GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – After opening up Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play this past weekend the Colorado Mesa Mavericks will take on Johnson & Wales University this Tuesday at 6 pm in a non-conference match up. This game will take place on Walker Field.
The Mavs are 4-6 on the season and 0-1 in conference play after falling 14-8 to Westminster in their first RMAC game of the 2019 season last Saturday. The Mavs sit third in the standings behind CSU-Pueblo (6-2, 1-0) and Westminster (4-6, 1-0). Adams State is in last place with a 3-4 record and and 0-2 conference record.
The Mavericks have recorded 128 goals this season and 74 assists. They are shooting at a 30.0 percentage and a 58.0 shots on goal percentage while averaging 42.6 shots per game. The Mavericks have totaled 16 man-up goal this season while converting 36.4 percent of their power plays (16-of-44).
The Mavericks are winning 49.8 percent (W 137- L 138) of their faceoffs and are led by Michael Marino who has won 49.6 percent (111-of-224) of his own faceoffs.
Jack Griffin leads the team with 41 points and has recorded 28 goals and 13 assists. His 2.80 goals per game is third best in the RMAC and his 1.30 assists per game is sixth best in the RMAC.
Marino has grabbed 59 ground balls to lead the team and is followed by Austin Bullock who has recorded 29 ground balls. As a defender for the Mavericks Cole Smith has totaled 12 ground balls and caused 15 turnovers to lead the Mavericks.
Scouting Johnson & Wales
The JWU men's lacrosse team is 1-8 on their season and will come to Grand Junction on a six game losing streak. In their most recent game they lost to CSU-Pueblo 32-2. As a team they have recorded a total of 27 goals this season.
JWU is a part of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference which is made up of Colorado College, Southwestern (Texas), Dallas, and Johnson & Wales. JWU is second to last in the overall standings and are only in front of Dallas who is 0-7 on the season.
The Wildcats have faced two RMAC opponents and fallen to each of them by a combined score of 47-3.
Coleton Threlkeld leads the team with 13 points which includes 11 goals and two assists, his 11 goals leads the Wildcats. Freshmen Austin Cruz is the Wildcats number one goalie and has logged over 500 minutes in the net and recorded 113 saves and a goals against average of 26.28.
This is the Mavericks second time playing Johnson & Wales and in their first meeting they defeated them 33-0. A season ago that 33 goal mark was tied for an NCAA Division II record but this season the Mavericks recorded 34 goals against Notre Dame de Namur which is now currently tied for the second most goals in Division II men's lacrosse.
Next Up
The Mavericks will resume RMAC play on Friday with a game at Walker Field against CSU-Pueblo which will take place at 7 pm. That same weekend the Mavericks will take on Adams State on Sunday at 11 am on Walker Field.
