GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa men's soccer program saw a five-game win streak snapped in their second of two games last week, but the Mavericks will have an immediate opportunity for revenge coming up this Friday at Community Hospital Unity Field.

The Mavs earned a gritty 4-2 win over Westminster on Friday despite playing a man down for 45 minutes, then suffered a 2-1 loss at CSU Pueblo on Sunday in the final two non-conference matches of the year.

With RMAC play set to start this week, the Mavericks will get an immediate rematch with CSU Pueblo on Friday at 4 p.m. before facing UCCS on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
It will be a pair of high-profile and high-flying matchups for the Mavericks. CSU Pueblo is ranked No. 15 in the country and UCCS is receiving notes nationally, along with CMU. All three teams have explosive offenses, with the Mavs leading the RMAC with 22 goals scored and their two opponents this week right behind them tied at 21.

Both matches will take place in Grand Junction and can be livestreamed on the RMAC Network. Live stats will also be available online.

Looking Back
The Mavs ended the nonconference portion of their schedule by taking on two RMAC opponents.

At home against Westminster, the Mavericks won a frenetic 4-2 game that featured four penalty kicks, two for either side. After CMU received a red card in the 45^th minute, the Mavericks were forced to play down a man for the entire half, but still outscored Westminster 2-1 during that time frame.

Daisuke Takanaka and Matheus Lazzuri scored from open play for the Mavs while Jorge Rodriguez and Fernando Morales both scored from the penalty spot.

RECAPS: Westminster | CSU Pueblo

The Mavericks got yet another goal from the penalty spot against CSU Pueblo, with Morales scoring for the second consecutive game, but two ThunderWolf goals late in the first half turned the tide in favor of the hosts.

Spot Kicks
Colorado Mesa tallied three of its five goals this week via penalty kick. The Mavs have demonstrated throughout the season that they have a plethora of quality penalty-taking options.
The Mavericks lead the RMAC with five penalty kick goals for the season. Additionally, the Mavs have been perfect at converting 100% of their PK attempts, something only three of the seven RMAC teams to have attempted a penalty so far this season can claim.

The 5-for-5 mark from the spot has also been a group effort. Fernando Morales has put two penalties away, both of which came this week, while Daisuke  tTakanaka, Alvaro Parra and Jorge Rodriguez each scored one.

Staying Out Of Trouble
The Mavericks did well having to play a man down for 45 minutes against Westminster, outscoring the Griffins 2-1 during that time and only conceding via a penalty kick. But playing with a man disadvantage is unfamiliar territory for CMU, which traditionally has been among the most disciplined teams in the RMAC and the country.

This was the first red card issued to a CMU player in head coach Jon Fridal's three-year tenure. No Maverick had been sent off since 2019, when defender Connor Lowdermilk received two yellows in overtime of a game against Westminster. No CMU player had received a straight red since goalkeeper Bailey Guarneri in 2018, and even that card was shown after the final whistle.

The Mavericks have the fewest fouls (60) and yellow cards (10) in the RMAC this season, and the Mavs' 8.5 fouls per game is the 17^th-lowest mark in Division II. CMU finished 13^th nationally in that category at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 season.

Coming On Strong
The Mavericks are a deep, veteran team, with seven players returning that won all-conference recognition last season (Connor Durant, Ethan Anderson and Alec Fronapfel – 1^st team, Isa Trujillo – 2^nd team, Joey Joiner, Leo Mireles and Fernando Morales – honorable mention).

Even so, there have been plenty of opportunities for younger players to take on new or expanded roles. Leading the way is freshman forward Manuel Ponce Casas, who scored in each of the first five games of his collegiate career and ranks third in the RMAC in goals (six) and points (14).

Another breakout contributor has been midfielder Matheus Lazzuri. The sophomore, who appeared in five games in 2021-22, has seen the pitch in all seven of the Mavs' games this season, starting six.
Lazzuri scored the first goal of his college career against Westminster, striking a first-touch finish off an assist from Daisuke Takanaka. Against CSU Pueblo, Lazzuri played a career-high 73 minutes, second-most in the match among CMU outfield players.

Conference Leaderboards
Colorado Mesa has been offensively dominant, leading the RMAC in total goals (22) and goals per game (3.14). They rank second in assists per game (2.42) and shots on goal per game (8.0) and third in shots per game (13.86).

The Mavs' goalkeepers rank sixth in the RMAC with a 1.43 goals-against average and 25 saves, but fourth in save percentage (.714).

The Mavericks have also been the most disciplined team in the RMAC, collecting the fewest yellow cards (six) and the fewest fouls per game (8.2).

In the Polls
Colorado Mesa fell out of the Top 25 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll from September 20, but the Mavericks still received votes.

Both teams that have beaten the Mavericks this season are ranked in the Top 15 – Midwestern State at No. 5 and CSU Pueblo at No. 15. The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs joined CMU in the receiving votes section.

Colorado Mesa dropped from second to fifth in the South Central regional poll and are the second-highest ranked team behind CSU Pueblo.

Colorado Mesa was picked to win the conference in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, claiming eight of 11 first place votes, followed by Colorado School of Mines and CSU Pueblo.

Coach's Corner
Mavericks head coach Jon Fridal is in his third season in charge at CMU, boasting a .783 winning percentage from the first two seasons.

In his first year, played in spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mavs went 6-1-1, including 5-0-1 in conference play, as Fridal took home RMAC Coach of the Year honors, becoming the second coach in the history of the program to do so.

In his first full campaign in the fall of 2021, Fridal led the Mavericks to a 16-4-2 record, a second-place RMAC regular-season finish, an RMAC Tournament title and a win in the NCAA Tournament.

Along with assistant coach Brandon Bautista, Fridal was honored as the United Soccer Coaches South Central Regional Staff of the Year in 2021.

About CSU Pueblo
CSU Pueblo is 6-2, coming off of a statement weekend that included a 4-0 win over Colorado Mines and a 2-1 win over Colorado Mesa, the only two schools picked above them in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. After first appearing in the 20s and briefly falling out of the national poll last week, CSU Pueblo currently has a season-high No. 15 national ranking.

Offensively, the ThunderWolves are led by junior forward Gabriel Campora, who has eight goals in eight games, including a four-goal game against Northwest Nazarene. Campora is the RMAC's leading scorer, two ahead of CMU's Manuel Ponce Casas.

Ricardo Schroeder scored against the Mavericks and has seven points (three goals, one assist) while junior midfielder Mario Sandoval has four assists. Reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Week Shjon Andrews anchors CSUP's back line.

ThunderWolves head coach Oliver Twelvetrees began his tenure in April 2020. In his first full season in 2021, CSU Pueblo went on a run to the RMAC Tournament Championship final, knocking off No. 1 seed Colorado School of Mines in the process, before losing to the Mavericks.

The ThunderWolves tallied a win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament over Seattle Pacific before losing to eventual national champion Cal State LA.

About UCCS
The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs enters this week with a 5-1-2 record. They boast an upset win over then-No. 7 Fort Hays State and a staggering 11-0 blowout of Adams State last Thursday.

Forwards Kolby Raineri and Liam McGuire each had hat tricks in that rout. Rainieri won RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors this past week after accumulating four goals and two assists over the Mountain Lions' two matches. Raineri set a program record by firing seven shots on goal against Adams State.

For the season, Raineri is the team's leading scorer with seven goals and three assists. Marvin Putu, a transfer from Montana State Billings, has three goals and four assists.
The Mountain Lions have the stingiest defense in the RMAC thus far, only conceding two goals in eight games. Goalkeeper Declan Domyan has made 24 saves and has a sparkling 0.26 goals-against average.

Head coach Lewis Wilcox entered this season as the official head coach for the first time, but he is no stranger to UCCS, having spent two years as an assistant coach and last year as the interim head coach. Under Wilcox in 2021, UCCS finished 8-8-1, the program's best finish since 2018.

Series Histories
Colorado Mesa has a 15-5-3 advantage in the all-time series against CSU Pueblo. The ThunderWolves snapped a 10-game CMU win streak in the all-time series with their 2-1 win last week. Colorado Mesa's last win over CSU Pueblo was a 3-1 win in last year's RMAC Tournament championship game.

The Mavericks hold a 17-6-4 advantage all-time over UCCS, including a current four-game win streak. Should the Mavericks win on Sunday to make it five straight, that would match the longest win streak in the all-time series. Head coach Jon Fridal is 2-0 in his career over the Mountain Lions, defeating them 4-0 in the spring of 2021 and 3-1 in the fall of 2021.
Six players on the 2022 roster have a goal against UCCS in their careers: Ethan Anderson, Alec Fronapfel, David Peters, Colton Shafer, Daisuke Takanaka and Isa Trujillo.