With their selfless play style and talented roster, this men’s soccer team at Colorado Mesa University is primed to take the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference by storm and get back to the NCAA Tournament. You can easily bet on that…but is it a safe bet?
Last season, the Mavericks advanced to the RMAC Tournament Championship Game but fell short to Colorado School of Mines. As well they suffered a devastating overtime loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament. This year’s team is already off to a better start with a 2-1-1 record so far on the season after losing their first game in shocking fashion to Eastern New Mexico, CMU has shown significant improvement.
The potential to succeed throughout the RMAC and move through the NCAA tournament is at an all-time high this year. Multiple athletes have already been contributing to the success of the Mavericks as well as the addition of new Head Coach Andrew Conniff.
The Mavericks performed well in their most recent road game against Northwest Nazarene University, creating multiple opportunities to score for each other. A selfless play style game in and game out has allowed Lawan Abary and Alec Fronapfel to play significant roles in The Maverick’s success this season. Both contributing one goal in their last road win.
When watching this team, you may notice a trend that wasn’t particularly common last year. In 2018, CMU had only three players score four or more goals. This team works together in order to create the best outcome for themselves in which results in bench players scoring just as much as the starters. CMU also has standout athletes that push their teammates towards success. These may be the biggest contributing factors when it comes to making it back to the RMAC Tournament and eventually, the NCAA Tournament.
Senior Lawan Abary’s style of play makes his teammates better, his in-game drive combined with his desire to win elevates those around him. This gives his teammates the will to be better. He’s a fast pace player with a seemingly endless motor. Although his struggle with injuries has been limiting his minutes, his presence on and even off the field has been more than felt.
CMU is looking sharp in most areas, but still have some things to work on. With the need for a solid defensive effort still lingering, The Mavericks need to address this before continuing further in the season. This team hasn’t necessarily been tested as a whole yet. Even though they’ve already fallen to one team prior, this still doesn’t compare to the competition that will come in RMAC play. This is when we will truly see what this team is made of.
The Mavericks have already been tested in the first conference game against Fort Lewis. Despite taking 23 shots, CMU scored only one goal in which ended in a 1-1 tie.
Taking all these things into account Colorado Mesa University’s men’s soccer team is still looking solid. This team plays fast, works together and is filled with standout talent. This has all the potential to be a great year, the pieces just have to fall in the right place.
