GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Taking on the #10 team in the nation, the Colorado Mesa University Men's Soccer Team went into a dogfight this evening as they faired a 1-1 draw against Midwestern State University at Community Hospital Unity Field.
Hosting the Colorado Mesa Men's Soccer Showcase Tournament this weekend the Mavericks took on the Mustangs tonight in their first contest of the three-day event with this being the first ranked team the Mavs have either tied or beaten since 2023 when they played to a 0-0 draw against the #5 Thunderwolves of CSU Pueblo on Oct. 22.
Tonight's game was also an in-region contest with the game having larger implications for NCAA Tournament seedings down the road.
Over the 90-minute match, the Mavs battled back from an early 1-0 deficit in the opening minutes by using a successful second half goal and defensive stand to hold the final score to one goal apiece. The Mavs' goal also came with a little bit of luck involved as the score was credited as an own goal against the Mustangs after a mishit on their part from a Colorado Mesa corner kick.
Scoring in the sixth minute, the Mustangs initially took the lead on a quick goal from Davis Mays to start the game, but beyond that score would struggle to find the net with just three of the team's 13 shots being on goal.
The Mavs countered with 11 shots on the night with two of them being on goal.
While the Mustangs held the lead for a little bit over half of the game it was the 57th minute that proved to be the game-changer with Colorado Mesa tying up the match in a fortunate set of circumstances.
Earning a corner kick after pressing hard on offense, Kensho Negi fired in a strong cross pass to start with the ball rattling off a Mav player before a Mustang flicked it the wrong direction and into his own goal just a few feet away.
Playing now in a tied match, the final 33 minutes featured both teams swapping possessions often, but ultimately had neither be successful in breaking the stalemate and ending in a draw to open the season.
Manuel Ponce Casas led the Mavs with two shots himself while eight others had one apiece. In addition, there were also four yellow cards issued on the night with two going to each team.
Continuing their weekend tournament the Mavs will now play again on Sunday the seventh when they take on UT Dallas at 1 P.M. Earlier in today's neutral site game prior to the Mavs' matchup the Westminster Griffins defeated the Comets 2-0. Tickets for all events can be found online at cmumavericks.com/tickets or can be purchased in person at the field.
