DENVER – MSU Denver bounced back in a big way.
 
Just two days after a tough 5-0 loss to No. 12 Colorado Mesa, the Roadrunners put themselves back into contention for a berth in the RMAC Tournament as Aidan Bates scored two first-half goals and Noah Hannula added a late insurance tally for a 3-1 win Sunday over Westminster.
 
"We still have two weeks, four games," MSU Denver coach Nick Kirchhof said. "If we can keep getting some results, the top six is a definite possibility, and that's a goal we had at the start of the season. We can play with these teams. It's just a question of if we can finish them off.
 
"I'm glad the guys finally got the reward, because they've been doing the work and we've been unlucky so many times. I'm happy for them and pleased with their performance."
 
Bates scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season at 15:58 and 18:29 respectively, giving the Roadrunners (5-8-1 overall, 2-4 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) early confidence and momentum.
 
"That was really important," Bates said. "I think the last couple of games we lost is because we got behind early. Getting through the first 10 minutes without conceding (a goal) is important, because we've been in the game with every team in the first 10 minutes. When we didn't give up a goal in the first 10, it transferred over into some goals."
 
Bates received passes in the box on both goals, and then deftly worked his way clear for shots. Hernan Ibarra and Aaron Biggerstaff had the assists on both of Bates' scores.
 
"They were both crucial," Bates said of his teammates. "I've played with both of them up top this year, so I know how they think, and they know how I think. We combine well, and it was easy."
 
Said Kirchhof: "Aaron has been doing everything well, but he's just had a little bit of a monkey on his back scoring. He still does great things, and it shows he has great quality to switch to the outside and not skip a beat.
 
"Hernan works constantly, and that's something our younger players pay attention too – because he does all the right things and is a great teammate. He works hard regardless of what's happening in the game."
 
Westminster (6-8, 3-3) pushed hard and carried much of the play in the second half, but Hannula's goal – on a blast from 22 yards set up by Bryson Chiles' free-kick tap, gave the Roadrunners some breathing room at 82:17.
 
"Bryson was either going to shoot or cross it, and I looked at him and said, 'Up to you,'" Hannula said. "He kind of looked at me, and I knew it was going to come to me. The ball came across and I said, 'OK, I'm putting this one on frame, and it felt really nice to see it in the back of the net."
 
Said Kirchhof: "That was great awareness from the two of them (Chiles and Hannula). Noah can hit a shot. We've been telling people to take chances, and I'm glad he took it. It was a goal we needed, because we'd been defending, defending, defending. He was ready for the moment, and it was a great strike."
 
Said Bates: "The icer. It was big. We were obviously having to defend a lot at the end, and two goals is the hardest lead in soccer to defend. So getting that third put us over and made it comfortable."
 
Westminster scored on a penalty kick at 83:06, marring an outstanding day by Ross Miller, who had seven saves.
 
"Ross has made the big ones," Kirchhof said of the player who transferred after being a starter at Chowan (N.C.). "We need to help him out and not give up as many chances. He's been fantastic all year, and he's probably faced more shots than he has in his career with our young back line. He's been a great leader."
 
With a tough three-game losing streak now in the past, MSU Denver is looking to make a push for the tournament in the final four games of the regular season.
 
"On the trend we were going on, it would have been easy to throw in the towel," Kirchhof said. "But I'm so proud of how we came out, stuck to it, and kept going. The guys were really fighting together. We did some great stuff, and the guys finally got the reward they deserved. I'm pleased with our mindset and attitude coming into today. We showed we have some grit, which is awesome."
 
Said Hannula: "You just have to move past things like that, and it was a great response today. Everybody stepped up. We're going to keep moving forward and keep doing the things that we know how to do and do them to the best of our abilities."