GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – November 7, 2019. That was the last time the Colorado Mesa men's soccer team suited up and played and faced off with an RMAC opponent.

After a series of schedule changes and an overly extended off-season, the team will take to the pitch this Sunday against Westminster at 2:30 p.m., following the women's game at 12 p.m.

SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's contest marks the season and conference opener for both teams, and the 14^th meeting between the two teams with the Mavericks holding a 10-2 advantage, with just a single tie between the rivals.

That tie happened in their first meeting of the 2019 season, in Grand Junction. Just weeks later on the Griffins home turf, they handed the Maverick a 2-0 loss.

After a few exhibitions to kick off the season, the Griffins faced off with the Fort Lewis in a non-conference match Friday on Maverick Field. A late goal by Skyhawks, was enough to ground the Griffins.
In the preseason poll, Westminster took home the same amount of points as Fort Lewis, to come in tied for fourth.

NEW COACHING ERA
The Mavericks have been learning a new system under Head Coach Jon Fridal, who took over the program back in December.
Fridal, had been the head coach at NCAA Division II South Central Region rival Eastern New Mexico University for the past 2 ½ years, and is the Mavericks' fourth head coach in program history. He inherits a Maverick program that has qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament in five of the last six seasons, including a 2014 national semifinal run, while posting seven straight double-figure win seasons.
 
In his two seasons at ENMU, Fridal and the Greyhounds went 20-13-3 (.597), raising their win total by four each year.
 
In 2019, Fridal led ENMU to a record-breaking 12-5-1 season that saw the Greyhounds record three wins over nationally-ranked opponents, including one at CMU, while earning their first national ranking in program history.  They got off to a perfect 6-0-0 start and were ranked in each of the five first United Soccer Coaches Polls, climbing as high as No. 9 in the national edition.
 
They also recorded a program-record six shutouts and had five selections to the All-Lone Star Conference teams, including LSC Goalkeeper of the Year Ross Dalton.  Three of his players also received all-region honors and his program was recognized for their academic success with the USC Team Academic Award.
 
In Fridal's first season (2018) with the Greyhounds, he led ENMU to an 8-8-2 record.  They had two all-conference and three all-region selections in his debut season as a NCAA Division II head coach.
 
The Greyhounds had won just four games in 2017 before his arrival in Portales.