DENVER – It was an incredible swing of emotions.
 
After a 57-minute delay following an injury to MSU Denver's Elly Peterson, the Roadrunners' Tessa Bretschneider set up for a corner kick to restart the game.
 
Goal.
 
"Obviously no one wants to see a player go down like that, and Elly is being brave right now," MSU Denver coach Kat Mertz said. "We wanted to be safe and make sure nothing worse happened.
 
"We talk to the players about adversity and stepping onto the field and being ready to go mentally. I was hoping we were going to score off that corner, but not (expecting it) in that fashion. That was not on my bingo card. But that's soccer. It happens."
 
Bretschneider curled in her corner kick, a right-footed blast that carried to the back post. It was the first time the ball had been touched after the delay.
 
The Olimpico at 64:11 was the only goal in the Roadrunners' 1-0 victory over Westminster before a huge crowd on Kick Cancer Night and Denver Broncos Junior Cheerleaders Night.
 
"It was hard, because obviously we were really worried about Elly," Bretschneider said. "It was emotional, and we still wanted to play. … I think it just shows how supportive and together this team is. It shows how strong this team is."
 
Bretschneider didn't realize it was her shot that had gone in until teammates started running toward her in celebration.
 
"If I went out and tried to do it again, I probably would miss," Bretschneider said, laughing.
 
Bretschneider's story is an inspirational one.
 
After scoring four goals as a freshman for Division III Pacific (Ore.) in 2021, she transferred to MSU Denver but didn't play for the next two seasons due to injuries. Her goal Friday was her first in nearly three full years.
 
"This team is so supportive, and you just want to play well for them," Bretschneider said. "It's been a really long battle – shout out to (athletic trainer) Rachel (Maksimowicz), she got me back. I'm just so happy to be here. And this team got me back. I don't think I would have fought through two surgeries for any other team."
 
Said Mertz: "It's been a journey for her, battling back from injuries and having a few setbacks along the way. She's such a great teammate. She's always there for her teammates and is positive. It's hard when you're battling injuries, and she's done an unbelievable job with that. Then you see her confidence rise every time she steps on the field. She brings a calmness on the ball, which is really nice."
 
Meanwhile, as usual, Kylie Bach was spectacular in goal once again, making eight saves while posting her Division II-leading ninth shutout of the season.
 
The biggest stops came early and late – she denied a penalty kick try by Westminster at 7:18 and somehow got to a bending shot from distance at 85:47 to preserve the lead.
 
"The goalkeeper is a pivotal part of your team, and what Kylie brings is the ability to make that special save," Mertz said.
 
Bach credits Mertz – a former North Carolina State star goalkeeper who had 24 career shutouts and led her team to the 1995 national quarterfinals – for helping on the PK.
 
"I've been working on it with Kat a little bit," Bach said. "Kat was in the goal and she was predicting and shuffling and would already be in the right spot and save it without diving. I learned from her to get better on reading the hips (of the shooter)."
 
Said Mertz: "We had a PK day and I jumped in goal and made a couple of saves in a row – I don't know, eight or nine – and so the girls were like, 'Oh my gosh.
 
"I think it was important for Kylie to watch me, to see what I was looking for, at my footwork, and what I was reading from the player. Clearly it paid off. She's a sponge. You give her some coaching and she's going to take it."
 
The final save was a thriller. A shot from outside the box was headed from Bach's left to right and towards the upper corner of the goal.
 
"I was telling everyone to drop, and then I saw her getting ready to shoot it," Bach said. "And I thought, 'Oh God, why?' It was curving a little and I just thought, 'Get a touch on it, get a touch on it.' And I did."
 
Friday's shutout was the 25^th of Bach's career – one more than Mertz had as a collegian – and puts her tied for third on the Roadrunners' all-time list with Becca Maloney (2007-08) and Erica Torres (2016-19). Her nine clean sheets this season is already tied for eighth on the program's single-season list.
 
"With my teammates back there, they definitely play a big role," Bach said. "Some games I don't really get any shots on goal."
 
Friday's result sets up a huge Sunday clash at 1:30 p.m. at the Assembly Athletic Complex between the Roadrunners (6-1-4 overall, 5-0 and first in the RMAC with 15 points) and Colorado Mesa (6-1-2, 4-0 and tied for third with 12 points). MSU Denver is 5-0 to start the RMAC season since running the table, 16-0, in 2009.
 
"Mesa is playing really well," Mertz said. "They have a lot of threats – they returned their whole attacking line. Kylie is going to have to be good, our back line is going to have to be good."
 
But Friday's result was also an appropriate way to end a difficult night.
 
"Emotionally, everyone was going to do whatever it took to walk off this field with a win tonight," Mertz said.