GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Conference play continues for the Colorado Mesa women's soccer team as they look to use a home advantage over a pair of tough RMAC opponents. The Mavericks will open the weekend against Colorado School of Mines on Friday, followed by a rumble with the Rangers of Regis on Sunday.
Game time are scheduled for 4 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. respectively. Fans can follow along with live stats and watch the live stream at the links above.
Weekend Rewind
On the road for the second weekend of the conference schedule, the Mavericks battled against a tough Thunderwolves team in CSU Pueblo.

The game would go scoreless for 82-minutes before a late CSUP goal would become the deciding factor in the final score. CMU held a 12-7 edge in total shots, and targeted five shots at the net. The Mavs also proved to be a threat in the upper third of the field, getting to the corner seven times, to the opponents one.

The Mavericks would bounce back in a big way just 48 hours later, upsetting the then No. 5 ranked UCCS Mountain Lions, 3-2.
Lexi Newton leveled the score midway through the first half on a long ranger strike off the top-post. In the early minutes of the second half, Haley Klasner would replicate the opening goal, tucking away her second goal of the season to help the team take the 2-1 lead.

After UCCS netted the equalizer six minutes after, it would be a physical affair to score the game winner.

That game winner would be scored off the foot of Tatum Pfalmer in the 88^th minute, and would hold up for the remainder of regulation as the upset was complete. CMU put up 15 shots, 10 landing between the posts. Chloe Dody registered five saves to grab the win, her second over a top-10 opponent this season.

The win put the Mavericks at 2-1 in conference play, and 5-2 overall.

So Many Options
Freshman Lila Dere already has five tallies on the season, just two shy of her season total during the condensed spring season. With 12 goals to her name and barely even a full season under her belt, the Grand Junction local is amongst good company in the Maverick record books.

Both contributing goals in the win over UCCS, Klasner and Pfalmer now have two goals apiece. Six other players have netted goals as the Mavs have racked up 16 goals on the season to their opponents nine.

Mikayla Eccher is the assists leader with three, followed by Newton, Klasner and Dere who also have a pair.

Midfielder, Mira Houck has logged the most minutes for the Mavs, playing from start to finish in the past three games, as well as played into extra minutes against Northwest Nazarene and Minot State. Houck scored her first brace of the season against Black Hills, and then was in on the game-winning scoring sequence against UCCS.

Applying Pressure
Having taken over 100 shots on the season, the Mavericks average the third most shots in the conference in seven games played. A majority of those shots have come off the cleats of Lila Dere, having taken 38 shots, over five per game to lead the RMAC. Her five goals are tied for second most in the RMAC.

On the back half of the field, the defense has applied their own pressure keeping opponents out of scoring position. In 72 shots, opponents have placed less than half of them on target.

Scouting Colorado School of Mines
The Oredigger sport a 4-0 record in league play, 7-1-2 overall. Their lone loss came to then No. 10 Florida Tech. Since then they have gone on to win four straight, three of those being shutouts.

Reece McDermott has been in on five goals thus far, three being the scorer and two dishing out assists. She put two past Black Hills, and was in on the assist in the lone goal against MSU Denver.

The defense has posed problems for opponents all season, conceding just three goals. Jordan Barnhart has endured over 900-minutes on the pitch, playing from open to close in all but one game thus far.

Goalkeeper Sierra Roth has logged just as many minutes between the wood work, and has a conference leading five shutouts, 38 saves and .927 save percentage.

Series History
The Mavericks have just three wins over the Orediggers, the last coming in 2007. In the 2010 matchup the teams played to a 1-1 draw. Since then, Mines has all won the last 12 meetings, the most recent being in the spring 2021 RMAC quarterfinals by a 1-0 decision.

Ranger Recon
With four conference games under their belt, the Regis Rangers boast a 3-1 record, suffering a loss at MSU Denver last weekend. They would rebound with win over Black Hills by 2-1 score, thanks to goals by Madison Hand.

Hand brings her season total to five, and is second on the team behind Kelby Kuo who has produced nine goals thus far. When Kuo isn't scoring she has dished out eight assists for 26 points midway through the season.

The team has put together 31 goals, thanks in large part to a 10-1 victory over Southern Nazarene and dominant 7-0 shutout over New Mexico Highlands.

Series History
Dating back into the 90's the Mavericks have snagged 10 wins in the overall series. The last CMU win came in 2013 by a 3-0 triumph. Since then the Rangers have taken six wins, three other meetings ending in draws.

The teams did not see each other during the condensed spring season, making the 2019 the last time the two have met when they ended in a 1-1 draw.

RMAC Preseason Poll
This season the Mavericks came in at No. 7 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Poll, moving up a spot from last season's poll, collecting 85 votes. Head Coach Megan Remec returns for the Fall season after leading the team to 5-4-1 record last season and a berth in the RMAC Tournament.

Colorado School of Mines garnered seven first-place votes to take home the top-spot, followed by UCCS and CSU Pueblo who each received three first-place votes.

Up Next
Next weekend the team will split time at home and on the road, heading to Durango to take on Fort Lewis before returning to Maverick Field to host the Western Colorado Mountaineers.