DENVER — MSU Denver men's soccer battled back in the second half Friday night, but the Roadrunners came up short in a 2-1 loss to No. 6 CSU Pueblo at the Assembly Athletic Complex.
After falling behind by two goals early in the second half, MSU Denver cut the deficit in half when Henry Knoll found the net in the 76th minute. Knoll's second goal of the season came at 75:26, with Colin McKenna providing the assist to bring the Roadrunners within one.
CSU Pueblo opened the scoring in the 29th minute when Matty Parkes converted a pass from Pedro Martinez. The ThunderWolves extended their advantage just 2:56 into the second half, as Nick Cenek scored to make it 2-0.
MSU Denver responded with increased pressure, outshooting CSU Pueblo 7-3 in the second half and earning four corner kicks after halftime. The Roadrunners finished with eight shots and five corner kicks, while goalkeeper Dominic Miller recorded four saves.
Despite the late push, MSU Denver was unable to find an equalizer against the nationally ranked ThunderWolves, who improved to 11-0-2 overall and 5-0-2 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
The Roadrunners fall to 5-5-3 overall and 2-4 in the RMAC and will look to bounce back Sunday at home against No. 16 UCCS. The noon kickoff at the Assembly Athletic Complex will also serve as Senior Day, honoring five MSU Denver seniors.
