 90 minutes, with no shots on target to face
Final Stats
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Shots: Westminster 9, MSU Denver 5
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Shots on Goal: Westminster 5, MSU Denver 0
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Corner Kicks: Westminster 4, MSU Denver 4
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Fouls: MSU Denver 11, Westminster 8
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Saves: MSU Denver 4 (Miller), Westminster 0 (Olsen)
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Offsides: Westminster 0, MSU Denver 0
With the win, Westminster improves to 6-6-4 overall and 4-3-1 in RMAC play. The Griffins move up to fifth in the standings with 13 points, one point behind fourth-place UCCS and two ahead of South Dakota Mines. CSU Pueblo, Regis, and Fort Lewis have clinched berths in the RMAC Tournament.
Up Next
Westminster hosts Colorado Christian on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 12 p.m. MT at Dumke Field for Senior Day. The Griffins then travel to Grand Junction, Colo., to face Colorado Mesa on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m. MT.
