DENVER – Jaime Gutierrez (Aurora, Colo./Aurora West College Prep Academy) had a hat trick, including two goals within 31 seconds in the second half, to lead the Metropolitan State University of Denver men's soccer team to a huge road victory on Friday, defeating rival Regis 5-0.
"What a great team performance and effort, from the starters, to the subs, to the bench," MSU Denver coach
Jeremy Tittle said. "The concentration levels and decision-making were superb today. The unity that this group shows continues to find new levels. It's a real strength for us."
Gutierrez, who now has a team-high seven goals, also had an assist. He got the Roadrunners' first goal of the game, then scored twice as MSU Denver pulled away in the second half.
The hat trick by Gutierrez was the first for an MSU Denver men's player since Danny Arrubla scored three times against Adams State on Oct. 23, 2012.
"Jaime's work-rate and defending were equal to his finishing today," Tittle said. "He seems to improve almost every week. We have a rich history of high-caliber forwards -- the Phil Owen to Scott Grode, to Danny Arrubla and Josh Belfrage -- just to name a few. If Jaime continues to work hard, increase consistency, and respond to training, then maybe we'll see his name mentioned in that company one day."
Jacob Coking (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) and
Julio Corona (Englewood, Colo./Strive Prep SMART) also scored once each as the Roadrunners improved to 8-7 overall and 7-4, good for 21 points, in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Regis dropped to 8-4-2 overall and 7-2-2 in the RMAC. The Rangers entered the game tied for second in the RMAC table with 23 points. At season's end, the top four teams in the RMAC receive home field for at least one game in the league tournament.
Gutierrez scored his first goal in the 17
th minute, on a header with an assist from
Elijah Fenton (Durango, Colo./Durango).
Julio Corona (Englewood, Colo./Strive Prep SMART) made it 2-0 in the 38
th minute with his second goal of the season, on an assist from
Juancarlos Chavez, Jr. (Aurora, Colo./Rangeview) Corona delivered from just inside the box and went to the upper left-hand corner from the right post.
It was 2-0 at halftime, but the Roadrunners – who lost a heart-breaking, 2-1 non-conference game with the Rangers in September on a goal with 11 seconds left – were just getting warmed up.
Coking scored his sixth goal of the season in the 53
rd minute, getting an assist from Gutierrez as well as goalkeeper
James Tanner (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens), to make it 3-0.
Then, on a 3-on-1 breakaway in the 60
th minute, Gutierrez finished with his left foot for a 4-0 lead.
Just 31 seconds later, Gutierrez calmly delivered a penalty-kick goal, shooting to the right as the goalkeeper dove in the other direction.
The Roadrunners put all five of their shots on goal in the net. Tanner had four saves in posting his fifth shutout of the season.
MSU Denver has won five of its last six games, falling only in overtime to ninth-ranked Colorado School of Mines, as it looks to continue its late-season roll Sunday at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
The Roadrunners have scored five goals twice in the last five games, a single-game total that is tied for the program's most since MSU Denver scored six during Arrubla's hat trick.
