Grand Junction, Colo. - Earning the #5 seed in this year's South Central Region of the NCAA Tournament, the Colorado Mesa University Women's Soccer Team is ready to make another run at a championship this season.
The key to this year's run is experience.
After reaching as far as the South Central Regional Final last season and returning 19 players from that squad the Mavericks are familiar with being in the post season and facing off with some of the nation's best.
This year's team will have to rely on their returner's experience and history of having success at Stermole Soccer Stadium when entering the first and second rounds of the tournament this weekend. The Mavs would win the RMAC Women's Soccer Championship at Stermole Soccer Stadium in 2023 en route to their postseason run.
Of last year's 19 returners, nine of them were starters for almost every single game and saw significant minutes on the year.
The Mavs will play on Friday the 22nd at 3 p.m. this week when they face off against Midwestern State University who earned the #4 seed in the Region. Both teams will face off in Golden, Colorado at Stermole Soccer Stadium as #1 seed Colorado School of Mines is serving as the host. Mines will play the winner of the CMU/MSU game on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Friday's game will also serve as the first NCAA Tournament game of Head Coach Jody Lingafeldt's career at CMU as she is in her first season at the helm of the team.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
When diving beyond the experience that has made this year's team so successful, the main area that can be accredited is their stellar defensive play. In 18 games this season, the Mavs have recorded 10 shutouts and are limiting opponents to just .78 goals per game. They have only given up 14 goals the entire year and are ranked third in the RMAC as one of the only three teams to hold opponents to under a goal a game.
Bolstering that defense has been a trio of defenders, highlighted by First Team All-RMAC selections Ally Wachtel and Carli Dare, with ALL-RMAC Honorable Mention Sarah Dunn also being key in that group. All three of those players were starters in last year's deep playoff run. Shelby Steele and Savanah Miller have also seen much time in the backrow to hold down the Mavs' strong defense.
In the net, RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year, Keely Wieczorek has been a staple for the team as she has totaled 50 saves this season and herself has only allowed 12 goals. Her 10 shutouts this season would match her single-season record, after also recording 10 last season. In her career she now has 20 shutouts which is tied for most in program history. With one more shutout she will be the program's solo all-time leader in shutouts.
Pairing with the team's defensive efforts has been a Maverick offense that was third best in the RMAC this season. The Mavs have scored 33 goals this year and average 1.83 goals per game.
Leading the offense has been the pair of Sauvelyne Randel and Abby Fotheringham who were both All-RMAC First Team selections. Randel this season has accumulated nine goals with five assists. Fotheringham has added six goals herself with three assists. Fotheringham has recorded four game-winning goals this year with Randel having three herself.
Four other Mavericks have also scored four goals apiece with Dunn, Adessa Correa, Kylie Wells and Braelyn Baclayon all tying for third on the team in goals scored.
In total the Mavs have accumulated 92 points this season while only giving up 34 points to opponents.
ABOUT MIDWESTERN STATE
Facing off against the Mavs this Friday are the Mustangs of Midwestern State University which hail all the way from Wichita Falls, Texas.
The Mustangs earned the #4 seed in the South Central Region after going 11-4-5 this season and playing to a 6-2-5 record in the heavily competitive Lone Star Conference. The Mustangs last played two games in the Lone Star Conference Tournament where they would beat Saint Mary's University 3-1 in the first round Quarterfinals before falling to eventual tournament champion, Angelo State University 2-0 in the Semifinals.
This is the first time the Mustangs have reached the NCAA Tournament since the 2021 fall season, when they fell to Colorado School of Mines 3-2 in overtime.
Leading the squad are a quartet of players who have boosted this offense to an average of over two goals per game. Lexi Beck serves as the points leader with five goals and 10 assists. She has been aided by Nyxalee Munoz who has eight goals, Cassidy Savoy with seven goals and Madison Brinkley with six goals. All four of these players were selected to All-Conference with Beck being a first team member and Munoz being honored as the conference Newcomer of the Year.
HOW TO WATCH
Streaming for this weekend's games will occur on the RMAC Network free of charge with live stats to follow along with. Tickets for the event can be purchased at mines.universitytickets.com.
