AUSTIN, Texas – Danny Bautista scored two second-half goals to lift MSU Denver to a 2-0 men's soccer victory Sunday over St. Edward's (Texas), giving new coach Hank Lewis his first career victory.
 
Bautista, a senior, recorded his first career two-goal game.
 
"We're still learning how to move together more proactively, and one big step forward was moving better defensively, tightening where we had been gutted in middle," Lewis said. "Once we became more confident about that, we were more active going forward.
 
"That allowed us to control the game and move forward instead of being frantic. And that allowed players like Danny to be in good positions."
 
After a scoreless first half in which the Roadrunners weren't able to generate a shot on goal, they finally broke through at 62:09. Nifty passing by Gianni Steijlen and Jerry Gutierrez set up Bautista, who delivered his first goal by driving a left-footed shot low from the left post to the right post from about 15 yards out.
 
"Very good combination play," Lewis said. "We can do a lot of other things, too, but when we can knock it around, we're very hard to beat."
 
Just less than three minutes later, St. Edward's was whistled for a hand-ball in the box and Bautista stepped up for the penalty kick. His right-footed shot to the left corner made it 2-0 at 65:05.
 
"We served it in and it bounced off a guy's hand," Lewis said. "When we can get more numbers in transition like we did, it makes our opponents make bad decisions. That's why we want to be more proactive, and to be in places earlier."
 
Bautista, who now has five career goals, had last scored – also on a penalty kick – 357 days earlier. He was ready and willing to double last season's goal total of one in a span of less than three minutes by stepping up for the penalty kick.
 
"Without ever talking about it with our team, the guy who picks up the ball and says I want to do it, who knows he can do it, is the one you want to take it," Lewis said.
 
The Roadrunners were credited with only three shots on goal, but matched St. Edward's (0-2) in the category. Alessandro Gentile earned his second career shutout for the Roadrunners.
 
"It was great for him to respond like that," Lewis said. "He was a little shakier in an exhibition game, but he played well Friday and it would have been hard for anyone to stop the goals they scored. Today he was very smart. This will make him more confident."
 
St. Edward's, which had a 14-6 advantage in shots, had lost its opening game to 16^th-ranked Colorado School of Mines, also by a 2-0 score, on Friday. The team statistics for the two games were similar. Mines is the preseason pick to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship.
 
Meanwhile MSU Denver improved to 1-1 after losing 3-1 in its opener Friday at St. Mary's (Texas). St. Mary's was picked to finish fourth in the Lone Star Conference, while St. Edward's was picked to finish second.
 
As for the significance of his first career win, Lewis was more pleased about his team's ability to bounce back in the sweltering heat of Texas and come up with a strong regional victory by controlling the game, particularly in the closing minutes.
 
"The thing that makes me happy is how we played," he said. "We kind of controlled the game. We stayed focused and finished off the game."