ALAMOSA, Colo.— Senior midfielder Dillon Pless scored back-to-back goals just 24 seconds apart as part of a 5-0 Maverick third-quarter run that propelled Colorado Mesa University to a key 9-7 neutral site win over Rockhurst University in a national poll top-20 men's lacrosse match-up here at Adams State University.
 
Pless scored three times in the season-opening win as the Mavs, ranked 14^th in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's NCAA Division II Preseason Poll won their season-opener over the 20^th-ranked Hawks, who fell to 1-1.
 
The Mavs trailed 5-4 early in the third quarter after Jonah McConnel scored the second of his four goals for the Hawks before the Mavs scored the next five goals in a span of just 5:04.
 
Stefan Dingbaum started that stretch with a game-tying goal with 10:56 left in the third quarter before preseason all-American Deuce Kirschke scored the go-ahead goal just 31 seconds later. 
 
Pless then scored at the 8:46 mark before tallying a man-up marker just 24 seconds later.
 
Erich Petersen then capped the scoring run at the 5:52 mark as the Mavs took a 9-5 lead.
 
McConnell then added man-up goals in the third and fourth quarter before the Mavericks held on for the win, their eighth straight in the rivalry.
 
Dingbaum scored twice while Nik Moore also added a goal.
 
The Mavs finished with a big 59-35 advantage in total shots as Pless registered his fourth career hat trick while taking 16 shots.  Connor Jensen also took 15 shots and scored a goal while recording two assists.
 
Meanwhile, Shaden Shields was strong in net, making 11 saves while allowing just six goals in 58 minutes of net time.  Brady Porter also aided the defensive game with three caused turnovers.
 
Kanyan Rhodes won 11 of 15 face-offs and scooped up six groundballs.
 
The teams were tied at 2 at the end of the first quarter and at 4 at halftime before the Mavs won the decisive third-quarter, 5-2.
 
The Mavs will also return to the ASU Soccer & Lacrosse Field for their next game on Saturday (Feb. 14) when the Mavs begin Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play against the Adams State Grizzlies, who fell to Rockhurst by a 21-5 margin on Friday.