Grand Junction, Colo. - Following a 2-0 finish to the regular season this past week, the #18 Colorado Mesa University Women's Soccer Team will begin their postseason trials this Monday the 11th when they host seventh-seeded Fort Lewis College in the Quarterfinals of the RMAC Women's Soccer Championship at Community Hospital Unity Field.
The Mavs and Skyhawks will meet at 5 p.m. on Monday evening after moving their initially scheduled game on Sunday back a day due to adverse weather and travel conditions.
The Mavericks were awarded a first-round bye of the Championship after earning the #2 seed out of the eight teams to make it into the playoffs. Fort Lewis was awarded the #7 seed for the postseason and beat the #8 seed Regis University Rangers this past Saturday in the first round of the Championship to move on.
The winner of tomorrow's game will play again on Thursday against #3 seed MSU Denver at in Golden, Colo. at Stermole Soccer Stadium.
This will mark Head Coach Jody Lingafeldt's first time into the postseason with CMU as she was hired prior to the start of the Fall semester. In her first season with the Mavs, she has led them to a 13-2-2- record overall while going 11-1 in RMAC play.
In addition, the Mavs have been ranked in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll for six weeks this season with them entering the year as the #10 team in the preseason polls.
In the South Central Region Poll released by the NCAA on Nov. 3, they currently sit in fifth place, with the top six teams earning bids into the NCAA Tournament following each conference's postseason tournament. The Mavs will need to have a good showing in the RMAC Women's Soccer Championship to fully guarantee themselves a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Winners of the conference tournaments also receive automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament.
Concluding the regular season the Mavs were a top three team in the RMAC in both offensive and defensive categories. As a whole they would score 33 goals while only giving up 14 in return to average 1.95 goals per game. Opponents would be limited to under a goal per game at 0.82.
Sauvelyne Randel and Abby Fotheringham would be the Mavs' top two offensive weapons this season as the pair combined for 15 goals and eight assists through 17 games played each. Randel would lead the team goals with nine and tie for the lead in assists with five. Carli Dare would also have five assists to tie with Randel.
Four other Mavs would total four goals apiece to bolster a team that outscored opponents 26-7 in conference.
In the net, goalkeeper Keely Wieczorek has started every game this season for the Mavs and in doing so has collected 48 saves while only allowing 12 goals. She currently has a staggering .800 save percentage which is fifth-best in the RMAC. She would record nine shutouts on the year, with eight of them coming in conference play to lead the league. Wieczorek has 19 shutouts in her career and is just one short now of the school record.
ABOUT THE SKYHAWKS
CMU and FLC will face off for the second time of the year this Monday as the Mavs would be victorious in their last meeting when they would take home a 3-1 victory on Oct. 18 at Unity Field.
#7 Fort Lewis beat #8 Regis in the first round of the Championship 3-0 in Durango with the higher seed hosting that game.
The Skyhawks will come into tomorrow's game with a 9-5-4 record and are on a two-game winning streak after finishing the regular season with a 4-0 win over Western Colorado.
Their offense has been another top performer in the RMAC as they have outscored opponents 35-20 this season. Their top two scorers are Ashlyn Salas and Abila Tapia with the pair totaling 11 of the team's goals. Salas has contributed six of them herself.
Their goalkeeping crew has seen two goalkeepers split much of the time this year, but in doing so have totaled 78 saves together with a combined seven shutouts.
HOW TO WATCH
Streaming for the event will no longer be free due to it being a post season match. All RMAC Championship events, including all seven women's soccer championship matches, will be broadcast pay-per-view on the RMAC Network. Purchase options for the fall championships are available at RMACSports.org/buyRMACtv.
Students get into the game for free with their Mav ID's, but no other passes will be allowed because it is a postseason event.
Monday's game will still feature the planned Mav Madness theme for the week which has special offers at each of the week's athletic events.
At Monday's game there will be a buy one, get one FREE at the concession stand with hot dogs, popcorn, candy and Monster Energy Drinks.
Tickets can be purchased at https://fan.hudl.com/tickets/VGlja2V0ZWRFdmVudDY3MTFmOGY4YmM2YmQ4NDQxMGM4NDUyNw==
