GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado Mesa women's soccer will head over to the eastern part of the state this week with forward Lila Dere on the cusp of program history.

It was a tale of two matches last week for the Mavs, who were dominant in a 4-1 win over CSU Pueblo last Friday before losing 3-1 to UCCS on Sunday. Along the way, Dere scored three goals, pulling her within one of the CMU career goalscoring record. The Mavs have a tough test on Friday at No. 15 Colorado School of Mines before traveling to Regis, an opponent which Dere scored four goals against last season.

The games can be streamed live on the RMAC Network and followed via live stats.

Looking Back

The Mavericks came out firing against CSU Pueblo, scoring four in the first 23 minutes of the match on their way to a 4-1 victory.

Addie Randel scored two minutes into the match before Dere scored a pair of goals and defender Michaela Dangler scored to complete the rout. Although CSU Pueblo pulled a goal back in the second half, they were outshot by CMU by a 25-7 margin.

RECAPS: CSU Pueblo | UCCS

Against UCCS, the Mavericks battled against the team that they shared the RMAC regular season championship with last season. The Mountain Lions got the better of CMU on this occasion, scoring three goals in the second half to overshadow another Lila Dere goal and win 3-1. Chloe Dody shined by making seven saves in goal for the Mavs.

Hometown Hero

A graduate of Fruita Monument High School in Grand Junction, Lila Dere decided to stay and play college soccer in her hometown. Now, she's on the verge of scoring more goals than any other women's player that's called Grand Junction home.

With three goals this past weekend, the redshirt sophomore has 35 goals in her career, just one shy of all-time career record holder Tiffany Thompson's mark of 36. Thompson scored her 36 goals in 43 games while Dere is scheduled to suit up for her 38th and 39th career games this weekend.

Dere is coming up on the all-time points record for CMU as well, currently ranking third with 76 career points. Thompson is also the all-time CMU leader in points with 85, but Dere could pass Brianna Figal's 79 for second place with two goals (one goal = two points, one assist = one point).  

Against this week's upcoming opponents, Dere has two goals in two career matches against Colorado School of Mines and four goals in two matches against Regis.

On Fire

While her career accomplishments may take center stage this week, Dere is having a fabulous 2022 season on its own.  

She has 13 goals through nine matches, already approaching her career high of 15 that she tallied in 18 matches in 2021. That total is the second-highest in Division II this season, only trailing Catawba's Hannah Dunn with 14.  

Dere leads Division II in shots per game (6.56) and shots on goal per game (3.78). She has over half a shot on goal per game more than anyone else in the nation.

Dere also holds the current season's Division II single-game highs for shots (13) and shots on goal (nine), both set during her four-goal explosion on September 2 against Nebraska-Kearney. The nine shots on goal tied a career high for Dere.  

Trail Blazed

Scoring four goals in a game used to be unheard of for the CMU women's soccer program. Lila Dere and Evelyn Hammer got fans used to seeing it by doing it in back-to-back games earlier this season, but Dere became the first in program history to achieve the feat last season against Regis. Dere scored in the 10th, 18th, 54th and 80th minutes as CMU rolled to a 4-1 victory.

Dere's first match-up against Regis since then comes with the added intrigue of the redshirt sophomore chasing CMU's goal-scoring record.  

Shot Stopper

Chloe Dody made a career-high seven saves against UCCS. She had achieved her previous career-high of six saves twice, including this season against Angelo State.  

Dody conceded three goals for only the third time in her career. Between the seven she stopped and the three she let in, the 10 shots on goal are the most Dody has had to contend with in a single match in her career. The 16 total shots for UCCS was a season-high allowed by the CMU defense.

Dody has a 1.41 goals-against average and a .744 save percentage this season, stopping 32 of 43 shot attempts.  

Rapid Start

Addie Randel kicked off what ended up being a four-goal blitz in the opening 23 minutes against CSU Pueblo with a headed goal in just the second minute.

Randel ranks third on the team with three goals in 2022. She has been a lethal finisher, tallying those three goals on just five shots on goal and 18 total attempts.

Randel has been a key piece of the CMU rotation, playing excellent pressing defense from her forward position and using her frame to hold up play and set up the Mavs' attack.

On the Leaderboards

Colorado Mesa is tied for the RMAC lead with Colorado School of Mines with 26 goals and 69 points. They are tied for second with 17 assists and lead with 21 shots per game and 10.78 shots on goal per game. Nationally, they rank fourth in Division II for shots per game and sixth in shots on goal per game.

Lila Dere leads the conference in most offensive categories, including shots (59), shots on goal (34), goals (13) and points (28). Evelyn Hammer ranks second in the RMAC behind Dere in points per game (1.78, 11 points in seven games) and is tied for third with five goals. Haley Klasner is tied for third in the RMAC with four assists.

In the Polls

Colorado School of Mines is the only RMAC team ranked in the national Top 25, currently sitting at No. 15. Westminster (Utah) is receiving votes.

The Orediggers will be the second ranked opponent that the Mavs have faced, as Angelo State is ranked No. 24 in the latest poll.

The Mavericks finished tied for second in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 125 points and three out of 13 first-place votes.  

The Mavs were even on points with the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, who received a conference-high five first-place votes, while Colorado School of Mines edged out both schools to finish first in the poll while also receiving three first-place votes.  

Coach's Corner

Mavericks head coach Megan Remec is entering her third season at the helm of the CMU program.   

In her debut campaign, played in spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Remec led the Mavericks to a winning 5-4-1 record and to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time since 2017.

In her first full season in fall 2021, CMU finished 14-4 with a 10-2 RMAC record, winning the program's first regular-season RMAC title since 2000. At the conclusion of the 2021 season, Remec was named the RMAC Coach of the Year, becoming just the second individual Colorado Mesa coach to win that honor and the first since that same 2000 season.

Prior to CMU, Remec spent five seasons as an assistant coach at RMAC rival MSU Denver and was also an assistant coach at Elmhurst College (Division III) in Illinois.

About Colorado School of Mines

Picked to win the conference in the preseason coaches poll, Colorado School of Mines is backing it up early by jumping out to a 6-1-2 overall record, a 3-0-1 mark in the RMAC and a No. 15 national ranking.

The Orediggers have played a challenging schedule, with their only loss coming to No. 1 Dallas Baptist. They have tied with No. 24 Angelo State and defeated then-No. 17 Seattle Pacific, a 2021 NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist who is currently receiving votes.

In RMAC play, they banked wins over Adams State, New Mexico Highlands and Black Hills State by a combined 8-0 margin before playing to a 3-3 draw with MSU Denver.  

Sophomore forward Reese McDermott is the Orediggers' leading goal scorer with six, including a hat trick against Midwestern State. Sophomore midfielder Laura Butler leads in points with five goals and four assists, three of which came in that Midwestern State match.

Freshman Afton Rasco has three goals and three assists to be among eight Mines players that have multiple goals this season. Mines and CMU will enter their match tied for the RMAC lead in team goals (26). Goalkeeper Emma Carstens has a 0.91 goals-against average and 20 saves.  

Head Coach Kevin Fickes is in his 13th year at Colorado School of Mines. He has been named RMAC Coach of the Year three times and is three wins shy of the 200th of his career.  

About Regis

The Regis Rangers enter with a 5-4-1 record and are off to an impressive 4-0 start in RMAC play. Last week, they defeated MSU Denver 1-0 before trouncing Black Hills State by a 6-0 score.

Despite starting just two games this season, senior forward Audrey Teague leads the Rangers with four goals. She has scored them all in the past three matches, netting two in a 4-0 win over New Mexico Highlands before getting another two against Black Hills State.

Sophomore Claire Faulkner and senior Kelby Kuo each have two goals and an assist on the year, with Faulkner scoring the winner last week against MSU Denver. Goalkeeper Katelyn Martin leads the RMAC with 45 saves and has an .818 save percentage, which ranks second in the conference.

Current head coach Jeff Frykholm is in his first season in charge after one season as an assistant coach. He previously was on staff at the University of Saint Thomas in Minnesota and coached high school soccer in Boulder.

Regis enjoyed a sustained period of prominence under former head coach J.B. Belzer, who spent 24 seasons at Regis before leaving to pilot UCCS in February 2020. Under Belzer, the Rangers won six regular season RMAC Championships, four RMAC tournament championships and reached the NCAA tournament 10 times.

Series Histories

Colorado School of Mines has historically had the Mavs' number, leading the all-time series 17-4-1. The Orediggers had won the past 12 meetings and been unbeaten in the last 17 before the Mavericks broke through with a 3-1 victory last season. Lila Dere scored twice in that game along with Mikayla Eccher.

Colorado Mesa trails in the all-time series to Regis by a margin of 35-11-5. Last season, CMU beat Regis in the regular season 4-1 behind four goals from Lila Dere, but the Rangers got revenge in the RMAC tournament, upsetting the No. 1-seeded Mavericks 3-0 in the semifinals. The regular-season win was the Mavericks' first against Regis since the 2013 season.