GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado State Pueblo University men's lacrosse team closed the 2023 regular season here Friday evening with a 22-3 setback to 12th-ranked Colorado Mesa in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action at C.H. Unity Field.
 
With the setback, the ThunderWolves fall to 1-12 overall and 1-5 in the RMAC, while Mesa improved to 12-2 overall and claimed the regular season RMAC title as they are 5-0 in league play.
 
In Friday's game, the Pack were outshot, 86-12 in the game and due to the 86 shots, graduate student goalie Ethan Ferrie (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) recorded a school record 29 saves, which bettered the old mark of 24 set by Ferrie earlier this season at Maryville (Mo.) University.
 
The 29 saves were a season high in the RMAC this season and pushed his career total to 555 saves, which is tops in school history as it bettered the old school record of 491 saves that was set by Nick Richards from 2015-18.
 
CSU Pueblo got goals from three different players in the game as sophomore attacker Johnny Cole (University Place, Wash./Curtis Senior) scored the Pack's first goal off an assist by freshman midfielder Lane Lessley (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood) with 18 seconds left in the first period. The second goal was scored by Lessley off an assist by freshman defender Alex Kragen (Pleasanton, Calif./Amador Valley) with 6:39 left in the second period and redshirt senior attacker Trevor Thompson (Sacramento, Calif./C.K. McClatchy) scored the Pack's third goal off an assist by junior defender Corey Healy (Keller, Texas/Keller) just 11 seconds into the third period.
 
Mesa jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first period and led 9-2 at the half. In the third period, Mesa scored six of the seven goals to take a 15-3 lead and then added seven goals in the final period to set the final margin.
 
The Mavericks got 22 goals from 13 players as JJ Brummett and James Steinke each scored three goals, while Drew Eickelman, AJ Switzer, Dalton Goodale, Jed Brummett and Connor Jensen each tallied two goals in the win.
 
Mesa also had 13 assists in the game as Eickelman had three and Switzer added two.
 
Lessley took three of the Pack's 12 shots, while Ferrie added four ground balls, while Healy and senior midfielder Turner Dirk (Strathmore, Alberta/Holy Trinity Academy) each had two ground balls in the game.
 
Mesa was 24-for-27 on face-offs, while the Pack were just 3-for-27 on face-offs and they committed 26 turnovers, while Mesa had 12 turnovers.
 
The Mavericks were nearly perfect on clears as they were 27-for-28 in the game, while the Pack were 18-for-32 on clears. Mesa is second in Division II in clearing percentage at 93.6 percent on the season.
 
Ferrie played nearly 52 minutes in goal and along with recording a school record 29 saves, he allowed 17 goals and had four ground balls.
 
Mac Bayless played the first half in goal for Mesa and had three saves and allowed two goals in the win.
 
The Pack will now turn its attention to the postseason as they will travel to Grand Junction for an RMAC Tournament semifinal game on Friday, May 5. The Pack's opponent has yet to be determined as Mesa will serve as the tournament's host after earning the regular season RMAC title in Friday's home win.