The CSU-Pueblo Women’s Soccer team strutted their stuff against No.10 ranked Fort Lewis College on Friday night, Sept. 17,  at the Rawlings Soccer Complex to improve their record to 3-2. It was a clear, cool night; perfect soccer weather. The crowd was ready for a great game, with chants and of course, yelling at the officials.

The game started off slow until Katie Thiebaut, a senior majoring in elementary education with a minor in psychology, from Pueblo, kicked the ball off the far right post and watched it bounce out with 25:31 left in the first half. Thiebaut fell to her knees in as if she was disappointed.

However, that didn’t stop Thiebaut’s game.

With 17:17 left she hit the goal to put CSU-Pueblo up 1-0. Shortly after, with 9:54 left Fort Lewis’s Taylor Tegtmeyer kicked the ball in the back of the net for the Sky Hawks to tie the game 1-1.

After halftime, the game got physical. There was pushing and injuries that excited fans. The teams played a hard physical brand of soccer, and each team stood their ground until Thiebaut’s second goal of the evening. With 37:47 left in the game, The Thunderwolves again gained the lead and the game.

Thiebaut said nothing specific was going through her mind when she made the goals. “You just get the opportunities, and hope you put it in the back of the net for your team,” she said.

It was a great win for the team and the fans. When the team celebrated together on the field it was like they just won a championship.

Soccer coach Janet Cassidy said she was pleased with the team’s performance. “All the way through every minute, every second, the girls played hard,” she said. “All the way from the whistle to the end of the game, it was excellent.”

Cassidy said Thiebaut reacts naturally to the game. “She’s magic,” Cassidy said. “That’s stuff you can’t teach, you know. She recognized the situation and she reacted. She didn’t even have to think about it. She’s a very, very clever player.”

What was Thiebaut’s favorite part of the game? “The end, winning. Winning is definitely my favorite part!”