Photo by Bryan Oller. Graham Beckum fends off a Colorado Springs Christian School player during their match.

Rivalry games tend to bring out the best in competitors. That held true as the Manitou Springs boys soccer team had to battle to a 3-2 double-overtime win against Colorado Springs Christian School on Sept. 22.

Each team scored a goal in each half to end the 80-minute regulation block in a 2-2 tie. Gavin Kopp and Bowman Hall scored for the Mustangs (5-2-1 overall) before Lukas Merz hit the game-winner in the second overtime period.

The win snaps the Mustangs’ three-game winless streak, which includes losses to Vanguard and Thomas McLaren and a tie with Bayfield.

Manitou scored three goals in that three-game stretch, making the scoring effort against CSCS a much-needed burst of offense for the team.

The Mustangs play a non-league game against Ellicott on Thursday, Sept. 29, before jumping into Tri-Peaks play. Five of the last six games of the year are league games with a non-league contest against Pagosa Springs in between.

The Mustangs have now outscored their opponents 25-9 on the season and would love to see that dominance hold up. Manitou has just about a month left in the regular season and currently sits at No. 17 in the CHSAA selection and seeding index.