DENVER – MSU Denver is headed to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament in women's soccer.
 
Black Hills State's chances of reaching the playoffs are slim, though a win would put the Yellow Jackets in the mix.
 
So, when Black Hills State comes to the Assembly Athletic Complex for the regular-season finale in a 1 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, MSU Denver has no intention of looking ahead.
 
"Black Hills is going to be fighting," MSU Denver coach Kat Mertz said. "No one comes in and says, 'Here. Here's your three points.' You've got to earn it. You've got to work for it. You've got to problem-solve. You've got to stay positive, and you have to keep fighting for it."
 
MSU Denver is 9-5-2 overall and 6-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference for 18 points. Though the league record, and what appears to be the seventh seed, may seem underwhelming on paper, it's worth noting that the Roadrunners played the top four teams – and the sixth-place team -- on the road, losing one-goal decisions four times and another match 2-0.
 
"We've had a really hard season – probably the toughest (schedule) in the RMAC," forward Katy Coats said.
 
"It's been really frustrating for us, because we haven't gotten results and we've been constantly told that we were the better team. But at home, we've been unstoppable. We just need to figure out how to do that when we are away, and if we figure that out, no one is going to beat us."
 
The Roadrunners are 8-0-1 at home this season.
 
"One of our goals is to be undefeated at home this season," Mertz said. "That's something our players take a lot of pride in."
 
In a series that started in 2016, MSU Denver is 5-0 all-time against Black Hills State, with a 19-2 advantage in goals.
 
Should MSU Denver win to get to 21 points in the RMAC, at best it would tie for sixth with Westminster, the winner of one of those one-goal (1-0) road decisions. That result would lead to MSU Denver settling for the No. 7 seed.
 
The most likely list of first-round RMAC opponents for MSU Denver, and previous result against, is: Colorado Mesa (1-0 road loss), Colorado School of Mines (1-0 road loss), UCCS (2-0 road loss) and CSU-Pueblo (2-1 road loss).
 
"I want to make sure we fine-tune some things," Mertz said. "We've been talking a lot about our midfield rotation, and I thought (Sunday) was one of our best. We've got so many threats up top, so we want to figure out which combination works. And we want to make sure we have a good statement at home."
 
MSU Denver has allowed only 11 goals all season, so the defense seems solid.
 
But while there have been breakout games – six goals against Adams State and five against New Mexico Highlands – the goals have been tough to get against the top teams.
 
"If we can figure out that last pass and not get excited or panic, or whatever the emotion is in the moment," said Coats, the team leader with 12 points (four goals, four assists). "We pass around teams all the way down the field, but we just have to figure out that last one."
 
Said midfielder Annie Rolf, the team leader with six assists: "Although it's frustrating, we can't let it get to the point where it becomes a whirlwind of disasters. I think it will come when it matters the most."