Photos Courtesy Isaiah Downing



By: Joel Huber

Colorado Springs, CO (May 5, 2017) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC defeated the Tulsa Roughnecks by a final score of 3-0 in front of a crowd of 3,404.



An early season rematch saw both teams wanting to prove something from their season opener. Tulsa's 4-1 victory over ONEOK turned into a 3-0 forfeited victory to the Switchbacks due to Tulsa's use of an ineligible player. The Switchbacks came out of the gate early at Aaron King connected with Masta Kacher who was able to beat Cerda into the bottom corner to give the Switchbacks a 1-0 lead in the 2nd minute. The Switchbacks would continue to apply pressure and found their second breakthrough in the 27th minute as Josh Suggs played a perfect ball into the box and a diving Shane Malcolm headed it home. The Switchbacks would continue to control possession and hold on to a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.



"We showed the right mentality early on in the match.," said Man of the Match Masta Kacher. "We knew it would be tough because we knew Tulsa wouldn't forget what happened in the first match."



The Switchbacks would continue to control the game as the second half progressed. Tulsa would have their fair share of chances, but the backline of the Switchbacks would continue to hold strong with defensive clearances and goalkeeping efforts. The game would also increase in physicality as four yellow cards were issued in the second half. Masta Kacher would get his second of the match after a rebounded shot left him wide open to net his 4th of the season in the 69th minute. Despite the four minutes of stoppage time, the Switchbacks would hold on to the 3-0 lead and get their first shutout victory of the season.



"It was a solid effort, both defensively and offensively from all the guys tonight," said Head Coach Steve Trittschuh following the win. "I'm happy we got our first shutout of the season, and now we've got to keep rolling with it."



The Switchbacks will head to Portland to face Timbers 2 at 12:00 P.M. May 10th and then head to Vancouver to face Whitecaps FC 2 on May 14th at 4:00 P.M. Fans can catch both games at the official Switchbacks watch party at Jack Quinn's with the Trailheads.



The Switchbacks will return to Weidner Field on Wednesday, May 17th at 76:00 PMfor the second round of the U.S. Open Cup to face the winner of Colorado Rush and FC Tuscon to be played May 10th. Fans can receive free Open Cup tickets by purchasing tickets to the Switchbacks' May 27th match against Reno 1868 FC. The May 27th match will be the third night of the poster series courtesy of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado. The ticket bundle can be found here and tickets for the May 27th game can be found here. Season ticket members should stay tuned for details about Open Cup tickets.



For media pass requests, please contact Communications Manager, Joel Huber.