GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Picked to win a sixth straight conference title and coming off a NCAA Tournament appearance, the nation's 14^th-ranked Colorado Mesa University Mavericks will open the men's lacrosse season with a neutral-site top-20 match-up on Sunday morning in Alamosa.
 
The Mavericks, who went 13-4 while winning the Rocky Mountain Division's regular season and tournament title and the Peach Belt Conference Tournament crown to earn just their second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, will take on No. 20 Rockhurst at the Adams State University Lacrosse & Soccer Field.
 
Face-off for Sunday's game is slated for 11 a.m. and can be seen with a subscription to the RMAC Network (more information below).
 
Live statistics can also be found here.
 
A look at the rankings
 
The Mavericks have been picked 14^th in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Coaches Association's Preseason NCAA Division II poll while the Rockhurst Hawks were picked 20^th.
 
CMU, which received 141 points in the polling of 19 member coaches, is the only team from the RMAC inside the top 20 although Concordia University Irvine is amongst the "also receiving votes" category with nine points.
 
The Hawks received 38 points.
 
The Mavs have also been placed 15^th in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Rankings, two spots ahead of the Hawks.  Those rankings are compiled by magazine writers with input from coaches around the country.
 
Conference Polls
 
The Mavs have also been favored in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving four of five possible first place votes.  One other coach picked the Mavs fourth as CMU topped the poll with 22 points.
 
Concordia University Irvine was second in the poll with 18 points, receiving one first place vote and three second place votes.   Westminster was third with 17 while Dominican picked up a first place vote and 14 total points to finish fourth in the poll.  Adams State was fifth with ten points while Northwest Nazarene, new to the conference, was sixth with nine.
 
In the poll, coaches were asked to rank their opposition 1-5 with five points being awarded for a first place vote, four for a second place vote and so on.  They were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
 
Preseason Honors
 
The Mavericks also had a league co-leading five picks to the Preseason All-RMAC team, which was announced in conjunction with the coaches' poll.  The team is made up of the top returning players at each position from last season's All-RMAC voting process.
 
The Mavericks picks were attack Connor Jensen, midfielder Dillon Pless, defender Brady Porter, short stick defensive middie Deuce Kirschke and junior net-minder Shaden Shields.  Kirschke, Pless and Porter were First Team All-RMAC honorees while Jensen and Shields were second team honorees in 2025.
 
Concordia also had five selections while Westminster had three selections.
 
Double Preseason All-American
 
Deuce Kirschke has also picked up a pair of preseason all-America honors.  The senior was tabbed to the USILA's third team unit and was tabbed as an honorable mention selection by the USA Lacrosse Magazine.
 
He is the lone RMAC player named by either organization and has earned First Team All-RMAC honors the short stick defensive midfielder pick in each of the last two years.  He scored 13 goals and added five assists while claiming 24 ground balls and nine caused turnovers last season.  He was also deadly accurate with his shots, putting 13 of his 18 total shots on target, all of which beat opposing goalkeepers.
 
Returning Scorers
 
Seven of the Mavericks' top ten scorers from the 2025 season return to the lineup this season.
 
Connor Jensen, who co-led the team alongside 2025 senior JJ Brummett, with 36 goals leads the bunch.  Dillon Pless (24) and Erich Petersen (21) also return after scoring more than 20 goals last season.
 
Jack Cooper (18), Deuce Kirschke (13), Carson Points (13) and Eli Bibler (11) also return after finishing in double figures a year ago.
 
MVP GK
 
Maverick goalkeeper Shaden Shields also returns in 2026 for his junior season.  The Naples, Florida native set a CMU single-season record with 178 saves a year ago.
 
He tallied 10 or more saves in ten of his 15 starts and caught fire in the postseason, recording 66 saves in the Mavs' four contests alone.  He had 20 in the Rocky Mountain Division Tournament title win over Concordia and had opened the season with 20 against the Golden Eagles in the season-opener.  He then added 16 in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament title win at Flagler and was named as the Peach Belt Tournament's MVP.
 
He then added 18 against top-ranked Tampa in the NCAA Tournament game and finished the season an impressive .587 save percentage and 9.43 goals against average.
 
Know Your Foe
 
The Hawks went 8-6 a year ago and posted a 4-1 record in the Great Lakes Valley Conference to earn a share of the conference's regular season crown before falling 11-10 to Lewis in the league's tournament semifinals.  They had knocked off the Flyers, 8-7 in their final regular season game.
 
They open their 2026 season on Friday at Adams State before remaining in Alamosa to face the Mavs on Sunday.
 
Kevin Kelley, who is entering his 13^th season with the Hawks, returns a trio of GLVC major award winners in Attacker of the Year Jonah McConnell, Goalkeeper of the Year Brock Olilia and Freshman of the Year Nolan Hartl.  Second Team All-GLVC honorees Lars Yarkosky and Avery Moody also return along with Honorable Mention selections Tyler Smith, Adam Hausby, Connor Falkner, and Carson Bradshaw.
 
McConnell had 46 goals and 63 points in just 13 games a year ago.  Hartl was second on Kelley's squad with 34 points and scored 19 goals while adding 15 assists.
 
Ollila made 187 saves and had a .565 save percentage and 11.03 goals against average.
 
He was named as Third Team Preseason All-American by the USILA and an honorable mention selection by the USA Lacrosse Magazine.  McConnell was also tabbed as honorable mention pick by the magazine.
 
Hawk Rivalry
 
The Mavericks have dominated the rivalry with the Hawks, winning 12 of the 13 match-ups, including an 18-8 road win on Feb. 25 of last season in Kansas City, Missouri.
 
The Mavs have won seven straight games in the rivalry, which included a 4-year span as conference counterparts from 2015-18.
 
Sunday's game will mark the first time that the teams have met on a neutral field and the seventh within the state of Colorado.  The Mavs are 6-0 at home against the Hawks, with the last such meeting having come in 2020.
 
RMAC Network News
 
All of the Mavs' home and RMAC road games this season including Sunday's contest, will be streamed on the RMAC Network, which has moved to a pay-per-view model for the 2025-26 season.  This season, all RMAC athletic events broadcast by its 15 full-member institutions and associate members will only be available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league's membership to enhance their programs.
 
RMAC fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them with access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours.
 
Additionally, a discounted annual subscription price will be available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Purchasing options and pricing for individual RMAC Championships will be announced closer to each event.
 
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.
 
Up Next
 
The Mavericks will head back to Alamosa next Saturday for a Valentine's Day contest against the host Adams State University Grizzlies.  That game, the RMAC opener for both teams, will start at 1 p.m.