The spotlight was on Switchbacks defender and captain Matt Mahoney on Wednesday night but perhaps not in the way he wanted. 

Mahoney, who has played for Colorado Springs since 2021, entered Wednesday’s contest at Phoenix Rising FC 83 minutes shy of 20,000 regular-season minutes in the USL Championship. He played a full 90, but in the 72nd his own goal decided the match as Phoenix picked up a 3-1 win over the Switchbacks.   

While inside his own 6-yard box, Mahoney slid to deflect a pass from Phoenix midfielder Jean-Eric Moursou, but the ball ricocheted off his leg and into the Switchbacks’ goal. 

The hosts put the contest out of reach for Colorado Springs in the first minute of second-half stoppage time as forward Gunnar Studenhofft scored a definitive third goal for Rising FC (6-7-7). 

The result leaves Colorado Springs just outside the Western Conference playoff picture as the Switchbacks (8-8-4) remain in ninth place. 

Before Wednesday’s match, Switchbacks coach Alan McCann said that the players he could count on to execute would play and that he was willing to bring players from outside the locker room to suit the need. 

He wasted no time in making good on his word. On Tuesday, the Switchbacks announced the acquisition of forward Bryce Jamison from the Colorado Rapids and on Wednesday, he earned the start for Colorado Springs and played 62 minutes.

It didn’t take long for Jamison to make an impact in his Colorado Springs debut. He assisted Switchbacks forward Adrien Perez on an equalizer in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. 

Forward Juan Tejada’s crossing ball overshot the goal and landed on the opposite side of the box where Jamison played it back to Perez in front of the target. He tapped the ball midair over the head of Phoenix keeper Patrick Rakovsky for his sixth goal of the season. 

Perez’s goal was a much-needed momentum swing for Colorado Springs after Phoenix scored the opening goal of the match in the 35th minute, courtesy of Rising FC leading scorer Ihsan Sacko.  

The Switchbacks continue their busy August on Saturday, hosting El Paso Locomotive FC at Weidner Field.