DENVER – It was just a matter of time.
 
MSU Denver, in its seventh game of the season, finally put together a multi-goal game.
 
Madrid Mack had a goal and an assist, and the Roadrunners' defensive crew posted its sixth shutout in a 2-0 victory over crosstown rival Regis in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women's soccer opener on Homecoming before 651 at the Assembly Athletic Complex.
 
"We've been working on the final third, and it was fun to see them take the coaching and apply it," MSU Denver coach Kat Mertz said. "I'm really proud of them. It's a frustrating thing, trying to score goals, but they were resilient. It rattles your confidence a little bit. To come out and score two great goals, I'm proud of the resiliency, staying committed to the plan, and being coachable."
 
Sophomore Madrid Mack scored her first career goal at 13:01 and assisted on roommate Monica Yoder's first goal of the season at 49:13 as the Roadrunners improved to 2-1-4 despite scoring just three goals thus far.
 
"We've had a few games where it was 0-0, so getting that first goal to break that seal felt great," Mack said.  "We just had to keep rolling."
 
Mack was set up by Isa Durkin and finished with her left foot as the two-time Class 3A all-state performer, who scored 64 goals in her high school career, got her first collegiate score.
 
"I have to give credit to Isa, because it was a great ball," Mack said. "She drew the defender in and slipped me through. I didn't really have to do too much, just a touch shot.
 
"I broke the curse. All season last year I was beating myself up. It felt good to get the first one."
 
Said Mertz: "Madrid breaks our fitness records every year, She's technical, clean on the ball and it's been … the final component. I'm happy for her. To go a year or so without a goal, when you're used to scoring a lot of goals, it kind of weighs on you. But she always has a smile on her face and she works her tail off at training."
 
MSU Denver made it 2-0 early in the second half as Natalie Boragine sent a pass to Mack, who then crossed it back across the goal front. The pass went behind both Boragine and Tessa Killmon as they charged the net, but Yoder was yet another option. She banged the ball firmly off the goalkeeper and into the net for her fifth career goal.
 
"We train that same situation over and over in training, just a cutback ball, drive to the line, cut back," Mack said. "And it was my roommate, Monica, so we had that connection."
 
That was more than enough for the Roadrunners' defensive group, which is used to playing in tense 0-0 games, and had the luxury of a two-goal margin.
 
"I've got all the trust and faith in my back," Mertz said. "We were matched up 1 v. 1, but I'm going to roll the dice and see if we can get some goals."
 
That defensive group includes the likes of highly-acclimated Maddy Rueter and Emily Sirois as well as unheralded players such as Cam Castelan.
 
"We have a lot of seniors, a lot of experience in game situations that helps us play with calmness," Castelan said. "That's what sets us on the front foot."
 
Regis was limited to five shots, with only two on goal.
 
"We knew that they have pacey players up top, strong forwards who can hit a ball from far out," Castelan said. "So it was just delaying them as far up the field as we could and not letting them turn or play a second ball. We wanted to win every second ball so that we had possession all the time."
 
MSU Denver will look to finish the opening weekend of league play at 2-0 when it squares off with Black Hills State in an 11 a.m. game Sunday at the Assembly Athletic Complex.
 
"We've talked about, 'We don't deserve anything, we have to earn it,'" Mertz said. "The RMAC is an awesome conference. Nothing is given."