GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – It will have been 130 days since their last competition when the Colorado Mesa men's soccer team takes to Maverick Field this Thursday, as they host the Colorado Mesa Kickoff sponsored by Doubletree by Hilton. Maverick Field will feature action between the Mavericks and UT Permian Basin on Thursday, followed by Texas A&M International on Saturday. Both games are set to begin at 7 p.m.
Thursday afternoon will also feature a match between MSU Billings and Texas A&M International.
Preseason Polls
After finishing the spring season 6-1-1, 5-0-1 in conference play and earning a share of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title, the Mavericks were favored in the RMAC Preseason Poll. Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines each tallied five first-place votes, both teams also appeared in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) preseason rankings, with CMU at No. 21 and CSM at No. 8.
Back in Action
The Mavericks graduated just one senior from a season ago in goalkeeper,
Brendan Brown. However, along with a strong core of returners are 14 newcomers looking to build on the team's success.
Returning up front for the CMU attack is sophomore,
Alec Fronapfel who led the team's scoring efforts just a season ago. The Fort Collins native racked up eight goals in eight games, including a hat trick in the tournament final, just the fifth in program history. He finished on a three-game scoring streak, finishing with 17 points and All-RMAC First Team honors.
Junior,
Ethan Anderson also returns to the lineup posing a dual threat on the pitch. Listed as a defender, Anderson worked both sides of the field, finishing with a pair of goals and a team leading five assists, while also aiding in the defensive efforts to limit opponents to just six shots per game. His efforts earned him RMAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and First Team honors.
In the back half,
Raymond Jackson,
Isa Trujillo and
Gabriel Saturno logged significant minutes, keeping opponents from getting into scoring territory.
Fridal Era
In his first season at the helm, head coach
Jon Fridal lifted the team to a 5-0-1 conference record, and a share of the RMAC regular season title, earning him Coach of the Year. A 5-0 shutout over Regis gave the Mavericks hosting rights to the tournament, where they met up with long-time rival, Mines in the final.
The team finished with four All-RMAC First Team members, and one Honorable Mention. Eight members also landed on the RMAC All-Academic Teams, and two on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.
About the UTPB Falcons
Similar to the RMAC, the Lone Star Conference played an abbreviated soccer season in the Spring. The Falcons were able to play nine games, finishing with a 5-3-1 record, 4-3-1 against conference opponents. Their losses came to St. Mary's, West Texas A&M, and Midwestern State, all who received preseason nods in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
Offensively, the Falcons took 38 shots on goal, out of their 86 total shots. On the opposite side of the field defending the net goalkeeper Alfonso Aragon who started eight contests for the Falcons recorded 45 saves in 122 shots faced for a .750 save percentage.
Of the teams 15 goals, leading the way was junior forward, Kasper Wallstroem. The Skivarp, Sweden native made just four appearances throughout the season, scoring in three of them. Gustavo Barroso was in the offensive mix as well, notching a goal and a team leading four assists in the Spring, including a hat-trick against Lubbock Christian.
A tie-breaker determined the fate of the Falcons in the spring, missing out of the postseason conference tournament. They enter the fall portion tied for fifth in the LSC Preseason poll and were one of four teams to receive a first-place vote. Aragon along with
Gustavo Barroso,
Ollie Grundy,
Matias Pereira, and
Rodrigo Rogatto, last season's All-LSC honorees return to the Falcons roster.
This will be the first meeting between the Mavericks and Falcons.
About the Texas A&M International Dustdevils
Another Lone Star Conference member will make their way to Grand Junction, in Texas A&M International. The Dustdevils capped off their condensed spring season with a 3-3-2 record, entering this fall season tied for fifth in the conference's preseason poll.
Sophomore goalkeeper Naxto Faus picked up Lone Star Conference Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year honors, after conceding just five goals last season for a .773 save percentage. His efforts landed him on the All-LSC Third Team, as well as the All-Freshman Team.
Aaron Rich, Gabriel Gacovicaj, Kristian Colaci, and Mikael Cabezas were alongside Faus as postseason honorees.
Colaci led the way with three goals and an assist for seven points, taking 14 shots, 11 of which were aimed at the net. Gacovicaj followed closely behind with two goals and an assist, Johan Portales being the other player with a pair of goals.
The two team's have not met previously, marking the first between the Mavericks and Dustdevils.
