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Yellowjackets stung
By Jeremy Johnson
jjohn308@mscd.edu

Photo by Heather A. Longway • longway@mscd.edu Metro forward Kylee Hanavan slides a penalty kick past Montana State-Billings goalkeeper Megan Plank to give the ‘Runners a 1-0 lead Oct. 6 at Auraria Field. Metro bounced back from their first loss of the season on Oct. 1 with a 5-0 win over the No. 8-ranked Yellowjackets. Hanavan has made all four of her penalty kick attempts this season.

With one loss the Metro women’s soccer team’s national ranking dropped from second to ninth. Now, one week later, the Roadrunners are climbing back into the national spotlight.

Metro’s success began with a swift 5-0 spanking of No. 8-ranked Montana State-Billings (11-3-0) Oct. 6 at Auraria Field.

“This was a huge win for us,” Metro head coach Danny Sanchez said. “We didn’t have a lot of room for error after losing to (Texas A&M) Commerce, so I was really pleased with how we came out today.”

After a slow start that included several key saves by Metro goalkeeper and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week Rachel Zollner, the ’Runners caught a break in the 32nd minute on a penalty inside the Yellowjackets’ goal box.

Forward Kylee Hanavan slid the free shot past the keeper on the right side for her 16th goal of the season. The senior is perfect in penalty kicks this year, hitting all four attempts.

Seven minutes later defensive back Brooke Kiefer hit Justine Montoya with a picture-perfect pass upfield. Montoya then beat Yellowjackets goalie Megan Plank in a one-on-one for the goal.

“Getting that second goal against the wind was really key,” Sanchez said. “I think in the second half, obviously, (the Yellowjackets) lost the fight a little bit.”

Sanchez’s sentiments could not have been truer as Metro outshot MSUB by a 10-1 ratio in the second half.

“We played a great team in Metro State today,” Yellowjacket head coach Don Trentham said. “They looked very good and very motivated, and I think it may have had something to do with their loss last week. And, obviously, they don’t lose at home.”

Forward Kira Sharp broke away less than two minutes into the second half to give Metro a 3-0 lead. Hanavan and forward Becca Mays added late goals to give the ’Runners the dominant win.

“We talked as a team about how we’re not going to let the loss do anything to us,” Sharp said. “I think, more than anything, it just put fire under us.”

Metro has won 57 straight games at home dating back to 2002.

“We needed this a lot, especially because we lost to a not-so-good team last week,” defensive back Jenna Oney said. “Being ranked ninth and (the Yellowjackets) eighth, I think we showed that we shouldn’t be there. We should be ranked higher.”

Metro wrapped up the weekend with a 5-0 win over Colorado State University-Pueblo Oct. 8 in Pueblo. Jessica Brown broke free in the 16th minute and beat the Thunderwolves’ goalie for the first score of the game. The game remained notched at 1-0 until Montoya scored Metro’s second goal in the 67th minute.

The ’Runners’ Katie Kilbey added three goals – two of them unassisted – in the final ten minutes of the game as the ’Runners beat CSU-Pueblo for the second time this season.

The ’Runners successful rebound from the last week’s loss in Texas improved their national ranking to seventh in Division II, while MSUB’s back-to-back losses to Metro and Regis dropped the Yellowjackets from the top 25 national rankings altogether.

“Everyone keeps talking about rankings but right now it doesn’t matter,” Sharp said. “It just matters at the end of the season and where we are in November.”

With the weekend sweep Metro is 14-1-0 overall and 8-0-0 in the RMAC. The ’Runners take on the University of Incarnate Word at Auraria Field Oct. 11 before resuming conference play against Colorado Christian and Colorado School of Mines on Oct. 13 and 15.

“We’re playing well and I think we’re improving,” Sanchez said. “So far, so good. But there’s a lot of soccer left.”