Roadrunners party in Vegas, N.M.
by Sam DeWitt
The Metropolitan
Forget the Roadrunners. Let's call them the Road-Warriors.
The Metro State women's soccer team began a four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road trip last weekend with two trips south of the Mile High City. 
(Photo by Danny Holland The Metropolitan)
Sophomore forward Kylee Hanavan rushes to score against Incarnate Word Sept. 5. Hanavan leads the team in points with a total of 20. Hanavan, a second team All-American transfer from Western Nebraska Community College, also leads the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in goals scored, 9.
They came back to town with two more victories (their first road wins of the year), and a sunny disposition that should serve them well throughout the rest of the season.
The first match came in Las Vegas, N.M., against a highly regarded New Mexico Highlands team looking for an upset of the No. 9 Roadrunners. Metro came out strong and played tough, winning 4-1 behind two goals by RMAC leading scorer Kylee Hanavan.
"Kylee's doing really well for us," said Roadrunner head coach Danny Sanchez. "We knew she was a quality player, and with our other weapons like Amy (Leichliter) and Ymara (Guante), we knew she'd fit in really well."
All the weapons in the Metro arsenal were firing on Friday night against the Cowgirls, with three different Roadrunners scoring on goal, and a difference in shots favoring Metro 25-6. By the end of the match, eight different Roadrunners had shots on goal.
"I'm very pleased with our performance," coach Sanchez said. "Las Vegas is a tough place, and we came out and played very well."
The next stop on the Roadrunners Magical Mystery Tour was Alamosa, Colo., for a matchup with the Adams State Grizzlies. Last year's battle in Alamosa yielded a 2-1 overtime victory for Metro, so no one was taking Adams State for granted.
The visiting Roadrunners came out of the gate fast, with senior defender Meisha Pyke scoring in the third minute of play, and senior defender Elin Otter adding her own goal in the fifth minute. The goals were the first on the season for each player. The two goals really set the tone for the match, as Metro again dominated in the total shots column, with 39 to Adams State's 11. The final score: Metro State 3, Adams State 0.
"It's nice to be undefeated in the RMAC," Pyke said. "We haven't really gotten to the challenging part of our schedule yet, so we're staying grounded. Being on the road this week will be a challenge though, so we've got to be ready."
The Roadrunners continue their quest for a perfect RMAC season on the
road this weekend, taking on Mesa State on Friday in Grand Junction, then
traveling to Durango to do battle with the Skyhawks of Fort Lewis on Sunday.
You can get your Metro State Soccer fix 24 hours a day at www.mscd.edu/~runners.
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