DENVER — Colorado Mesa dominated the first half with clinical finishing, building a commanding lead before Colo. Christian mounted a second-half comeback that fell short. The Mavericks won 4-2 on Friday, extending their winning streak to two games and improving to 8-4-3 overall.
The visiting Mavericks struck early and often against the struggling hosts. Connor Chilson opened scoring in the 64th minute with an assist from Matteo Bonelli, setting the tone for Colorado Mesa's aggressive approach. Daniel Paulsson doubled the advantage in the 70th minute, also assisted by Bonelli, before adding a third goal in the 74th minute with Paulsson providing the setup. Riccardo Legnante capped the first-half onslaught in the 87th minute, assisted by Paulsson, giving Colorado Mesa a commanding 4-0 cushion.
Colo. Christian, now 2-11-3 after dropping their second consecutive match, showed resilience in the second half. Dylan Hall pulled one back in the 83rd minute, cutting into the deficit. Casey DeVito added another goal in the 89th minute, but the two-goal comeback proved insufficient against Colorado Mesa's early dominance.
Colorado Mesa's offensive efficiency was evident in the statistics. The Mavericks recorded 12 shots on goal compared to Colo. Christian's nine, while outshooting their hosts 18-17 overall. Colorado Mesa also earned eight corner kicks to Colo. Christian's seven, maintaining territorial control throughout the match.
Discipline became a factor late in the contest