DENVER – Any lingering doubt about the potential of the Metropolitan State University of Denver women's soccer team was addressed Monday afternoon.
 
Yes, the Roadrunners fell 2-1 to Colorado School of Mines, but they gave the fourth-ranked Orediggers all they could ask for at Regency 
Athletic Complex.
 
"Mines is a good team," MSU Denver coach Tracy Chao said. "But we're right there with them. That could've gone either way.
 
"We're still a fantastic team with great players."
 
Hit with a gut-punch when Kaylee Kennedy scored only 1:23 into the game, MSU Denver came right back as Reigna Banks (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield) scored just 71 seconds later.
 
"Obviously giving up a goal in the first couple of minutes isn't ideal," Chao said. "But for us to get one back right away was awesome. That was a huge moment for us."
 
Banks took the blame for an errant pass that set up Mines' first goal. 
 
And she quickly amended it by scoring her Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference-leading 12 th goal of the season, taking a bouncing pass from Jaimy Sawaged (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) and spinning to kick the ball with her right foot into the left-hand corner.
 
"Somebody headed it back in, and I got a touch off my chest and got turned around," Banks said. "I had just given up that goal, so I had just put it in my head that I was going to even it back up. There was no way I was missing that one."
 
After scoring nine goals in the first six games of the season, Banks had a four-game drought but has no put together a four-game goal streak.
 
Eventually, Mines' Hannah Stoner drilled a shot from left to right from the top of the penalty box in the 35^thminute for what proved to be the game-winner.
 
Each team took 18 shots, with Mines (13-1-1 overall, 10-0 RMAC) putting eight on goal. Erica Torres (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield) made some terrific saves to keep the Roadrunners in position to tie or win.
 
MSU Denver (9-4-1 overall, 7-3 and tied for third in the RMAC table with 21 points) had four shots on goal.
 
"It's a loss we can learn from," midfielder Brooklynn Mooney (Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield) said. "We're going to continue to play good teams. We have to keep our heads up."
 
So, the family feud between the Mooneys and Sawageds went Mines' way. Mines goalkeeper Shannon Mooney had three saves, including redirecting a header from her cousin, Brooklynn, which led to a playful push from her long-time club and high school teammate. Shannon Mooney's sister Jessica is another Roadrunner, while sisters Jaimy (MSU Denver) and Giselle (Mines) Sawaged also were on separate sides.
 
"It was a lot of fun playing against them," Jessica Mooney (Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield) said. "They're a good team, and they like to possess. It's more fun playing against teams like that because it's good soccer."
 
MSU Denver kept putting on the pressure but could never get the second equalizer against a Mines team that had previously given up only five goals all season.
 
"Ultimately we had a couple of chances to tie, and Torres made some great saves to keep us in the game," Chao said.
 
The Roadrunners are off until Sunday, when they have another huge home match, this one at noon against the 16^th-ranked University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (11-2-1, 9-1), which pushed Mines to overtime before losing 2-1 Friday.
 
There's no time for dejection.
 
"We'll starting preparing for UCCS," Banks said. "This game is over. We know what we did wrong. We know what we did well. We'll be ready by Sunday."