DENVER – MSU Denver followed a familiar formula Friday night.
 
The Roadrunners posted a shutout at home for the for third time in a row and for the fourth time this season while improving to 7-0-1 at the Assembly Athletic Complex in a 1-0 victory over Western Colorado.
 
"It's great to be back home and to pick up three points," MSU Denver coach Kat Mertz said. "Getting a shutout was huge, and no shots allowed in the second half was a great showing from our backs as well as our commitment to team defending."
 
MSU Denver (8-5-2 overall) clinched a berth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament by improving to 5-5 in league play.

"We're one step closer, and that's all that matters right now," defender Kate Giordano said.
 
MSU Denver is seventh in the RMAC standings with 15 points. Colorado Christian currently is in line for the eighth and final spot in the tournament with 10 points and has only one game remaining, while Fort Lewis – which comes to the Assembly Athletic Complex for an 11 a.m. game Sunday – is ninth with eight points and two games remaining.
 
MSU Denver has two games left, and could max out at 21 points, though Westminster would likely have to be upset by New Mexico Highlands in order for the Roadrunners to get higher than seventh.
 
Still, with a defense like the Roadrunners' – only 11 goals allowed in 15 games – a postseason run is possible.
 
MSU Denver had advantages of 22-3 in shots, 10-2 in shots on goal, and 8-0 in corner kicks on Friday.
 
"Our defense is really connected," defender Katy Harris said. "We don't really have to talk necessarily to know what each of us needs from each other. We just know what we're going to do."
 
MSU Denver has fared well against the top two teams in the league, losing road contests at both Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines 1-0, lost at Westminster 1-0 and owns a 2-1 win over Regis, which is currently tied for fourth.
 
The Roadrunners scored early but didn't need to score often Friday, as Kailey Maness ran down a long pass by Katy Coats and played a terrific pass to Paloma Teran, who finished at 7:51.
 
"Paloma scored a fantastic goal, served by a brilliant ball by Kailey," Mertz said. "We worked on those services this week at training so it's great to see it come alive on the field."