GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Returning to the postseason after missing out last season, the Colorado Mesa University Men's Soccer Team heads to Denver this coming Sunday as they look to begin their quest for the conference tournament championship with a first-round matchup against the Regis University Rangers.
Earning the No. 6 seed after winning a tie-breaker against Fort Lewis College, which bumped them out of the conference tournament, the Mavericks face the No. 3 seed Rangers at 1 P.M. this Sunday with action set to take place at the Regis Match Pitch.
The winner of that game will go on to then play No. 2 seed MSU Denver on Wednesday afternoon.
LAST TIME OUT
Concluding the regular season on Wednesday evening, the Mavs played to a 4-1 loss against Westminster University, with them guaranteed a spot into the postseason regardless of the outcome.
The Mavs allowed just one goal in the first half of that game before a total of four combined goals were scored in the second half to give the Griffins the victory.
Of the Mavs one goal, Stefanos Christodoulakis scored in 74th minute with this being first goal and points of the season.
Recording assists on the goal were the duo of Manuel Ponce Casas and Kamden Kooiman.
Westminster earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament following the game with them taking on No. 5 seed, CSU Pueblo, on Sunday as well.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
Ending the regular season with an 8-6-3 (5-3-2 RMAC) record, the Mavs played to be one of the top offenses in the nation this year with them owning a 2.47 goals per game average which was ninth best amongst all of Division II.
In total they have scored 42 goals to this point while being tied for fifth most in a season in program history.
Manuel Ponce Casas owns nine goals to lead the team and tie for fourth most in the conference while also owning 22 points to rank fifth.
Nathan Hernandez has added seven goals for second best on the squad while Kamden Kooiman is third with five.
In total 14 different players have now scored for the team while 31 assists have also been managed to aid in the scoring.
Matteo Bonelli is the assists leader with six while four others have four apiece.
Nathan Beck and Alejandro Jimenez have split time in the net with Jimenez starting four of the last five games and recording 17 saves to accompany a .708 save percentage. Beck adds 13 starts this season with 38 saves and a .603 save percentage. The two have combined for four shutouts this season.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
The Rangers ended the regular season with an 8-5-4 (6-2-2 RMAC) record, while earning the No. 3 seed in this year's tournament after beating out Westminster University in a head-to-head decision with both schools finishing at 20 conference points.
Riding high on a four-game winning streak, the Rangers have outscored opponents 15-2 in their last four games with also earning two shutouts in that stretch.
The last time the Rangers and Mavs met was on Oct. 24 with the result being a 2-2 draw, after Colorado Mesa evened the game up in the 90th minute on a penalty kick goal to escape the loss.
In the last three meetings between the two schools there have been two ties with one win going to the Rangers in 2023.
Jason Robles and Elias Taubo both have five goals each to lead the team while 15 different players have scored at least once.
Robles and Rayhan Carlson-Du Toit are the points leaders as both tie for 12.
Zach Jennings has continued to patrol the net recording 44 saves with a 1.27 goals-against average.
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
All RMAC Championship events, including all seven men's soccer championship matches, will be broadcast on the RMAC Network. All RMAC Championship broadcasts are included in annual and monthly subscriptions. Individual matches are available on a pay-per-view basis for $10 per match.
Tickets for all RMAC Championships are available at RMACSports.org/tickets.
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
