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Porras gets No. 40 as Metro sweeps
Career scoring mark set by midfielder in weekend matchups
By Eric Lansing
lansing@mscd.edu

Photo by Chuck Iversen • civerse1@mscd.edu Metro midfielder Antonio Porras fights for possession of the ball with CSU-Pueblo midfielder Lawrence Paye at Auraria Field Sept. 17. The Roadrunners won on a header by Ian Lanier for a 1-0 victory. The win was the second of the weekend for the ‘Runners, who beat CU-Colorado Springs 6-1 at Auraria Field Sept. 15. During the win over the Mountain Lions, Porras scored two goals. With his second goal, Porras set the all-time Metro record for goals scored, which was previously held by Jared Zanon (1996-99).

Winning two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games is a proud accomplishment, especially when one of those teams was No. 14-ranked Colorado State-Pueblo. But the real success story of the weekend starred senior midfielder Antonio Porras, who became the school’s top career goal scorer Sept. 15 when he scored two goals against CU-Colorado Springs.

Porras’ goals were the 39th and 40th of his career. With a slight smile on a usually focused and determined face, he was not quite ready to celebrate.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Porras said. “We got an important game to go, so it probably won’t hit me until the game is over on Sunday.”

When asked if he was glad to get the record over with and if it had been weighing on his mind, Porras hesitated for a second. “Not really,” he said.

“We knew (about the record) coming in and if we just come out and play, things will happen,” Porras said. “You think about it here and there, but not too much that it will affect you.”

Porras and four other Roadrunners scored goals against CU-Colorado Springs in a 6-1 rout that saw the Roadrunners score three goals in the first half.

“We put up some goals early and put them away,” forward Shaun Elbaum said. Elbaum scored his sixth goal of the year and his third in three games. “That was the first time we actually kind of got some goals in the first half.”

Having played with Porras for two seasons, Elbaum knows the impact he had on his team and his school.

“His numbers say it all,” Elbaum said. “He’s a great player for this organization, this program, and I hope the best for him the rest of the year as well.”

Head coach Ken Parsons has witnessed most of Porras’s 40 goals, having coached him the last three seasons at Metro. He says it could not have happened to a better player.

“Tony (Porras) has been a model student athlete for this program,” Parsons said. “The guys are pleased that they got the opportunity to play with him.”

Setting the record on Friday didn’t hinder Porras’ and the team’s focus for their Sept. 17 match with CSU-Pueblo.

Metro pulled off the upset against the nationally ranked Thunderwolves in a 1-0 win at Auraria Field. Ian Lanier scored his first collegiate goal on a header assisted from defender Brad Gorham.

“CSU-Pueblo is very deserving of its ranking,” Parsons said. “It was difficult to find opportunities in this game but we did a good job in the first half and we were happy to have an early goal. It was important to score early in a gritty game like this one.”

The Roadrunners are riding high with a four-game winning streak, a 4-1 record in the RMAC, a win against a top-15 team and a great goal scorer in Porras.

Porras gave all the credit to teammates.

“I’ll thank my teammates because without them, I wouldn’t be able to do it,” Porras said. “With the people, staff, and everyone else, I think they helped me out. It was through them I was able to go out and (break the record).”

With the win, Metro’s overall record improves to 6-2. The ’Runners host the Rangers of Regis on Sept. 20 at Auraria Field.