@UNCBearsSoccer turns away CSU, off to best start in 19 years

Thursday, August 24

Greeley, Colo.

7:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

3-0-0

Colorado State University

0-2-1

CSU

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

8/24/2017 11:19:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: By Zak Gilbert

| Photo gallery

GREELEY, Colo. – Mariel Gutierrez scored both goals and Madeline Burdick made six saves as Northern Colorado edged Colorado State, 2-1, Thursday night at Jackson Stadium.

The win gave the Bears (3-0, 0-0 Big Sky) their best start since they opened 6-0 in 1998, and their top season-opening mark as a Division I program.

"That's a testament to these players," said head coach Tim Barrera, "especially with so many new ones. They've been able to train hard and follow the game plan, and execute. It's great for the program."

What's also great for the program is that UNC now sits in the pole position for its first Colorado Cup title. In the annual state-wide competition of the six Division I programs, the only way the Bears can lose the Centennial State's championship is if Denver defeats Colorado by at least four goals Sept. 16 at CIBER Field. If CU wins that contest, or if DU wins by three goals or less, the title belongs to UNC.

Central in that Colorado Cup competition has been Gutierrez. A 5-foot-4 junior from Gypsum, Colo., she matched her single-game career high Thursday and registered her third career multi-goal game (also Aug. 19, 2016, vs. Colorado College, and Oct. 7, 2016, vs. Southern Utah).

"Mariel's a special player," said Barrera. "We worked on those free kicks in practice, and we talked about the goalkeeper getting off her line a little bit."

That free-kick goal, which gave UNC a 2-0 advantage in the 60th minute, looped over CSU's wall and just inside the left post, past a diving Hunter Peifer.

In the first half, Gutierrez drew first blood in the 27th minute, capitalizing on Jacqui Pulley's pass and finding twine from the right of the box.

"Mariel's just a fantastic player and she applies her training very well to the game," Barrera said. "She kept putting herself in positions to affect the game."

Another player that affected Thursday's game was goalkeeper Madeline Burdick. The steady, 6-foot senior from San Diego shut out CSU over the first 82 minutes before allowing a Taylor Steinke goal. But Burdick actually played her best in closing out the 2-1 win, including a key stop late in the game.

"That breakaway save at the end, where she held her ground and stayed big, that was huge for us," Barrera said. "If she gives up that score, we're 2-2 and probably going into overtime.

"You keep looking at the clock in that 2-1 situation, wanting it to move faster. You just have to manage the game and not make mistakes that give them opportunities."

Those opportunities were limited by UNC's back line, which held the Rams to just seven shots on goal. Anika Shelrud and Cara Quinn, a respective sophomore and freshman, especially impressed Barrera.

"Anika in the back was in position all game long to break things up. And the one player that really stood out was Cara Quinn. She played well above a freshman today."

UNC now turns its focus to Sunday's home clash with TCU (2-0, 0-0 Big 12). The Horned Frogs meet CU in Boulder, Colo., Friday before traveling to Greeley. Sunday's match at Jackson Stadium begins at 1 p.m. Admission and parking are free.