GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Ranked 11^th in the country, the Colorado Mesa University men's lacrosse team will play its first competitive game in 19 days and their first home contest of the season on Thursday night at 7 o'clock when the 2-0 Mavericks host 1-5 Florida Southern College at Community Hospital Unity Field.
 
The Mavericks last played on Feb. 14, when they claimed a 19-4 win at Adams State University in their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener and hope that the momentum from their hot start has not cooled.
 
Tickets for Thursday's contested against the Moccasins, who are coming off a 20-7 win over Adams State at the CHUF on Tuesday morning, are available at www.cmumavericks.com/tickets.
 
The game will also be streamed and available with a subscription to the RMAC Network (More Information Below).
 
Live statistics can be accessed here and a full recap will be posted on www.cmumavericks.com following the game.
 
Last Time Out
 
The Mavs scored ten straight goals in the first, second and in to the third quarters to build a 10-1 lead in the 19-4 Valentine's Day win at Adams State University. 
 
Ten different Mavericks scored in the victory as freshman Ari Villano scored four goals to lead the way.
 
Jack Cooper and Aidan Brock also recorded hat tricks as the Mavericks finished with a 54-17 advantage in total shots while putting 34 of their shots on goal.
 
Defensively, four different Maverick back-up goalies got a quarter of an action and combined for six saves.
 
Deuce Kirschke and Joshua Goodspead both had two ground balls and two caused turnovers while four different face-off men combined to win 16 of the 25 draws.
 
In the Polls
 
The Mavericks currently sit 11^th in this week's (Week No. 4) United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's Division II Poll, released on Monday.  They were ranked tenth last week and 13^th in the Week No. 2 Feb. 16 poll, which came out after the Mavs' victory at Adams State.
 
The Mavs are the only RMAC team in the top 20 of the recent poll although both Concordia and Westminster are in the "also receiving votes" category.
 
Rockhurst, a team the Mavs defeated 9-7 in their season-opener are in the receiving votes category.
 
The Mavs also sit 11^th in this week's USA Lacrosse Magazine poll, compiled by writers with input from coaches around the country.  They were ranked 15^th the previous week of that poll.
 
Defense & Other Top 10s
 
The Mavericks have conceded just 11 goals in their first two games, good for a 5.50 per game average that puts the Mavericks in the No. 4 spot out of 79 teams in the current NCAA Division II statistics for scoring defense.
 
They also stand third in clearing percentage at .950 (38-40), seventh in scoring margin (+8.50) and eighth in face-off winning percentage (.667).
 
The Mavs are also one of 13 undefeated teams in the country.
 
Weekly Awards
 
A pair of Maverick players picked up honors following the Mavs' 19-4 win at Adams State.
 
Aidan Brock, who had three goals and two assists in the win over the Grizzlies, was named as the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 16.
 
Dillon Pless was also named to the USILA's NCAA Division II Team of the Week on Feb. 18, which included all games up through Feb. 15, which in CMU's case meant the wins over Adams State and the Feb. 8 win over Rockhurst.  Pless has had three points in both of the Mavs' first two games and leads the team with five goals.
 
Conference Polls
 
The Mavs were 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.
 
In his two starts in this young season, Kirschke has an assists, two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
 
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.
 
Coaching Corner
 
Troy Moyer, the reigning Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, is early in his fourth season in charge of the Maverick program.
 
He was promoted to the head coach role in the fall of 2022 after a brief stint as the interim head coach.   Moyer took over for former CMU Head Coach Vince Smith, who left the position for other opportunities outside of coaching.  Moyer had originally been hired as an assistant on Smith's staff for the 2018-19 season.
 
In his four seasons as a head coach, including the 2026 start, Moyer has guided the Mavericks to a combined 44-10 (.815) record, including a 20-2 mark (.909) in RMAC games and a nearly flawless 17-1 (.944) record at home.  The Mavs have won both the RMAC Regular Season and Tournament titles in all three seasons with Moyer in charge and secured a NCAA Tournament bid last season.
 
In his overall time with the Mavericks, Moyer has helped the program win each of the last five RMAC regular season titles and four straight tournament crowns.  The Mavs have gone a combined 84-24 (.778) in his now eight seasons with Moyer on the sidelines.
 
Moyer is 0-2 against Florida Southern as the program's head coach.
 
Multiple Point Streak
 
Maverick redshirt junior attack Connor Jensen has recorded at least two offensive points in 17 straight appearances dating back to the start of 2025.  He had two or more points in all 16 of his appearances last season while sitting out on last year's road trip Adams State (Apr. 9) for load management purposes.  The returning second tea all-conference pick then had three points (1G, 2A) in the Mavs' 9-7 win over Rockhurst to open the season.
 
The Brentwood, Tennessee native was second in the RMAC with 54 points last season.
 
He also did not play against Adams State this year either.
 
Home Field Dominance
 
Although they do not regularly have the opportunity to play non-conference home games, the Mavericks have fared extraordinarily well at home throughout their program, especially of late.
 
They have won 21 of their last 22 home games since the start of the 2022 season and had won 19 straight before Westminster snapped the streak with a 10-9 overtime win on Apr. 19 of last season in the regular season finale.
 
However, the Mavs then bounced back to win the Rocky Mountain Division Tournament with two home wins in the following week to end last year's season with a 5-1 home mark.
 
They went 7-0 at home in 2024, winning all five of their regular season games plus winning the RMAC Tournament Championship with a 13-12 overtime win over CUI.
 
The Mavs also won the 2023 RMAC Tournament title at home after going 3-0 at home during the regular season.  The Mavs were 5-0 at home that year and went 4-0 at home in 2022 but did not host that year's RMAC Tournament after being edged on tie-breaking procedures.
 
Throughout their history, the Mavs have a 71-9 all-time record at home, good for a .888 winning percentage.
 
They are 17-1 at home with head coach Troy Moyer at the helm of the program.
 
The Mavs' last non-conference and non-RMAC Tournament home game against a NCAA Division II opponent was way back in 2019, when Rollins beat the Mavs, 12-8.
 
The Mavs did win home games over Division III Colorado College at the end of the 2024 season and NAIA Johnson & Wales later in 2019 since that game against Rollins.
 
Know Your Foe
 
The Moccasins will enter Thursday's game with a 1-5 record after claiming their first win in dominating fashion over Adams State on Tuesday, 20-7.  They scored eight first quarter goals and jumped out to an 11-0 lead.
 
They won 29 of the game's 31 face-offs as Jacob Gzyz won 23 of his 24 while scooping up 19 ground balls.
 
Angus Walko had six goals and an assist on 18 shots while Maddux Walton scored five times on nine shots.
 
The game against the Grizzlies was one of just two against a team not in the national rankings during a challenging slate that saw them fall on the road to Rollins, Wingate and Flager and at home to Saint Leo and Rockhurst before making the trip to Colorado.
 
Walko now has 17 goals to lead the Mocs while Walton has chipped in 15.  Walton also leads the team with seven assists and 22 total points.
 
Brady Schnurr, Kristian Kenty and Elijah Terry also supplement the attack and have five goals each.
 
Czyz, the USILA's Faceoff Player of the Year and First Team All-American in 2025, has been dominant this year, winning 103 of his 145 faceoffs while recording 71 ground balls.  He ranks second in the country for ground balls per game and eight in face-off winning percentage.
 
Alex Haughn and Charlie Fisher led the defenders.  Fisher has 11 ground balls and a team-high 10 caused turnovers while Haughn has 19 GB's and 8 CT's.
 
Three Mocs played in goal on Tuesday in the win over Adams State.  Luke Secreti started and played the first half without having to make a save and has a 1-1 record, 9.00 goals against average and .400 save percentage in 120 minutes worth of net time.

Wayde Jamieson has appeared in five games and has made two starts.  He has logged more than 234 minutes of time in net and has 48 saves, a 13.55 goals against average and .475 save percentage but is 0-4.
 
Snake-bit Rivalry
 
The Moccasins, a species of venomous snake (pit viper) that is native to the Southeastern United States, have won the last four meetings in the overall rivalry that they lead 5-2. 
 
However, the Mocs have never played the Mavs in Colorado.
 
CMU has played in Lakeland, Florida seven times winning in 2016 and 2017.  They have dropped games to the Mocs the last two years by 15-8 and 13-12 scores on Mar. 15, 2025 and Mar. 19, 2024, respectively, and will be looking to avenge those losses on Thursday night.
 
RMAC Network News
 
All of the Mavs' home and RMAC road games this season including Thursday's game, 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 continue their season with a key 3-game regional swing through the state of Florida, where they will play Palm Beach Atlantic, No. 2 Tampa and No. 15 Flagler in a span of four days.
 
The Mar. 15 game at Tampa will be a re-match of last year's NCAA Tournament game that the Spartans won en route to the NCAA Division II Championship appearance.
 
The Mar. 17 game Flagler in the city of St. Augustine will also be a re-match of the Mavs' Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship game win over the Saints, which allowed the Mavs to reach the NCAA Tournament.
 
The game with Palm Beach Atlantic will be played on Mar. 14 at Tampa's Naimoli Family Athletic Complex.