DENVER – Erica Torres continues her ascent up the MSU Denver women's soccer program's record book, which is no small feat considering the Roadrunners' rich history.
 
Not that anyone would ever notice.
 
"She's obviously going to have an impact on the field because of the way she leads by example," MSU Denver coach Tracy Chao said. "But her biggest legacy is just who she is, the kind of person she is. I knew she was going to be ready for her senior year, and I knew she would leave her mark on the freshmen, as well as the sophomores and juniors. I want them to remember her, as in 'Oh, Torres was this amazing person and did this for us,' because she does.
 
"On away trips, she's helping the freshmen do the laundry. She's helping them clean the water bottles. She's always the first one to pick up gear. You talk about servant-leadership? She's the one. People are going to remember the type of person and teammate she is. She embraces it all. She's all-in all the time."
 
On the pitch, Torres posted back-to-back shutouts over the weekend to earn Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Week honors for the third time in her career.
She tied Becca Maloney (2007-08) with her 25^th career shutout, and now trails only Mandy Allen (2002-05) and Rachel Zollner (2005-07), each with 36, on the career chart.
 
Torres, 5-6-2 this season, has 28 career victories and needs one win to tie Lisa Baskall (1989-92) for fifth on that list.
 
She'll have a couple of chances this weekend as the Roadrunners (5-6-2 overall, 4-2-2 and fourth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) play Friday at 11 a.m. at Colorado Christian (4-6-1, 2-4-1) and Sunday at noon at 14^th-ranked Colorado School of Mines (11-1-1, 7-0-1).
 
Moving up career lists for a program with two national championships and a long history of sustained success leaves Torres a little sheepish but also gives her a sense of pride.
 
"Every time I think about something like that, I kind of feel selfish looking at personal goals," Torres said. "But at the same time, you kind of have to acknowledge the significance of it. As a freshman and having an opportunity to play right away, I didn't think much about it. But fast-forward four years and now it's, 'Wow, I did that.'"
 
While MSU Denver has at times struggled to score goals despite dominating the run of play, Torres has been rock-solid in front of the net.
 
She has three shutouts in her last four games while allowing a total of one goal. Despite going a modest 2-1-1 in those games, Torres has posted an 0.24 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
 
In league play, Torres is first in the RMAC with three shutouts and ranks third with an 0.60 GAA and sixth with an .800 save percentage. For all games, she's first with four shutouts, fourth with an 0.74 GAA and fourth with a .796 save percentage. She is second in NCAA Division II with 1201:01 goalie minutes played.
 
"This is probably one of her lightest seasons in terms of shots against," Chao said. "We've consistently doubled and tripled our opponents in shots, for the most part. So it's the ability to stay plugged in for those three or four chances, because there's no team that hasn't put some pressure on us.
 
"She just knows where she needs to be. She's gotten smarter tactically and her reaction has gotten quicker. There's a sharpness in the box with her movements, and she's always had really good hands. Her quality as a goalkeeper has evolved with the quality of our play."
 
Torres, who had two saves in a 4-0 win over Adams State and four more in a 1-0 win over Fort Lewis, said her strengths vary from year to year.
 
"But, in the grander scale, my game has matured, the mental aspect and the decision-making," Torres said. "My whole understanding of the game and my composure has grown significantly."
 
Specifically, Torres can also breaks down her likes and dislikes.
 
"I'm not a big fan of PKs (penalty kicks)," She said. "One v. ones, if I have my adrenaline going, I'm all for it. There's nothing like getting a save in that situation. I like to kick the crap out of the ball, so I think distribution is one of my strengths. And I love flying through the air for big saves."
 
MSU Denver hopes Torres isn't called upon for those big saves much this weekend, though it seems inevitable in matchups with a Colorado Christian team scrambling to stay in contention for the eight-team RMAC Tournament and a Colorado School of Mines team that leads the league with an average of 10.0 shots on goal per game.
 
"Like any RMAC team, if you don't give (Colorado Christian) respect they can give you problems," Torres said. "And Mines, four years and we haven't beaten them. I would love to end on a good note against them. But the most important thing is that our entire team shows up so we can solidify our spot for the RMAC Tournament."
 
Despite some results that have left the Roadrunners frustrated, they can take solace in the fact that they are in third place in the league – trailing only national No. 1 UCCS and Mines. But, for now, they won't.
 
"Moreso than other years, this year really is one game at a time," Chao said. "We got off to such a big start last year – we were in the regional rankings and we were looking at those, looking at national rankings. We were looking at our odds in different areas. This year our odds are in one area, getting into the conference tournament. Then we can take it from there.
 
"I don't think it's going to be a done deal until the Sunday after Black Hills State (the Nov. 3 regular-season finale). Even though we're sitting OK, it's still not done yet."
 
Torres isn't done yet, either. But she knows there's only a few weeks left her collegiate soccer career.
 
"I have roots in California, but I'm also four years in Colorado," said Torres, one of the Roadrunners' many Bakersfield, Calif., natives. "I'm going for my teacher's license for social studies. I would like to stay here, just because it has a little more to offer, the city and the mountains. Bakersfield is more just about family and friends, which is nice. It's just a little slower."