DENVER – Jaime Gutierrez (Aurora, Colo./Aurora West College Prep Academy) feels like he just did what he's supposed to do.
 
Specifically, that's putting the ball in the net.
 
"I'm excited about it and it feels good to score my first goal here," Gutierrez said. "But I'm a forward, so I have to score goals."
 
Gutierrez, playing his second game at the collegiate level, scored a first-half goal and helped Metropolitan State University of Denver picked up a significant 1-0 non-conference win Sunday over NCAA Division II No. 15 St. Edward's (Texas) in men's soccer at the Regency Athletic Complex.
 
The Roadrunners bounced back after falling 2-1 at home to St. Mary's (Texas) on Friday with a victory over a St. Edward's team that has made four straight NCAA Division II tournament appearances and is picked to finish second in the Heartland Conference.
 
"It was hard to start the season with a loss, so we had to get our mindset back and focus our negative energy, our anger, towards this game," Gutierrez said.
 
The Hilltoppers (0-2) didn't manage to put a shot on goal.
 
"The difference today was our communication," Roadrunner assistant coach Aaron King said. "That helped us stay together as a unit."
 
Gutierrez scored with 26:02 left in the first half, after MSU Denver's Bryce Montes (Highlands Ranch, Colo./ThunderRidge) made a perfect lead pass along the sideline.
 
"Bryce had space, and I saw there was a little gap between the defenders," Gutierrez said. "So I ran behind them and that created some space for the 1 v 1. I saw the keeper was a little off his line and I saw the space behind him, so I just took that space."
 
Gutierrez, working in close quarters inside the box, had to put enough on the shot to get it over the head of goalkeeper William Tuffin, yet touch it softly enough that it didn't sail over the goal.
 
"Very happy to see him score his first goal," King said. "That was a very good finish."
 
Gutierrez kept up the pressure on offense by putting another shot on goal, and on defense by chasing Hilltoppers players trying to mount an attack.
 
"He did a great job today," Roadrunner midfielder Yannick Schad (Munich, Germany/Theodolinden-Gymnasium) said. "His composure in front of the net (was impressive). And he worked really, really hard. He ran a lot. He's one of the fittest guys on the team."
 
MSU Denver survived a scare when Cody Spitzer put a long shot off the crossbar with 2:30 left, but held on and finished the opening weekend on a positive note.
 
"It was a great team win," Schad said. "Everyone worked for each other. Everyone gave everything for each other."