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Schedule

@MSUDenverWSOC: No. 7 MSU Denver Takes Tough Loss at No. 11 Western Washington
Caleb Dunlop/CWU Athletics Communications
1
MSU Denver MSUD (2-1-1)
2
Winner Western Washington WWU (3-1-1)
MSU Denver MSUD
(2-1-1)
1
Final
2
Western Washington WWU
(3-1-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
MSU Denver MSUD 1 0 1
Western Washington WWU 0 2 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | by Nate Lake

@MSUDenverWSOC: No. 7 MSU Denver Takes Tough Loss at No. 11 Western Washington

Banks’ fifth goal of season not enough for the Roadrunners

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Senior forward Reigna Banks (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield) has been on an absolute tear to start the 2018 season for the seventh-ranked Metropolitan State University of Denver women's soccer team. Banks' fifth goal in the season's first four games was not enough for the Roadrunners on Saturday night, however, as MSU Denver (2-1-1) dropped a tough road contest to a very good Western Washington (3-1) team by a score of 2-1.

"I thought our effort and intensity was good," head coach Tracy Chao said following the game. "There's a reason why (Western Washington is) one of the top teams in the nation. It was a really hard fought 90 minutes, but at the end of the day they executed their plan and we didn't execute ours."

MSU Denver took a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute thanks to Banks, who struck from seven yards out after recovering a lost ball about 35 yards away from the goal. The senior star has scored at least once in the first four games of the season, nearly matching her 2017 total of six goals already. She matched a season best with four shots on Saturday night, putting three on frame. Sophomore forward Gabriella Gamboa (Prosper, Texas/Prosper), the reigning RMAC Offensive Player of the Week, accounted for MSU Denver's remaining two shots on goal.

Unfortunately, Banks' goal was the lone score of the night for the Roadrunners, who took nine shots and put five on goal. While MSU Denver held an 8-7 advantage in shots during the first half, the Vikings poured it on in the second half, taking 12 shots to the Roadrunners' two. WWU ended up with a 20-11 advantage in shots and an 11-5 advantage in shots on goal.

The flurry of shots from WWU finally resulted in an equalizer in the 70th minute from sophomore midfielder Grace Eversaul before senior forward and offensive powerhouse Gabriela Pelogi notched the game-winner in the 83rd minute at Harrington Field.

Preseason All-RMAC selection Erica Torres (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield) notched eight saves in goal for the Roadrunners, her third straight game with at least that many.

The No. 7 Roadrunners return home for the start of RMAC play next weekend, facing New Mexico Highlands at 7 p.m. MT Friday and CSU-Pueblo at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Follow @MSUDenverWSOC and @MSUDenverSports on Twitter for additional coverage.
 
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