Win out. That’s the only hope for the Maverick men, as they dropped two games to nationally ranked opponents last weekend. The heartbreaking losses came just six short days after grabbing their first win in conference paly against the Colorado Christian University Cougars.

“It started with training during the week. I think the guys have really started to take it a session at a time, each exercise at a time. So we had three very good sessions going into the game, from the start, the pre match, the warm up. Guys were really sharp, in terms of the performance standards, you know, they were intense,” said assistant coach Brandon Bautista.

In the preseason coaches’ poll, Colorado Mesa University (CMU) was tabbed to finish in third place. Following an 0-3-1 start to conference play, the Mavs very quickly found themselves dead last in the RMAC. To make the losses even more heartbreaking, the largest margin of defeat over the course of conference play was by just two goals. In conference play, CMU boasts a slightly negative goal differential, slightly behing opponents 10-9.

“I think for me, what we notice is the intensity levels, the levels of energy. I think in the last games, we’re struggling with it. We’re coming and going up and down, up and down. Against Colorado Christian, we tuned in the whole game. We didn’t swim out. And that’s what will happen. We’re attacking the whole time, trying to defend good, and we just go forward,” said junior transfer Marc Bonafe.

Bonafe has been carrying the load offensively for CMU this season. Bonafe transferred in from Webber International University, where he made the all-Sun Conference second team. With four goals and five assists, he’s garnered 13 total points.

“I came here to bring energy, to bring opportunities, and that’s what I’m trying to do,” said Bonafe.

A big loss on this Mesa roster has been the early season injury of Manuel Ponce Casas. Last season, Ponce Casas tied for the team lead with eight goals and led the Mavs with six assists. In last year’s campaign, Ponce Casas started in 14 games, but made an appearance in all 18. With his injury this year, he’s only seen action nine times.

If the Mavericks were to miss the RMAC tournament, it would only be their second time not playing in the postseason since 2011. At this point of the season last year, CMU was 8-2-2, with no losses in RMAC play.

Another bright spot on this Maverick squad has been goalkeeper Diego Chavez. Chavez, a redshirt junior, is coming off a year that saw him win RMAC Goalkeeper of the year. He currently leads the RMAC in save percentage, denying over 78% of the shots that come his way. His current tally falls just below the 79.8% mark he was at last season. In the 4-2 loss against Regis University, he made nine saves, the most he’s had this season.

“I think the similarities, as far as style, [Bonafe is] one big one that really helps us, he’s a very fast, very agile player. They [all] are, so I think that’s kind of helped bail us out in certain scenarios, and especially just in attacking we create opportunities, like Marc said. I think we’ve had the same objective,and I think, unfortunately, we’ve been humbled to the same objective of just taking it one game at a time, one day at a time. I think that’s been a common trend in the past years, and that’s what we’re seeing this year. It’s coming back to the point where every detail matters, every practice matters,” said Chavez.

The RMAC is likely one of the toughest conferences in Division II, with three teams this year seeing time in the top fifteen. Of those, CMU faced the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Fort Lewis, losing both of those games by just one goal.

“Yeah, I think in [soccer], you always need a little bit of luck. I think some games we didn’t have it, but at the end of the day, you made your own luck. I think the intensity levels sometimes run there. So I think we could use our energy, our intensity levels,” said Bonafe.

In a tough weekend slate, CMU went 0-2, losing in multi-goal decisions against both Colorado State University – Pueblo and UC – Colorado Springs.

The Mavs will now travel to Alamosa to take on Adams State, before a Sunday date with 13th ranked Fort Lewis in Durango. Should the Mavericks win out, they still have a chance to earn an RMAC tournament berth.