Following a Florida road trip where Colorado Mesa University went 1-2 on the week, the Mavericks are looking to get back on track as they come home for their next two games. Their first is against Westminster on Saturday, which will be CMU's second conference game of the season (they beat Rockhurst University 13-8 for their first conference win).
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One thing that needs to be addressed going into Saturday's game is the Mavericks' defense. After only allowing their opponents to score over 10 goals once through the opening six games of the season (which the Mavericks went 6-0 during), CMU gave up over 10 scores in each of the three games they played over spring break. That is a feat that was never reached last season when the team finished 16-2.
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Additionally, the Mavericks have been nearly identical in both ground balls (323-317) and turnovers (169-173) with their opponents this season. That has allowed teams to stay in the game and finish with more scoring opportunities that CMU as of late.
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Offensively however, the Mavericks have been pretty good this season. They rank 19
th in the nation in goals scored per game at 12.78. That is due in large part to
Jack Griffin and
Reece Callies who have combined for 42 goals through nine games (which is nearly five goals per game between just the two of them).
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As for Westminster, they come into Saturday's matchup with a 3-4 record and are currently on a two-game losing streak. They are led by Lane Kadish and Nick Marcy, who have combined for 33 goals for their squad.
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CMU swept the season series against the Griffins last season after coming away with a 14-13 win on the road and a 15-8 win at home then a 20-7 win in the RMAC tournament. Since 2015, the Mavericks have won all but one matchup to the Griffins. Westminster's lone win came in the opening game of the 2016 season.
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Game time is set for 5 p.m. at Walker Field.