GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado Mesa scored early and often, creating an insurmountable that held up through a far more competitive second half, eventually defeating CSU Pueblo 4-1 in a women's soccer game from Community Hospital Unity Field.

Lila Dere scored two goals in quick succession to move to 12 on the season while Addie Randel and Michaela Dangler also scored.  

Amanda Garrett pulled one back for the ThunderWolves in the 51st minute, but the game was already out of reach thanks to four Maverick goals in the opening 23 minutes.

Addie Randel got the Mavs off to a dream start, looping a header over the goalkeeper less than two minutes into the match. It was Randel's third goal of the season, the third-highest total on the team.  

From there, Dere took over like she has in so many games this year. Dere thundered in a header from a Haley Klasner corner kick into the top left corner in the 16th minute and added another five minutes later.  

Dere has 12 goals in eight games, a year after scoring 15 goals for the third-highest single-season total in program history. She will enter Sunday's game against UCCS two goals away from tying Tiffany Thompson for the all-time CMU scoring record with 36 career goals. After today's match, Dere is sitting at 34.

Dere nearly pulled off a hat trick just a minute later, but Pueblo goalkeeper Breanna Encinas made a diving save to her left. The rebound fell straight to Michaela Dangler, however, and the reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Year had a tap-in for her first goal of the season.

Immediately after the fourth goal, CSU Pueblo changed goalkeepers, bringing in veteran Nicole Genis. Genis started the first six games of the season before being replaced by the freshman Encinas for the past three starts. Genis staked her claim for getting her job back by holding the Mavs scoreless for the remaining 67 minutes, making five saves along the way.

After two non-conference matches against RMAC competition, official conference play starts this upcoming week, and the Mavs will be at home for both matches. Colorado Mesa will have a rematch with this same CSU Pueblo side at 4 p.m. on Friday before taking on UCCS at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Both matches are the first legs of a CMU soccer doubleheader, with the women's team facing the same opponents after both matches.  

Colorado Mesa outshot the ThunderWolves by a 25-7 margin. While CSUP ultimately couldn't make much of their chances, they still made dangerous moves down the pitch to force plays from CMU defenders. Both teams took seven corner kicks in the match.  

The Mavericks will face UCCS, a team receiving votes in the national poll, on Sunday at 3 p.m. Colorado Mesa and UCCS were picked to finish tied for second in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll.