GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colton Shafer had a senior day to remember, scoring twice and leading the Mavericks to a 4-1 victory over Colorado Christian on Senior Day to close out the season.

Manuel Ponce Casas scored early in the first half to snap a lengthy goal-scoring drought before Shafer scored twice in the second half and was also in the vicinity of a bizarre deflection that turned into a CCU own goal.

The Mavs finish the season at 9-7-1 and 4-5-1 in conference play. They end the year tied for seventh place in the RMAC with 13 points. The Mavs ended up just a point out of the sixth and final playoff place, which Colorado Christian held onto despite today's loss.

Ponce Casas got the Mavs on the board 12 minutes into the match. Daisuke Takanaka tried to play Ponce Casas through but the pass was initially broken up. However, a mishit clearance gifted Ponce Casas a one-on-one opportunity from point-blank range and the freshman didn't miss.

It was Ponce Casas' first goal since September 10. After scoring six times in the opening five games of his career, Ponce Casas had gone nine matches without scoring before finding the net.

Even though it was the visitors who had their playoff futures up in the air entering the match, the Mavericks looked to be the more motivated and in-sync team throughout the match, especially as pounding rain intensified during the second half.

A fortuitous bounce off a CCU defender fluttered into the top left corner past a leaping CCU goalkeeper Max Collingwood to make it 2-0 Mavs in the 52^nd minute. Two seniors linked up with one another to give CMU a 3-0 lead as a Daisuke Takanaka corner kick was punched in by Shafer in the 65^th minute.

Colorado Christian pulled one back in the 79^th minute as Gabe Roloff put a perfectly-placed ball down the middle of the CMU defense and an onrushing Dylan Hall was able to round goalkeeper Connor Durant and put it in. But with MSU Denver's 2-0 loss to CSU Pueblo, the Cougars saw themselves clinch a playoff berth and no longer had to desperately try for a result.

Shafer put a cap on his dream senior day with a second goal in the 89^th minute. Moses Magens started the team move by rounding a defender down the right wing and finding Jannick Lange in the middle. As multiple defenders converged on Lange, he dropped it back to Shafer, who hit the ball with the outside of his right foot and bent it perfectly through traffic into the bottom left corner.

The Mavericks honored nine outgoing seniors before the game: Isa Trujillo (82 minutes, shot on goal), Ethan Anderson (90 minutes), Gabriel Saturno (12 minutes), Colton Shafer (90 minutes, two goals, three shots on goal), Daisuke Takanaka (86 minutes, two shots on goal, one assist), Connor Durant (90 minutes in goal, two saves), Jannick Lange (56 minutes, one assist) and Jabari Anthony (45 minutes). Jorge Rodriguez, who left Friday's match in an ambulance, did not play but was able to take part in his Senior Day in person and spent the game on the sideline with the team.