The regular season is coming to a close for collegiate soccer, and every game becomes crucial in deciding the seeding for conference playoffs.

The top six teams in the RMAC standings qualify to compete for the conference championships, and the Mavericks are in a good position to have representation in both men’s and women’s tournaments.

The men’s team is continuing to play its best soccer in the late stages of the season and picked up wins over Fort Lewis and Adams State on the road this week. The two conference wins put them at a 7-2-3 record in the RMAC, which ties CMU with Metro State for second place in the standings, trailing Colorado School of Mines by only one game.

The Roadrunners currently hold the tiebreaker over the Mavs with a 1-0 win earlier in Denver, but the Mavs will have the chance for revenge this week as Metro travels to Grand Junction, setting up a huge season finale for both teams. Regardless of the outcome, CMU clinched a home playoff game with the win over the Grizzlies on Sunday.

Head coach Josh Pittman explained the importance of having his team stay in Grand Junction for at least one game during the tournament.

“It’s huge for us,” Pittman said. “Last year, we went on the road during RMAC playoffs, and it was tough because of the quick turnaround and the guys having to miss classes. It will be nice to have a team come to us.”

As for the women’s program, their position in the conference standings is not as comfortable as the men’s, having dropped both road games last week to Western State and New Mexico Highlands. They fell to 5-7 in conference play, but the losses did not drop them out of the top six, giving them the opportunity to control their own destiny.

With two games remaining in the season, the Mavericks can cement their place in the RMAC tournament by beating Fort Lewis at home this Friday and Adams State on the road on Sunday. In the event that they lose one or both games, it would be up to the teams ahead of them to lose as well.

New Mexico Highlands and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs are tied for fourth place and play each other this week in Colorado Springs, creating an opportunity for the Mavs to jump up a spot with a win over the Grizzlies or Skyhawks.

No matter what happens around the league, these next two games will determine whether the season goes on or not for the girls’ team.

mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu