GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Riding a five-game winning streak and leading the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings by the smallest of margins, the Colorado Mesa University men's lacrosse team will host its final two home games of the regular season at the Mavs' Community Hospital Unity Field.
 
On Thursday night, the 9-2 Mavericks will play their most important home game of the season, taking on arch-rival Westminster University at 7 p.m.  CMU will then take on Northwest Nazarene at the same time on Saturday evening.
 
The Mavericks, ranked 15th in the latest national poll, lead the RMAC standings with a 6-0 mark by just a half-game over  the Westminster Griffins (7-4, 6-1 RMAC).  The Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks are currently 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the RMAC heading into a key Thursday afternoon game at Adams State, which could decide which team snags the fourth spot in the upcoming RMAC Tournament.
 
Tickets for both of the Mavericks' games can be purchased at the link above.
 
It can also be seen live with a subscription to the RMAC Network (more information below).
 
Live statistics can be accessed here.
 
Last Times Out
 
The Mavs dominated visiting Adams State in their Senior Day game last Saturday, claiming a 20-3 victory.  More than 50 Mavericks played in the game, which saw the Mavs jump out to an 8-0 lead after the first quarter.
 
The Mavericks led 13-1 and 18-1 after the second and third quarters, before the fourth was played with a running clock.
 
Despite that, the Mavs set a new season-high for goals while also playing their best defensive game of the season.
 
Twelve different Mavericks scored goals in the game as the Maverick coaching staff was able to go deep into the bench for much of the game.
 
The bench scored 17 of the team's 20 goals.
 
Following the game, the Mavericks recognized 18 players for their contributions to the program.
 
First Career Goals
 
Defensive Midfielders Freddy Bankston and Kael Degenhart were amongst the Mavericks' 12 goal scorers in last week's win over Adams State.  Their goals were the first of their respective careers.
 
"X" marks the spot
 
The Mavericks were quite efficient running their attach from behind the cage in the win over the Grizzlies.  Camden Moody and Ari Villano both ran the Maverick offense from the "X" during much of the Mavs' win.
 
Moody, a transfer from Limestone, finished the game with a career-high four goals and six points while Villano recorded three goals.
 
Moody now has scored seven goals and 13 offensive points in the last three games while Villano now has four hat tricks in his freshman campaign and is now second on the team with 18 goals.
 
Moody leads the Mavs in assists (15) and points (28).
 
Top Rated D
 
During their current 5-game winning streak, the Mavs have held their opponents to single-digit goal totals.  The Mavs have conceded just 35 goals, an average of 7.00 per game in that stretch.
 
Throughout the season, the Mavs have conceded just 90 total goals in their 11 games, an average of 8.18 per game.  That mark leads the RMAC by a considerable margin and ranks the Mavericks ninth in the national statistics.
 
What this week means
 
The Mavericks lead the RMAC standings with a 6-0 mark and lead Westminster by a-half game, thanks to the Mavs' 13-12 overtime win over the Griffins in Salt Lake City a fortnight ago (Apr. 9).
 
If the Mavericks are able to defeat the Griffins again on Thursday night, they would pull 1 ½ games ahead and guarantee any head-to-head tie-breakers.  In that scenario, the Mavs could then clinch a share of the RMAC title and the No. 1 seed as well as hosting rights for the RMAC Tournament with a week to go with a win on Saturday over Northwest Nazarene.
 
The Mavs will play twice next week while Westminster will play just once after facing the Mavs and Adams State on the road this week.
 
However, if the Griffins are able to win Thursday's game, they would take the lead in the RMAC standings although the Mavs would still control their own destiny to win at least a share of the title.
 
In this scenario, the No. 1 seed and hosting rights could then come down to tie-breaking procedures, which begin with the head-to-head results, followed by goal differential in those games.
 
Both CMU and WU have already guaranteed themselves of spots in the 4-team RMAC Tournament.
 
In the Polls
 
Despite their wins last week, the Mavericks slipped a spot to 15th in this week's edition (Week No. 9) of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's Division II Poll, released on Monday.
 
They have been ranked in all ten editions of the top 20 poll, including the preseason, and have been just inside the top ten on three occasions.
 
Coaching Corner
 
Troy Moyer, the reigning Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, is 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 51-12 (.810) record, including a 26-2 mark (.929) in RMAC games and a nearly flawless 21-1 (.955) record at home.  The Mavs have won both the RMAC Regular Season and Tournament titles in all three previous 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 91-26 (.778) in his now eight seasons with Moyer on the sidelines.
 
Moyer is a 6-2 as the Mavs' head coach against Westminster and 1-0 against Northwest Nazarene.
 
Home Sweet Home
 
The Mavericks have won 25 of their last 26 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 75-9 all-time record at home, good for a .893 winning percentage.
 
They are 21-1 (.955) at home with head coach Troy Moyer at the helm of the program and have a 4-0 home record thus far in 2026.
 
Know Your Foes
 
Westminster
 
The Griffins have the RMAC's top offensive attack.  They have scored 193 goals in 11 games and rank third in the country with their 17.55 goal per game average.
 
Luke Sllstrop leads the RMAC with 33 goals while Duke DeVault has contributed 24.  They combined for ten of the Griffins' 12 goals in the previous meeting at CMU.
 
Since that game, the Griffins have scored 77 goals in their last three games, beating Adams State (25-4), Concordia (11-9) and Dominican (31-2), all at home.
 
Defensively, Christian Jones has posted 112 saves and leads the RMAC with his .609 save percentage and 9.75 goals against average, statistics that require players to have played in 60 percent of a team's minutes to qualify.
 
At the faceoffs, the Griffins have a trio of regulars, including Ashton Karch, who has won 63 of his 107 attempts (.589) while leading the team with 401 ground balls.   The Griffins have won 54.5 percent of the faceoffs as a team.
 
Meanwhile, Jake Bloom has a team-leading 12 caused turnovers and has recorded 17 ground balls in a reserve role.
 
Northwest Nazarene
 
The Nighthawks are in their first year as a varsity program and as associate members of the RMAC.
 
They have played their last five games at home, going 1-4 in that stretch.  They are 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the RMAC heading into a Thursday afternoon encounter at Adams State, a game that could decide who earns the fourth and final spot in the RMAC Tournament.
 
Colton Altimus leads the Nighthawks with 31 goals, the second highest overall total in the conference.  He also leads the conference with his 3.10 per game average. 
 
Hank Riddle and Kellen Young supplement the attack with 14 and 12 goals, respectively.
 
AJ Moffat has a respectable 53.4 percent (93-174) rate on faceoffs and leads the team with 49 ground balls. 
 
Kyle Ireland paces the team with 15 caused turnovers and is second behind with Moffat with 19 ground balls.
 
Gordie Stiedel has been in net throughout the Nighthawks' season, posting a .440 saver percentage and a 15.06 goals against average.
 
Series Histories
 
Westminster
 
The rivalry with Westminster has been intense.  The Mave have won seven of the last nine games between the teams.  Four of the of the last five have been decided by just one goal with three of those games going to overtime.
 
The Mavs lead the overall series, 19-8 and have an 11-4 record against the Griffins at home.
 
However, the Griffins are the only team to have beaten the Mavericks at home in the last four seasons, doing so by a 10-9 overtime margin on Apr. 19 of last year. 
 
The Mavs won by a 13-12 margin in Salt Lake City on Mar. 26 of this season.
 
The Mavericks only previous game against Northwest Nazarene was played just two weeks ago on Mar. 28 when the Mavericks scored the final 12 goals of the game in a 17-6 win over the Nighthawks in Nampa, Idaho.
 
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 play neutral site games in Salt Lake City as the wrap up the regular season.  The Mavs will play Dominican next Thursday (Apr. 16) at 4 p.m. before facing Concordia University Irvine at 6 p.m. on Saturday Apr. 18.  Both of those games will be played at Westminster University's Dumke Field.