GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 15 Colorado Mesa (2-0-1, 2-0-1 RMAC) men's soccer team passed last weekend's road test with flying colors, taking that momentum into the final two games of the abbreviated spring season. The Mavericks host MSU Denver in their final home game, before hitting the road for a quick trip to Westminster for a rematch.

Thursday's game will also serve as "Senior Day", with the team honoring lone senior Brendan Brown.

LAST TIME OUT
The Mavericks administered pressure on the Mountain Lions defense early on, seeing it pay off as Peres handled a ball inside the box, ripping it into the bottom right corner of the goal for his first of the season and the 1-0 lead for the Mavs.

Despite taking 13 shots in the opening frame, Peres's goal would be the only one in the first half.

Just a few minutes into the second half, off an attempt to move the ball up the field, Ethan Anderson would cut the ball off midfield and take it back towards the goal, passing it off to Aaron Martinez for a split second, before returning it back for Anderson who needed just one touch to send it past the UCCS goalkeeper for his second goal on the season, and the second of the game.

Ten minutes later, Anderson was on the assisting end of the team's third goal, passing it up to Alec Fronapfel who had the one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and came out on top with his second goal of the season, building the Mavs lead to three.
With just a couple minutes left, a UCCS foul set up Isa Trujillo just outside the top of the box. Trujillo sent a high-powered shot into the lower left half of the net for the team's fourth and final goal of the day.

ENTERING THE RANKINGS
Up until the recent United Soccer Coaches poll released, Tuesday Apr. 6, Colorado Mesa was not ranked. This week however saw the Mavericks jump into the mix, coming in at No. 15.

Ahead of the 2019 Season, CMU was ranked 17^th by United Soccer Coaches. In 2017, the team was ranked as high as No. 6.

HEAD OF THE HERD
As a team, the Mavericks have allowed just one goal while scoring nine on the opposite end of the pitch, taking 68 shots to their opponents 15. 32 of those shots were on goal, for an average of over 10 per game thus far, and putting them at a shots on goal percentage of .471.  

Out of the conference's top-10 shot takers, four of them are Maverick players. Ramses Atahulapa and Daisuke Takanaka average just over three shots per game, with teammates Alec Fronapfel and Fernando Morales closely behind with an even 3.00 shots.
Ethan Anderson has the second most assists in conference, and is averaging over two points a game with seven total in three games thanks to a team high two goals and three assists.

Fronapfel is matches Anderson's two goals, for four points.

Brendan Brown leads the conference with a .310, goals against average, is tied to the top spot in shutouts with two, and his .875 save percentage is the second highest behind CSU Pueblo's Joseph Banul.

ROADRUNNER RECON
MSU Denver (2-3, 2-2 RMAC) make their way to Maverick Field Thursday, after a 1-0 win over South Dakota Mines in Rapid City last Saturday. The Roadrunners did take five shots on goal, but none of them connected. The score was recorded on an unfortunate own goal, but was enough for the win and lifted the team out of a two-game rut.

Nick Jansen, reigning RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week made six saves in the second half to secure the win,

Freshman, Aaron Biggerstaff put in goals against South Dakota Mines and Westminster to lead the team.

SECOND TIME AROUND
Since the two teams last met on Mar. 21, the Westminster Griffins (2-1-1, 2-0-1 RMAC) picked up two wins against MSU Denver and UCCS.

In the conference opener, down 1-0, Jace Vance got the second chance shot to go in the 82^nd minute, leading to the eventual draw with CMU.

Five difference players are behind each of the team's goals, with Max Bingman and Vance leading the way with three points apiece.

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