GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa (0-0-1, 0-0-1 RMAC) men's soccer team will take to the pitch to continue conference play, welcoming South Dakota Mines (1-2, 0-2 RMAC) to Maverick Field Sunday. It will mark the tenth meeting between the two teams, as the Mavericks will look to extend their series win streak over the Hardrockers.
QUICK REWIND
Sunday will make a week since the team last suited up, facing Westminster in the season and conference opener.
Alec Fronapfel scored just before the first half closed out, giving his team the upper hand heading into the second. On the attack, the Mavs had a few close connections at scoring but were unable to find the back of the net.
With the minutes winding down, and needing to make some defensive stops the Mavs held the Griffins off for a majority of the half.
Off a corner kick, the Griffins took a shot at the goal only for it to be saved briefly by
Brendan Brown. However, off the ricochet the ball traveled into the path of Jace Vance who placed it past a recovering Brown to tie it up at 1.
The teams used both overtime periods, but neither could convert to secure the outright win.
OPPONENT BREAKDOWN
The Hardrockers of South Dakota Mines hit opened the season with an exciting 2-1 win in double-overtime over Colorado Christian, thanks to a penalty kick and the eventual golden goal from Phil Leano.
Since then, they have his a 2-game skid falling to MSU Denver (0-1) and then UCCS (1-5) in conference action.
Two other players aside from Leano, are credited with goals this season. Garrett Cole was behind the lone goal scored in the UCCS game, with Ransom Hall gaining the other against CCU.
Tyler Ring picked up the start in goal in the Hardrockers last contest, tallying four saves.
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.
