Last week, Rampart’s and Cheyenne Mountain’s boys soccer teams each scored eight goals in their respective victories over Mesa Ridge and Douglas County.

On Wednesday night at D20 Stadium, the Red-Tailed Hawks and the Rams combined for zero as they battled to a scoreless draw.

Both Rampart (2-1-1) and Cheyenne Mountain (2-2-1) remain unbeaten in their last three matches.

“We should have probably had one or two goals that game,” Hawks junior goalkeeper Adam Ragain said after the match. “We’re all just very disappointed that we didn’t, but there’s always next game and I think we’re gonna get better from that.”

Ragain made perhaps the play of the evening in the 49th minute, stopping a shot from Rampart senior Matthew Frausto, who was set up by a skilled heel pass from classmate Leo Chinchila.

“It’s all about your set position and if your legs are too wide, you’re too here, you’re not going to be able to get there. So you just need to have a lower center of gravity so that you can make those kind of reactions,” he said.

His teammates controlled the match for a significant portion of the second half after his save, but despite creating opportunities, the Hawks had trouble finishing in the attacking third, sending several shots high of the goal.

Eventually, the Rams settled in and gained possession of the ball with more regularity, but they could not earn a game-winner against the Hawks’ defense.

“They were just sitting back in a low block. It’s hard for a very compact back line and compact midfield to break it,” Rampart sophomore Dylan Zambrano said. “It’s just something that you got to deal with. We’ll work on it at practice next week and see what we can do (on Tuesday).”

Both teams have about a week to iron out the kinks, with the Rams hosting Lewis-Palmer on Tuesday and the Hawks welcoming Pine Creek on Sept. 17.

Ragain pointed to Cheyenne’s camaraderie as the way forward for the Hawks, who have finished with double-digit wins in the previous four seasons. For Rampart, which is coming off a six-win season last year, Zambrano points to the team’s intensity in practice.

“Just overall, I think we’re very connected, and when we do bad stuff or something bad happens, I think we all group around the guy that did that and help him figure out what to do next time and how to get better,” Ragain said.

“I think our values in practice, I’ve seen the level get higher. It’s just a better team out there than last season,” Zambrano said. “Hard work, accountability, just making sure that our players are at the top level.”