TAMPA, Fla.— A trio of 3-goal runs proved to be too much for the Colorado Mesa University Mavericks, who suffered their first loss of the season in a battle of two of the top ten ranked teams in the country.
 
The fourth-ranked University of Tampa Spartans, who played in last year's NCAA Division II National Championship game, had such streaks in the first, second and fourth quarter as they went on to claim a 12-6 win to improve to 9-1 on the season while extending their home field winning streak at the Naimoli Family Athletic Complex to 21 games over the past two seasons.
 
The tenth-ranked Mavs, who won a 18-12 neutral site game here on Saturday over Palm Beach Atlantic, slipped to 4-1.
 
Maverick goalkeeper Shaden Shields made a season-high 15 saves and kept the Mavericks close before the Spartans scored the game's final three goals to complete the victory.

He had seven of saves in the first quarter and had made ten by halftime.
 
The Mavs struck first through Dillon Pless just 2:11 in to the game before the Spartans scored the next three goals to take a 3-1 after the first quarter.
 
The Mavs then pulled to within 3-2 on a Connor Jensen goal 2:27 into the second quarter before the Spartans again scored three straight to go into the halftime with a 6-2 lead.

The Mavs then sliced the deficit to 7-4 in the third quarter and again to 9-6 early in the fourth on goals from Cooper and Caleb Schreiber.
 
However, Tampa answered right back with a pair of strikes of their own in the next 1:17 to help put the game away.
 
Ten different Spartans scored as Harry Boland and Jackson Bashaw led the way with two goals.  Tommy Ortega and Justin Conly also had a goal and two assists a piece.
 
Cooper had two of the Mavs' six goals and also added one of their four assists.  Jensen also had a goal and an assist while Nik Moore also scored.
 
The Spartans were on the front foot for much of the game and finished with a big 49-24 advantage in total shots.  They also had a 33-13 cushion in ground balls and forced the Mavs in to 20 turnovers.
 
MP Thomas won eight of 14 faceoffs while Ryan Thomas also contributed to the Spartans' 14-8 edge at the spot with a 6-for-8 effort.
 
Kanyan Rhodes went 8-for-19 and had six of the Mavs' ground balls as their primary faceoff man.
 
Shields, a native of Naples, has now had ten or more saves in all seven of the Mavs' games in his home state.  He tallied 12 in the NCAA Tournament game against the Spartans last year.

The Mavs will wrap-up their swing in Florida on Tuesday in St. Augustine, where they will face the Flagler Saints in a rematch of last year's Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship game the Mavs won 16-12 to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.