GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Following a dominant weekend of conference play and looking to build on their momentum, the Colorado Mesa University Men's Soccer Team takes to the road this coming weekend as they head to Golden for a single match with Colorado School of Mines.
Facing off on Sunday, the Mavericks and Orediggers will meet at 12 P.M. at Stermole Soccer Stadium.
This week's game will be their only contest on the schedule before they return to Grand Junction for two home games next weekend.
LAST WEEK'S GAMES
The Mavs had a strong 6-point conference weekend posting a pair of home wins to move into a tie for second place in the RMAC standings. The Mavs beat Adams State, 5-0 on Friday before taking down national poll No. 9 Fort Lewis by a 4-1 count on Sunday.
The Mavs are now undefeated (1-0-2) against teams ranked amongst the nation's top 10 at the time of the meeting. They are also undefeated (4-0-1) at home this season.
Manuel Ponce Casas and Daniel Paulsson scored in both games as the Mavericks scored eight of their nine goals in the second halves of each contest.
Ponce Casas had the 48th minute game-winner against Fort Lewis and scored again in the 62nd minute after Paulsson put CMU ahead just 1:08 before Ponce Casas' first goal.
Matteo Bonelli scored the 13th minute opener against Adams State to record the game-winner that match.
Nathan Beck made four saves in net throughout the weekend, recording his third shutout against Adams State.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
Matching last year's season total in wins already the Mavs own a 5-4-2 record overall while sitting in third place of the conference rankings at 2-1-1.
This season they have outscored opponents 31-20 while totaling 12 goals in their last three games. In the RMAC, Colorado Mesa ranks as the second-best offense while averaging 2.82 goals per game.
Leading the team in goals is Manuel Ponce Casas with the Senior sitting at seven on the season and 25 in his career. He currently ranks third in program history with that mark.
Joining Ponce Casas as the other team leaders are Nathan Hernandez, Matteo Bonelli and Kamden Kooiman with each of them having four or more goals. Hernandez and Bonelli also tie for the team lead in assists with four.
In total, 12 different players have scored one or more goals for the team with nine different players having at least one assist.
Nathan Beck has totaled every minute in the net while recording 32 saves on 141 shots faced. He currently owns a .615 save percentage while holding opponents to 1.82 goals per game.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Playing Mines for the first time this season, the Orediggers are 2-5-4 overall while fairing a 1-3 record in conference play. They are currently on a three-game losing streak after dropping both games last week to MSU Denver and Colorado Christian and then dropping last night's matchup to Westminster University 2-0.
They have been outscored 22-16 this year while only managing one goal in their last two games.
Last time the Orediggers and Mavs met was on October 10 of last year with Mines narrowly claiming the win in a 2-1 decision.
This season they have been led by Leo Santana with three goals and two assists while four others have two goals apiece. Lucas Taitt is the team's assists leader with four.
Kiernan DiBella has started every game in the net collecting 40 saves while facing 146 shots. He is holding opponents to 1.94 goals per game.
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
Streaming will occur via the RMAC Network through their pay per view plan with live stats available online to follow along with.
COLORADO MESA TURNS 100
The CMU Century Celebration stands as the cornerstone of Colorado Mesa University's year-long centennial celebration. This ambitious initiative unites our community in honoring a rich heritage while boldly envisioning the next hundred years of academic excellence.
Led by the Steering Committee and six specialized sub-committees, we're orchestrating a transformative experience that will resonate through generations. Each committee brings unique expertise to create an unforgettable commemoration of our past, present and future.
To learn more about Colorado Mesa's 100-year celebration, visit cmucentury.com
