GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- The Colorado Mesa University men's soccer will play their biggest match of the season against the Westminster Griffins.
It will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 28 with kickoff set for 4 p.m. inside Community Hospital Unity Field.
The game will once again be streamed on the RMAC Network and will have live stats available.
Last Time Out
The Mavs hosted Colorado Christian for Senior Day and then traveled to MSU Denver. They drew with both teams 1-1.
Edoardo Oliveri and Richie Tabares Ochoa both scored while Amur Chekhoev added his first collegiate assist against Colorado Christian.
RMAC Tournament Chase
Five teams have clinched a spot in the RMAC Tournament: CSU Pueblo, Regis, Fort Lewis, UCCS and South Dakota Mines.
The regular season title is still up for grabs as there hasn't officially been a team that has clinched it. Right now, CSU Pueblo leads the RMAC with 23 points with Regis just one point behind them. Both teams will play on Wednesday evening as the Thunderwolves will take on UCCS while the Rangers will take on Colorado School Mines.
CMU and Westminster are neck-and-neck for the last spot, with both teams separated by just a couple of points.
Playoff Implications
This is a win and get-in scenario for both teams as both fifth and sixth seeds are still up for grabs.
If the Mavs win by a one goal margin, they are in as the sixth seed. If they win by two or more goals, they will be the fifth seed.
If the Griffins win, they will get the fifth seed and South Dakota Mines gets the sixth seed.
If the two teams tie, Westminster will get the fifth seed, and South Dakota Mines will slide in as the sixth.
RMAC Honors
Two Mavs players have been honored this season, with Nathan Beck and Tabares Ochoa getting awarded.
Beck won Goalkeeper of the Week for his incredible effort against UCCS and CSU Pueblo while Tabares Ochoa scored a hat trick against South Dakota Mines.
Tying the Tie Record
With their two ties, the team has now tied the national draws record with nine. Despite all the ties, the Mavs are still unbeaten at home with a record of 1-0-6.
They will look to turn a draw into a win in this crucial match.
Offensive Numbers
Tabares Ochoa has been the offensive force this team has looked to, scoring nine goals and seven assists. Oliveri has scored seven times and has put up an assist as well.
Stefanos Christodoulakis, Matteo Bonelli, Justin Ibrahim, Hayes Malone and James Maxwell have also added to the goal total.
The Mavs will need all the offense they can get to secure a spot in the tournament.
Defense and More Defense
While the offense has put up decent numbers, the defense will have to really step in order for the Mavs to make it to the tournament.
They have conceded 25 goals, good for 1.56 goals per game.
George Jones, Jonah Elstad and Daniel Ehler have all made significant contributions to the defense, but will need to see good performances from Connor Chilson and Jaxson Dowling to move onto the tournament.
Beck has been solid this season, making an even 60 saves on the year so far on 227 shots faced. Kenneth Linn has also stepped in for a couple of games and has made three saves in the process.
About Westminster
The Griffins have an overall record of 6-7-4 and a 2-3 record away from home. Their biggest win of the year was against Western Washington, who was ranked 14th in the nation when they played back in September.
They have outscored their opponents 29-24 and have taken 85 more shots than their opposition.
Gage Wood, Owen Gallo and Max Edwards all have five goals on the year while Wood leads the team in assists with four.
Goalkeeper Oliver Olsen has started and played in all 16 games between the sticks; he has made 36 saves on 128 shots faced.
