DENVER – Sly & The Family Stone didn't appear on Sunday, but that didn't stop the Ostler sisters from making it "A Family Affair."
 
Riley Ostler scored her first career goal in the 19^th minute, and Regan matched her big sister with the same accomplishment in the 86^th as MSU Denver finished off a high-scoring weekend with a 6-0 victory over Adams State.
 
"We always have the biggest support system behind us, and that really drives our motivation to do well," Riley Ostler said.
 
For the first time, though, the family was able to see the former Rocky Mountain High School teammates score in the same game.
 
"It's fun that they get to play together, and then also make an impact together," MSU Denver coach Kat Mertz said.
 
MSU Denver was off and running when Riley Ostler struck from about 22 yards away, making the lead 3-0. The shot and score happened so quickly, it was almost as if no one had seen it.
 
"Annie (Rolf) put, literally, the perfect ball right at my feet, and I knew there was a defender on the left side, so I took my touch a little to the right, and I knew she was coming quick so I had to get it off my foot," Riley said. "I just placed it in the corner. It did take people by surprise. I don't think the goalie even moved."
 
Said Mertz: "No one even saw it because it came off her foot so quickly. The goalkeeper didn't even have a chance to react."
 
It was Riley Ostler's first goal in 35 career games as a Roadrunner.
 
"I got so excited," little sister said. "I'm her biggest supporter on the team. I was on the end line waiting for her to look at me, but I don't think she ever did. I looked up at my mom because she gets excited – she's the crazy soccer mom."
 
Regan Ostler got in on the sister act with a forceful header on a corner kick from Gabriella Gamboa to make it 5-0.
 
"I think I was the most surprised, because I got a little dizzy there for a second," Regan said. "I just heard everyone saying, 'You scored,' and I saw it in the back of the net."
 
Proud big sister said, "Getting a header goal, that's one of the most elite goals you can score."
 
Said Mertz: "Yeaya served a beautiful ball. And it takes a lot of courage and bravery to step up and want to head that ball. Regan is fearless at practice and brave in the air – that's one of her strengths and it's awesome to see it translate on the field."
 
Regan Ostler spent two seasons at Division I North Dakota State before joining MSU Denver and her sister over the summer.
 
"I'm so happy here," Regan said. "It's definitely the right fit and the right team for me. I get to be back with my sister."
 
Said Riley: "I wanted her to come here when she was getting recruited here (out of high school), but she decided not to. I'm glad she found her way back, because we need her and it's so fun being able to be at the same school and so close to home. I know my parents love it."
 
Riley Oster has emerged as a strong midfield presence as a starter the past two seasons, while Regan comes off the bench supporting MSU Denver's strong lineup of defenders in her first season.
 
Playing together is special for them.
 
"It's so great," Regan said. "It's awesome when she passes me the ball and I look up and see her playing. Just the simple things like passing to each other and cheering each other on, it's the best feeling."
 
Elli Zimmer scored MSU Denver's first goal, running through Paloma Teran's corner kick and playing it off her foot in the fourth minute, and then Jaimy Sawaged knocked in the rebound of Katy Harris' shot on goal at 7:58 to make it 2-0.
 
After Riley Ostler's goal, the teams played for nearly 57 minutes before Kailey Maness' goal – which came after a Gamboa corner kick that Regan Ostler deflected down to Maness' feet.
 
After Regan Ostler's tally, Rolf took off on a lovely breakaway down the left sideline on a pass from Maness and deftly tapped a shot in off the goalpost and in.
 
So, in the end, Sawaged, Rolf, Regan Ostler and Maness all had a goal and an assist, while Gamboa had two assists.
 
"Adams State is a good, solid team," Mertz said. "And I wanted to make sure that we came out here with a focus and that we were intentional. It's also our players being disciplined in their roles, and I thought we did that."
 
After a Friday night runaway win of 5-0 over New Mexico Highlands, MSU Denver has moved up to sixth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference table with 12 points, and has put a tough three-game road losing streak – to the expected top three teams in the league – in the past.
 
"You've got highs and lows for sure in a season and we had our toughest games those two weekends," Riley Ostler said. "We fought really hard, and I think we should have come out on top in those games, but it doesn't always work that way. This week was super important for us. It gave us a lot of our confidence back. We had a lot of girls scoring goals, which is awesome."