NAMPA, Idaho- In their lone game of the week, the Colorado Mesa University men's soccer team got their first win of the season as they shutout Northwest Nazarene 2-0. This win marks the Mavericks' first shutout since Oct. 26, 2025 when they beat South Dakota Mines.
The game started off as a defensive battle as both teams jostled for the ball but got nothing going on offense.
The first shot of the game didn't occur until the 22nd minute when the Nighthawks had their opportunity sail wide right of the post.
The first shot for the Mavs came from Stefanos Christodoulakis in the 38th minute, but his shot missed the post. However, the Mavs remained on the attack as George Jones and Christodoulakis both had their scoring opportunities squandered by the Nighthawks goalkeeper. The Mavs got one more scoring chance from Amur Chekhoev but his shot came up empty as the first half would end scoreless.
The second half saw action almost immediately as the Nighthawks put up a shot in the 49th minute that came up short. However, the Mavs did not miss their first scoring chance as Edoardo Oliveri managed to put the first shot of his collegiate career in the back of the net. The Nighthawks would attempt an equalizer just three minutes later but it was handled by Nathan Beck.
The Mavs would keep their foot on the gas pedal as Chekhoev, Matteo Bonelli and Kamden Kooiman all had opportunities for another goal fall short.
Later on the Nighthawks went down to ten men after a red card, giving the Mavs an opportunity to put the game to bed. Oliveri took advantage of this and scored his second of the game putting the Mavs firmly in the driver's seat where they stayed for the rest of the game.
The Mavs outshot the Nighthawks 14-7 as Bonelli and Christodoulakis led the team in shots with three. Oliveri scored his first two goals of the season coming off the bench as he only played 27 minutes. Jones and Tabares Ochoa recorded their first assists of the season as well and Beck finished the game with two saves overall.
The Mavs return home in their next fixture as they take on Fort Lewis on Sept. 17. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Community Hospital Unity Field.
