The Colorado Springs Switchbacks needed someone to step up and forward Mike Seth happily obliged.

So did several others in arguably the Switchbacks’ best performance of the season.

Seth scored twice in the first half and the hosts dispatched the LA Galaxy II 3-0 on Saturday night to keep their home playoff game hopes afloat in the final month of the United Soccer League regular season.

The win over a fellow playoff contender before a franchise-record 4,112 fans moved the Switchbacks (12-8-7) up into third place in the Western Conference and set up a road showdown with fourth-place Vancouver next Sunday.

“I’m just relieved we came out and put in this kind of performance,” said Switchbacks assistant Wolde Harris, who led the team while coach Steve Trittschuh served a one-game suspension. “Tritt made up a great game plan. Everyone followed it and executed.

“We kept our shape defensively and waited for them to make a mistake and we attacked off the turnover in their end. Those final two goals all came off maintaining our shape.”

One of the catalysts was forward Saeed Robinson, who used his speed along the outside to create opportunities. It was Robinson who sent a perfect crossing pass high for Seth, who headed the ball into the open goal from 10 yards out in the 10th minute.

“Getting that first goal really took the wind out of their sails,” Seth said. “This was big because we need to be peaking during this playoff push.”

Seth’s second came off a corner kick by Luke Vercollone, who sent the ball to the middle where Seth connected on a header into the lower half of the net. That goal with about 30 seconds left in the first half sealed the win.

“The guys knew how important game this was for our chances at hosting a home playoff game,” Harris said. “I am happy we could get this win before such a big crowd.”

The hosts made sure there would be no LA comeback when Vercollone scored in the 58th minute. The Switchbacks captain beat LA goalkeeper Clement Diop (five saves) to a contested ball and banged it in for a 3-0 command.

“That third one iced it,” Seth said.

Note: The Colorado Rapids loaned midfielder Zach Pfeffer from the Charlotte Independence (16 appearances, no points), the MLS club’s USL affiliate, and he came off the bench during the second half on Saturday. He was joined on the squad by goalkeeper signee Zac Gibbens, formerly of Harpo’s of Boulder, a semi-pro team the Switchbacks have played twice in the U.S. Open Cup.