THE RUNDOWN
A breakout performance from freshman
Caleb Centeno and a gritty defensive stand propelled DBU to a 2-1 victory over UCCS, the preseason favorite to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Centeno struck twice, including the decisive goal in the 67th minute, while the Patriots' back line turned away wave after wave of Mountain Lion pressure down the stretch to move to 2-1 on the year.
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DBU broke through first in the 38th minute when Centeno ripped a rocket from just outside the box, burying it into the top right corner to give the Patriots the early lead. The home side carried that momentum into halftime, having outshot UCCS 9-3 in the opening 45 minutes.
The Mountain Lions found an equalizer in the 61st minute when Cameron Radeke converted to level the match at 1-1. But the Patriots wasted little time in responding. Just six minutes later,
Chase Turcotte and
Zachary Trimming combined on a brilliant build-up, with Trimming's clever back-heel flick setting up Centeno. The Irving, Texas native calmly slotted a right-footed finish inside the left post for what proved to be the game-winner.
From there, the Patriot defense stole the spotlight. Despite being outshot 12-5 in the second half, DBU's back line of
Cason Berg,
Jack Golden,
Evan Lupo, and goalkeeper
Patrick Banich delivered a resilient effort. Banich came up huge with a career-high six saves, including multiple stops in the closing minutes, to preserve the win and close out a perfect homestand.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- DBU is 2-1 through its first three matches for the third time in the last five seasons.
- The Patriots wrapped up a 2-0 homestand before heading into a challenging four-game road swing.
- Both DBU victories have come against South Central Region/RMAC opponents (Colorado Christian and UCCS).
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
0 - DBU has yet to concede a first-half goal through three matches this season.
49 - Senior
Leo Larson made his 49th career start, tying him for 7th-most in program history.
6 - Goalkeeper
Patrick Banich set a new career-high with six saves in the win.
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POSTGAME REMARKS FROM HEAD COACH JESS JOBE, CALEB CENTENO, & EVAN LUPO
UP NEXT
The Patriots begin a four-game road trip at Harding on Thursday. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
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