Grand Junction, Colo. - Sarah Dunn would secure her first game-winning goal of the season and two other Mavericks would tally goals as the #18 Colorado Mesa University Mavs would battle to a 3-2 victory over St. Martin's University in their home opener on Community Hospital Unity Field.
The Mavs now move to 2-0-1 on the season with St. Martin's dropping to 0-3-0.
Friday night's game was nothing less than exciting, as both veterans and emerging stars on the team made their presence known. The trio of Dunn, Kylie Wells and Sauvelyne Randel would all score goals to match the team's season total of goals in just one night. Dunn would secure her second goal of the season, as Wells and Randel would each mark their first. Just Wells' goal would go unassisted.
Dunn would total two assists on her goal as Randel and Savanah Miller would each help account for the eventual game-winner.
Rachel Kimura and Lia Lopez would score the two goals for Saint Martin's with Kimura's goal being assisted by Inara Lopes De Andrade.
During the match, CMU looked to make the offense their focus tonight as they held possession of the ball for 64% of the time.
This possession was highlighted when only 11 minutes into the match, Randel would speed past a handful of Saint defenders on a long kick downfield from goalkeeper Keely Wieczorek to score her first goal of the season. Randel in her career has now tabbed 22 goals and is currently the team's leader in assists this year. Wieczorek would also earn her first career assist.
Wells would join in on the fun not much long after as she too scored for the first time this season when she raised the Mavs' lead to 2-0 in the 23rd minute.
Saint Martin's retaliated with a goal of their own in the 27th minute to close the lead to just one.
The Saints then would further press the Mavs as they tied the match up in the 41st minute on a goal by Lopez.
With less than 10 minutes to play in the match, another draw for the Mavs seemed to be in play, but CMU hadn't lost their offensive prowl yet. Upon drawing a free kick just outside the penalty box, Miller would launch the ball close into the net before Randel would tap it to her right to set up Dunn for a shot into the bottom left part of the net. Dunn's game-winner is the second straight game with a one score decision for the Mavs after Abby Fotheringham had the game-winner in the team's 1-0 win over Northwest Nazarene University.
Tonight's game would be CMU's most offensive night of the year as in total, they would take a staggering 20 shots with 10 of them being on goal. Saint Martin's would only take three shots. 11 different players for Colorado Mesa would attempt a shot.
The Mavs would also end with eight corner kicks compared to the Saints' two.
Colorado Mesa will see action again when they travel to Texas this next week to face off with both Saint Mary's University and St. Edward's University down in the Lonestar state. CMU will play SMU on Sept. 19 and SEU on Sept. 21 both at their university's fields.
