GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – A challenging week waits for CMU men's soccer as they are about to face two of the top three preseason RMAC men's soccer teams. But if the Mavericks extend their 11-game unbeaten streak and get a couple of results, they could be in first place in the conference by the end of this weekend.
At 9-2-3 overall and 4-0-2 in conference play, the No. 18 Mavericks are currently second in the standings with 14 points, one behind national No. 5 CSU Pueblo, who the Mavs will face later this week. Colorado Mesa will play at UCCS on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and then face the ThunderWolves on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Looking Back
After battling to a scoreless draw with Westminster, CMU rebounded with a 3-1 victory over Colorado Christian, beating the Cougars for the second time this season.
RECAPS:
Westminster |
Colorado Christian
Alec Fronapfel scored twice and
Manuel Ponce Casas added another in the CCU victory.
Diego Chavez made two saves in each game, keeping his fourth shutout of the season against Westminster.
Standings Check
With four games and two weeks left in the RMAC men's soccer regular season, the conference standings are starting to take shape. The top six teams from the 11-team RMAC will qualify for the RMAC Tournament.
| Team |
Record |
Pts |
| No. 5 CSU Pueblo |
5-1 |
15 |
| No. 18 Colorado Mesa |
4-0-2 |
14 |
| Fort Lewis |
4-1-1 |
13 |
| Westminster |
3-1-2 |
11 |
| Colorado School of Mines |
3-2-1 |
10 |
| MSU Denver |
3-3 |
9 |
| UCCS |
2-2-2 |
8 |
Colorado Mesa still has challenging games remaining, with the Mavs facing Pueblo this Sunday and Fort Lewis to close the regular season at home on Oct. 29. The Mavs are also at UCCS Thursday and at home vs. Adams State (0-12, 0-6) on Oct. 27.
Unbeaten Streak
Colorado Mesa is 8-0-3 in its last 11 matches since suffering a pair of 1-0 losses to nationally ranked opponents Midwestern State and Northwest Nazarene. The streak has included four shutouts, five multi-goal victories and five games in which the Mavs recorded a win or tie despite conceding the first goal.
The 11-game streak is currently the fourth-longest in program history. The Mavs had a 16-game unbeaten streak in 2016 (going 13-0-3) and 12-game streaks in both 2014 (12-0-0) and 2018 (9-0-3).
Clutch Gene
Manuel Ponce Casas is CMU's leading scorer with six goals and five assists, and his goals have come in big moments. Five of Ponce Casas's six goals have been classified as game-winning goals, a total that ranks second in the RMAC behind CSU Pueblo's Gabriel Campora with six.
Ponce Casas has scored in each of his last three appearances, finding the net against Colorado School of Mines, MSU Denver and Colorado Christian. The sophomore from Playa del Carmen, Mexico also leads the Mavericks in shots (28) and shots on goal (16).
In the Polls
Colorado Mesa jumped back in the national poll for the second time this season, getting a season-high ranking of No. 18 in this week's United Soccer Coaches national poll. This Sunday will be a match-up between the RMAC's two ranked programs, with No. 5 CSU Pueblo facing the Mavericks.
The Mavs are ranked third in the USC South Central regional rankings, moving up one spot from last week. The Mavs trail national No. 2 Midwestern State and Pueblo in the regional rankings. The Mavericks will also play a regionally-ranked opponent on Thursday, as UCCS comes in at No. 9 in the rankings.
Colorado Mesa was picked to finish fourth in the preseason Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coaches Poll, garnering 64 total points.
CSU Pueblo finished atop the poll with 97 points and seven of 11 first-place votes. Colorado School of Mines received 86 points and two first-place votes after winning the RMAC regular season and tournament titles last year, with UCCS just behind with 83 points and one first-place vote. Regis garnered the final first-place vote, but still finished just behind the Mavericks in fifth with 62 total points.
About UCCS
The UCCS Mountain Lions are 6-4-4 overall and 2-2-2 in the RMAC. UCCS has won two straight after beginning the RMAC season winless in its first four matches.
The Mountain Lions have lost to CSU Pueblo and MSU Denver, tied Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Christian and defeated Fort Lewis and Adams State. In nonconference play, UCCS earned a road draw against then-No. 3 St. Mary's (now No. 24). UCCS was picked third in the RMAC Preseason Poll behind just CSU Pueblo and Mines.
The Mountain Lions feature 2022 First Team All-South Central Region forward Kolby Raineri, who ranked fourth in the RMAC with 11 goals scored last season. This year, Raineri failed to score in the team's first 12 matches but came alive last week, scoring once against Fort Lewis and tallying two goals and an assist against Adams State. Raineri now has three goals and three assists this season.
Aside from Raineri, senior forward Alex Andersson has stepped up with six goals and two assists. Andersson leads the RMAC with 47 shots. Graduate forward Peter Chang recorded a hat trick against Adams State while graduate midfielder Marvin Putu leads the team and ranks tied for third in the RMAC with five assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Soren Russell has allowed 13 goals while making 45 saves in 13 matches.
The Mountain Lions are led by third-year head coach Lewis Wilcox, who compiled a 19-13-5 record and the program's first RMAC Tournament berth since 2018 over his first two seasons. Prior to UCCS, Wilcox coached at Midland University, his alma mater, and Briar Cliff University.
CMU holds a 17-6-5 edge in the all-time series with UCCS. The Mavericks won eight out of nine meetings from 2015-2021, but the two teams played to a 1-1 draw in Grand Junction last year. Defender
Shane Bryan scored in the 89
th minute after
Connor Durant saved a second-half penalty kick to enable the Mavs to claw back into the match and earn a point.
About CSU Pueblo
CSU Pueblo had the breakout season of breakout seasons in 2022. Picked third in the preseason RMAC coaches poll, Pueblo stormed to the NCAA Championship game with four NCAA Tournament victories and finishing 19-4-2 last season.
This season, the ThunderWolves have picked up where they left off with an 11-2-1 start and a 5-1 record in RMAC play. The ThunderWolves have lost to Mines once and Fort Lewis, but have also beaten Mines once, UCCS twice and St. Mary's.
Senior forward Gabriel Campora has been on fire this year, leading the RMAC and ranking tied for second in the nation with 14 goals. Campora has four multi-goal games this season and also leads the RMAC in shots on goal (25). Senior midfielder Caio Oliveira ranks tied for fourth in Division II with 10 assists, including four during the RMAC season.
Standout defender Shjon Andrews has captured multiple Defensive Player of the Week awards this season and has chipped in three goals and two assists. Senior forward Ricardo Schroder, Jr. has four goals and an assist. Tristan Whitlock has been the primary goalkeeper this season, allowing just three goals in 10 matches while making 15 saves. Freshman Ruben Volkert has also seen time, allowing eight goals against eight saves in seven appearances and four starts.
Head coach Oliver Twelvetrees has achieved lots of success since getting the Pueblo job in 2020. Prior to the ThunderWolves' journey to the NCAA championship game last year, CSUP went on a run to the RMAC Tournament Championship final in 2021.
The Mavericks are 15-6-3 against the ThunderWolves all-time. The Mavericks had won 10 consecutive meetings before losing twice to CSUP last season.
Coach's Corner
Mavericks head coach
Jon Fridal begins his fourth season at Colorado Mesa in 2023. He has already earned conference and regional coaching honors and taken the Mavericks to national success.
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. That led to a top-10 national preseason ranking for the team entering the 2022 season.
Along with assistant coach
Brandon Bautista, Fridal was honored as the United Soccer Coaches South Central Regional Staff of the Year in 2021.
