Through three games, the Mavericks look different compared to their past selves. The Mavericks style of play so far has been team-oriented as they have racked up 27 assists through three games.
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) is 3-0 as they have scored 52 goals while allowing only 17 goals. The Mavericks have played make-it take-it lacrosse as they are winning .731 percent of their faceoffs.
Freshmen midfielders Cole Emmanuel and Colin Seedorf have been the feature faceoff men for the Mavericks this season. Both are winning over 70 percent of their faceoffs and they have each tallied one goal on the season. Emmanuel and Seedorf both have 21 ground balls on the season as they often win the faceoffs to themselves.
“For us as coaches, that means trying to get the most out of our positions every day, so whether we are focusing on offense, defense, special teams, we want to make sure the players are getting the most out of the day, even though we want the players to win the day through their practicing,” CMU Head Coach Vince Smith said. “Our attention to detail, holding them accountable, our expectations and guidance are things that help make sure they do win the day.”
Despite losing midfielders Jack Griffin and Brandon Wilson, the Mavericks are looking to have a more balanced attack this year that can score from wherever on the field. Griffin and Wilson combined for 125 points last season. One of the goals for this season for CMU is to have six players with 30 or more points.
“It is going to be really difficult to replace those types of points, however with that being said, I think part of our issue last year as an offense was that we relied on those guys [Wilson and Griffin] to do too much sometimes,” Smith said. “Our goal and my goal as the offensive guy are to have a more well-rounded approach[…], my goal would be to have six players with 30 points or more, and if we can do that I think we are going to be a much more difficult team to stop.”
Graduate-transfer attackman James Booth leads the team in scoring with 15 points including 10 assists. Booth transferred from Belmont Abbey College and was their third-leading scorer with 59 points. Booth’s ability to find the open man or score himself makes him dangerous against every defense the Mavericks will face.
Senior midfielder Johnny Cary is the Mavericks biggest dodger with his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame. Cary is the third-leading scorer for CMU this season with nine points and he is getting .520 percent of his shots on goal.
CMU is returning 22 players from 2019’s roster, and the Mavericks are bringing in 27 freshmen that will have opportunities to make a big impact on this roster. The Mavericks are bringing in 19 players on the offensive end to be more versatile on offense.
CMU’s freshman has combined for 31 points this season with three players with six or more points. Nine freshmen have scored a point this season for the Mavericks to help keep their opponents off-balance.
“I think last year was a blessing in disguise. I obviously never wanted to blow my knee out-, but that injury gave me another opportunity to lead this program to their first national championship. That’s my ultimate goal this year,” Senior goalie Remi Reeves said. “I love last year’s senior class, but we didn’t get it done. This year we are more determined and feel like we have to prove to the nation who Mesa is again.”
The anchors of the CMU defense with Reeves returning after a knee injury that only allowed him to play five games last season. Senior goaltender Christian Cherry played most of the minutes in Reeves’s absence returns as he Cherry played 503:19 minutes with 85 saves. In the first three games, the Mavericks have started three different goalies with Cherry, Reeves and freshman Nolan Hoffman all getting time.
“This is the first year where we have the depth in defense from seniors to freshmen. We have a ton of talent on that side of the field and there is constant battling amongst each other for those starting spots,” Reeves said. “Christian Cherry may be our best leader on this team and with his help, we have been able to mold this defense into something special.”
CMU is without their starting defense from 2019, but senior defensemen Deandre Ross and Brian Buckner return to bring more veteran leadership to this squad. Ross and Buckner lead the team in caused turnovers each with five.
Freshman defender Jake Eickleman is third on the team in both ground balls with 10 and caused turnovers with four. Eickleman’s size, athleticism and effort allow him to play close defense and long-stick midfield depending on the style of play of their opponents.
