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Rifle soccer rolls behind Zumbrennan’s hat trick

Phil Sandoval
Grand Junction Correspondent
Glenwood Springs, Colorado CO

PALISADE, Colorado ” A goal by Clancey Jandreau in the first minute of Tuesday’s league match with Rifle gave Palisade hope. And raised a warning signal within Bears head coach Ryan Mahler.

“I think it was a wake-up call,” he said. “I told these guys, ‘Don’t come out here and do what Steamboat did to us.'” In that game last week, Rifle also scored in the opening moments. The Sailors rallied to win that contest.

The first-year coach made sure Palisade would not repeat the effort.



Rifle scored three times in the first half to go up 3-1 at halftime, then padded their lead with five goals in the second stanza.

Forward Uriel Rodriquez scored the tying and game-winning goals on back-to-back rushes down the right side at the 27th and 35th minutes and just kept it rolling after intermission.



The Bears Kyle Zumbrennan led the scoring brigade with three goals ” all scored in succession ” within a 13-minute span.

Mahler said the difference in Rifle’s game from the opening of the season has been ball possession.

“What I want to do is have the team possess the ball more. The more we possess the ball instead of go, go, go forward, the windows will come forward.”

Palisade, who fell to 0-4 in league (1-5 overall) had just two shots on Rifle’s net in the game including Jandreau’s goal. The Bulldogs were equally frustrated on free kicks after Rifle fouls, going 0-for-3 in that department.


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