GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado Mesa rode a tremendous goalkeeping performance from Diego Chavez to remain unbeaten in RMAC play with a 1-0 win over MSU Denver at Community Hospital Unity Field.

Chavez made eight saves, including six in the second half, to preserve the shutout for CMU in a match that the visiting Roadrunners outshot CMU 14-12 and doubled up the Mavs' shots on goal, eight to four. Manuel Ponce Casas scored with an assist from Matheus Lazzuri for his fifth strike of the season in the 19^th minute, and it held up as the game-winner.

With the win, Colorado Mesa is now 8-2-2 overall with a 3-0-1 mark in the RMAC. The Mavericks have now gone nine straight matches without a loss and are 7-0-2 in that span. With the loss, MSU Denver falls to 3-7-2 overall and 1-3 in the RMAC.

The Mavericks took the lead prior to the 20-minute mark on a nifty finish from Ponce Casas. Lazzuri looped a ball over the top of the Roadrunner defense and CMU's sophomore No. 9 twisted in mid-air to contact the ball and tuck it into the bottom left corner past MSUD keeper Ross Miller.

Ponce Casas now has five goals to go with his team-high five assists. He now leads the team with 15 points through 12 matches in 2023 and has scored a goal in four of CMU's last six matches.

Colorado Mesa had an opportunity to double the lead in the 36^th minute when an MSU Denver turnover gave forward Moses Magens a one-on-one breakaway, but Miller came up with the save. Chances were mostly few and far between in the first half, with CMU tallying seven shots to the Roadrunners' five and each goalkeeper making two saves.

MSU Denver came out on fire in the second half in search of an equalizer and nearly had it right away. Chavez made three saves in a 10-second span during a wild sequence in front of the Maverick net, first stopping Zack Williams and then scrambling to deny Aaron Biggerstaff and Parker Landry on back-to-back rebounds.

Chavez was called upon again on a breakaway for MSU Denver in the 79^th minute, nicking a shot from Matt Vogel wide of the post for a corner kick. The final hurdles came with less than a minute to play, as Chavez showcased every inch of his vertical jump to leap upwards and tip a Logan Hitzeman shot over the crossbar with 45 seconds left.

On the play from the ensuing corner, Chavez came out to make a catch in mid-air and was fouled by a MSU Denver player, who received a yellow card. That foul and the slight differences of opinion that followed bled much of the remaining time off the clock so that by the time Chavez booted the free kick downfield, the buzzer sounded after a couple of headers by each team.

MSU Denver dominated the second half statistically, outshooting CMU 9-5 in half number two while forcing Chavez into the six saves, but thanks to the Mavs' redshirt sophomore goalkeeper, they were kept out of the net. Chavez has played every minute in net for CMU this season and has made an RMAC-leading 60 saves while conceding 13 goals for a 1.08 goals-against average and a .822 save percentage.

The Mavs are on the road next week and have a quick turnaround to their next match, facing Westminster in Salt Lake City on Wednesday and Colorado Christian on Sunday.