Four different players registered four points in the Mavericks season opener 19-10 win over the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH).
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) had 13 different players register a point in the game as their offense found their groove early in the game. The Mavericks controlled the ground ball battle as they finished the game with a 39 to 19 advantage.
Redshirt sophomore midfielder Trent Pernell scored a team-high four goals on five shots in the game as he was beating his defender each time. Redshirt sophomore attackman/midfield AJ Switzer was right behind him with three goals and one assist in the game.
Redshirt senior attackman Carson Schwark got CMU’s offense rolling in the game as he picked up a ground ball off a blocked shot and put the shot in the back of the net. Schwark’s goal came just 56 seconds into the game, and they scored four more goals coming from four different players.
Josh Campbell got the Chargers on the board with 7:41 left in the first quarter. Switzer answered for CMU as a hitch got his defender to run past him and he ripped a bounce shot past the UAH goalie.
Sophomore faceoff man Dylan Checketts was sent to the penalty box for three minutes for an illegal equipment penalty which was locked in. Despite being a man down, sophomore attackman Hunter Holcomb was doubled, and he turned the corner, beat the double and buried a shot in the back of the net to put CMU up 7-1 with 5:25 left in the first quarter.
Switzer recorded his second goal of the game on a man-up opportunity as redshirt sophomore attackman Braden Lowe found a wide-open Switzer for a step-down shot,
The second quarter was an even battle as both teams scored two goals and the Mavericks took a 10-4 lead into the halftime break.
The Mavericks got out to a quick start in the opening five minutes of the second half as they scored three goals and two of the goals were assisted. Each time the Chargers struck back and tried to gain momentum in the game, CMU answered each time and took a 14-6 lead into the final quarter.
CMU’s offense continued to roll in the fourth quarter as they scored five consecutive goals with the final goal coming with 8:52 left in the game. Four of the five goals in the quarter were assisted which brought their total number of assists to nine in the game.
The Chargers ended the game with four consecutive goals of their own, but it was too little, too late as CMU won the game 19-10.
Freshman goalie Reece Sullivan finished the game with a 64.7% save percentage and made 11 saves against UAH.
Holcomb registered two goals on three shots on goal against the Chargers. He also recorded two assists in the game. Lowe recorded a team-high three assists as he was a key facilitator in the win and he scored one goal in the game.
CMU’s road trip continues in Jacksonville, Fla. as they will take on Rollins College on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 11:00 a.m.
