Las Vegas Lights FC made its Ninth Island Night, the club’s Hawaii-themed celebration at Cashman Field, count Saturday, scoring once before halftime and once after it to beat Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 2-0.
Blake Pope broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time, then Johnny Rodriguez doubled the lead in the 59th minute as the Lights secured their third win of the season.
Las Vegas improved to 3-2-5 with 11 points, while Colorado Springs slipped to 2-4-3 with 10 points. The match drew 3,253 fans, with fireworks and aloha shirts helping set the tone for AAPI Month celebrations.
Pope finds the moment before the break
Colorado Springs controlled more of the ball and fired more shots, but Las Vegas found the cleaner finish. The Switchbacks held 55% possession and outshot the Lights 17-10, yet the best moment of the first half belonged to the home side.
Pope delivered it in the second minute of stoppage time, scoring at 45+2 to send Cashman into halftime up 1-0. From there, the Lights did not panic when Colorado Springs pushed, and they kept their defensive shape intact.
Rodriguez adds the cushion
The second half stayed tense until Rodriguez turned it. He scored in the 59th minute, giving Las Vegas a 2-0 lead and forcing Colorado Springs to chase even harder.
Even so, the Switchbacks could not turn volume into goals. Colorado Springs managed two shots on goal, and the Lights matched that work with timely defending and two saves from Mason Stajduhar.
Winning the scoreboard, not the stat sheet
Las Vegas finished with three shots on goal to Colorado Springs’ two, and it stayed organized when the match got scrappy. Both teams ended with three yellow cards, and neither side saw red.
Colorado Springs earned six corners to Las Vegas’ two, but the Lights defended those moments well. Late substitutions helped close it out, with Las Vegas managing the final minutes without letting the match reopen.
What it means
For the Lights, this was a clean response at home after a frustrating USL Cup result in Spokane. More importantly, it was a disciplined performance against a Colorado Springs team that carried long stretches of play, but never found the final touch.
Las Vegas now has two wins in its last three USL Championship matches at Cashman, and the table looks a little healthier because of it.
Up Next
The Lights stay home for Aviators Night at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30, hosting FC Tulsa at Cashman Field. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a free 51s throwback baseball jersey, and the club will honor the history of baseball at Cashman Center.
On the field, it is a strong measuring stick. Las Vegas enters at 3-2-5 with 11 points, while Tulsa comes in 4-3-2 with 15 points, and Tulsa is rolling, too. The visitors have won four straight across competitions, including a 2-0 league win over Hartford on May 22 and a 4-1 league win at El Paso on April 29.
The team profiles show the task. The Lights have scored 14 goals but have allowed 19, while Tulsa has scored 13 and allowed just nine, with a plus-4 goal difference. Las Vegas will want the same defensive edge it showed in the 2-0 win over Colorado Springs, because Tulsa has punished mistakes all spring.
This matchup also comes with a little extra bite. Tulsa beat the Lights 3-2 on March 21 at ONEOK Field, and Tulsa has taken the last five meetings overall. If Las Vegas wants to flip that script, May 30 is the next chance, and it comes in front of a Cashman crowd.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
