Air Force women’s soccer ended its regular season with a 1-1 draw against Colorado College at the City for Champions Cup, held at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs. This result secures the Falcons the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Annika Jost scored Air Force’s only goal of the match after receiving an assist from Kendall Rippley. Sydney Nelms made her first collegiate start as goalkeeper and recorded 11 saves during the game.
The match saw both teams controlling possession early on, but Colorado College took the lead in the 20th minute by scoring off a corner kick. Air Force responded six minutes later when Rippley delivered a pass to Jost, who managed to get past the opposing goalkeeper and tie the game at one goal each. Nelms made six saves in the first half to keep the score level going into halftime.
In the second half, Air Force had multiple attempts on goal from Maddy Walsh, Eleanor Musgrove, and Elizabeth McCarron but could not score again. The defense remained solid while Nelms added five more saves to maintain the draw.
With this tie, Air Force qualifies for its first Mountain West Conference Tournament appearance since 2017 as the No. 2 seed. The team will begin tournament play in Boise, Idaho, starting with a semifinal match scheduled for Wednesday, November 5 at 4 p.m. MT.
