GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – A second half converted penalty kick goal was just enough offense to take down the Mavericks this evening as the No. 22 Colorado Mesa University Women's Soccer Team fell in the RMAC Women's Soccer Championship game, 1-0, to No. 7 Colorado School of Mines at Community Hospital Unity Field.
The two teams now split the championship titles this season as Colorado Mesa was the regular season champ while Mines is the tournament champ.
Mines earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Regionals with the win while Colorado Mesa is almost completely guaranteed a spot as well with them being the third-ranked team in the region, according to the latest regional rankings that were released on Wednesday. The NCAA Selection Show will air on Monday at 4:30 P.M. MST on NCAA.com.
Both schools now have 14 wins this season as Colorado Mesa moves to 14-3-2 while Mines has a very similar 14-2-4. In addition, this was the Mavs' first time losing at home in the last 19 games. Prior to tonight they had been undefeated at home over the last two seasons.
In the closely contested game, Colorado Mesa took 31 shots compared to Mines' three, with the Orediggers' lone shot on goal being the converted penalty kick.
The first half featured steady defense from both teams with the Mavs owning the shot advantage at 10-1. That half, and the game's shot difference came in large part due to a red card being assessed in the 13th minute with Mines playing a man down for the remaining 77 minutes.
Both teams went into half tied at zero, with the game-deciding goal eventually coming in the 52nd minute after a handball in the CMU penalty area gave the Orediggers a PK opportunity.
Electing Callie Fuhr to take the shot, the Orediggers scored their lone goal of the game with Fuhr knocking the ball into the left corner of the net and psyching out Keely Wieczorek who guessed the opposite direction.
Facing a one-goal deficit Colorado Mesa took a staggering 16 shots after the score with them amassing 21 in the second half alone.
Unfortunately, each of the proceeding shots were either saved by Mines goalkeeper Allie Lundgren or off the mark as the Mavs could not find the back of the net.
Of the Mavs' 31 shots as a team, Parker Mairs and Peyton Bundy led that group with Mairs owning eight and Bundy adding six.
Falling the first time since their loss to Azusa Pacific back on Sept. 18, the Mavs concluded their consecutive shutout streak at 12 games with them holding opponents scoreless for 1,159 minutes and 27 seconds. That mark is a RMAC record and sixth longest stretch in Division II history.
Following the game the All-Tournament team was selected with four Mavericks earning honors. The All-Tournament team included:
MVP – Allie Lundgren, Mines
Callie Fuhr, Mines
Bella Campos, Mines
Afton Rasco, Mines
Natalie Rouse, Mines
Kaitlyn Manalili, Mines
Peyton Bundy, CMU
Olivia Bariao-Arce, CMU
Sarah Dunn, CMU
Keely Wieczorek, CMU
Nylah Mirshafiei, UCCS
Anna Tucker, Fort Lewis
