Air Force believes loss has purpose/ Coach says his team will respond

A momentum-killing setback, or a late-season wake-up call?

The Air Force men's soccer team has two weeks to figure out the effects of Sunday's 1-0 loss in its home finale to the University of Denver at Cadet Soccer Stadium.

Coach Luis Sagastume obviously chooses to believe the second of the above consequences will play out for his No. 19 Falcons.

"It's good for this loss to come at this time," said Sagastume, whose team fell to 11-3 and 4-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. "It puts us back into the fact that we've still got to work hard.

"We still have two more games left, and we've been playing well away. This shouldn't hurt us. We're still on top of the league, and the most important thing is the conference championship."

Air Force could have clinched the MPSF title with a win over Denver (9-4-3, 3-2).

But a pair of first-half injuries zapped most of the firepower from AFA's offense. Freshman forward Marcus Sagastume, the coach's son, suffered a knock to his leg late in the first half and went to the bench for good.

Also, attacker Dan Walsh spent the second half in the press box icing a leg injury. That duo has combined for 13 of Air Force's 38 goals.

"Injuries have been coming around and hurt us," Luis Sagastume said. "It's going to take a week but we should be back."

Denver's score came in the 23rd minute when Michael Piserchio volleyed in a header from teammate Nic Hartman.

Air Force, though, was lucky to have allowed just the one goal as the Pioneers came up with a handful of quality scoring chances, including a shot buried by Chris Fagnant at the first-half buzzer that the referee disallowed.

Without Sagastume, the conference's second-leading scorer, and Walsh, it took Air Force until late in the match to record its second shot on goal.

But Brandon Jones' right-footed strike was saved by sprawling Denver goalkeeper Parker Jarvis at the near post. With 3:20 left, Jarvis smothered another Jones shot, denying Air Force on its best scoring opportunity.

"We learned today that we can't be too complacent," said Sagastume, whose team reeled off six straight wins following back-to- back losses the last weekend in September to Portland and nationally ranked Washington. "We can respect the opponent, but not too much.

"As you start getting better and better, and you start winning a lot of games, you start believing nothing is going to stop you. And you let up a bit. I think that's what happened here today."

- Tim Spencer may be reached at 636-0250 or tspencer@gazette.com

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