COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Good things come to those who wait.
 
And the MSU Denver men's soccer team has been waiting to be rewarded for its effort for a long time.
 
Andres Arcila Saenz scored the latest game-winning goal in regulation time in program history, heading in a Luke Bone free kick into the box with just 11 seconds left, as the Roadrunners picked up a big 1-0 road win Sunday at UCCS.
 
"That's the latest game-winning goal I've ever been part of, besides overtime," MSU Denver coach Nick Kirchhof said. "Our guys showed incredible fight and great resolve. We had great team defending. Things didn't go perfect initially, but we made some great adjustments and the guys did a fantastic job in the second half of implementing them.
 
"Then we got an opportunity, and we were able to get someone on the end of it. From a coaching perspective, we couldn't have had better results. I'm really happy for the guys today."
 
MSU Denver got its shot after the clock was stopped as UCCS was assessed a yellow card on a foul with 13 seconds left.
 
After the pause to set up, Bone sent his free kick from the outside and right of the box towards the left post.
 
It was the second goal of the season, and third of his career, for Arcila Saenz.
 
"We're trying to put the ball into the box in a dangerous area, where the keeper is too nervous to come for it," Kirchhof said. "And we have to have hard, committed runs. Luke put it right into that sweet spot, and Andres had the committed, perfectly-time run to get on the end of it. It was a perfectly executed set piece."
 
Previously, the latest game-winning goal in regulation came from Paul Mackin, with 45 seconds left, in a 2-1 win against Southern Colorado (now CSU Pueblo) on Sept. 28, 1993.
 
It's the third time in three seasons the Roadrunners have had a game-winner in the final three minutes – Aidan Bates scored at 88:38 to beat Texas-Permian Basin on Sept. 12, 2021, and Jackson Vander Ven scored at 88:06 to beat Fort Lewis last season.
 
Starting last year, overtime games are no longer played in Division II college soccer.
 
MSU Denver improved to 3-5-2 overall and 1-1 for three points and sixth place after the opening weekend of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference season.
 
UCCS, receiving votes in the national top 25 poll, dropped to 4-3-3 and 0-1-1.
 
"Our guys are still training and hard working hard," Kirchhof said. "I think a couple of times this year we've been a bit unlucky in the goals we've given up. But they've kept believing and kept fighting.
 
"A win like this is a great motivating factor to help the guys keep pushing and driving. This was a valuable three points today."