GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – For the second time in five days, CSU Pueblo's brand of physical defense stymied the Maverick offense, and a late goal from Matthew Coleman led the visitors to a 1-0 victory over CMU in the first leg of a doubleheader from Community Hospital Unity Field. 

Connor Durant made four saves for the Mavericks but was unable to stop Coleman's turnaround shot placed perfectly in the top right corner in the 80th minute. 

The loss dropped the Mavs to 5-3 and got them off to an 0-1 start in RMAC conference play. With their second win over the Mavericks, CSU Pueblo improved to 7-2 and 1-0. 

Colorado Mesa was playing with a short-handed back line, hampered in part by injuries to Raymond Jackson and Ethan Anderson. Even so, the Mavs turned in a great defensive first-half performance, facing an onslaught of nine shots from Pueblo in the first half but holding them scoreless. 

The ThunderWolves pressed extremely effectively with their midfielders and forwards, scarcely providing the opportunity for the Mavericks to put anything together outside their own half of the pitch.  

The home team's best chance of the game came immediately after halftime, when Daisuke Takanaka struck a left-footed shot that CSUP goalkeeper Nils Roth palmed onto the post with a lunging right hand. 

CSU Pueblo scored on a break by quickly taking a free kick, with the ThunderWolves working the ball down the right wing before a centering pass fell at the feet of Coleman. The junior from Sheffield, U.K. turned around and fired to set off wild celebrations from the visitors. 

The Mavs play next against UCCS on Sunday, kicking off at 12:30 p.m. in Grand Junction. The Mavericks and UCCS are both receiving votes in the national poll.