GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo men's lacrosse opened a two-game road trip in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play here Thursday evening with a 20-4 setback to 17th-ranked Colorado Mesa at Community Hospital Unity Field.
 
With the setback, the ThunderWolves fall to 0-8 overall and 0-3 in the RMAC, while Colorado Mesa improves to 6-3 overall and 3-0 in the league.
 
The Pack will conclude its two-game road trip with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, March 30 in Salt City, Utah, against Westminster University.
 
In Thursday's contest, which was the third road game this season for the Pack, the ThunderWolves took 21 shots and had eight shots on goal against the Mavericks but couldn't overcome a 14 goal first half by CMU as the Mavs scored 14 of the first 15 goals of the game to lead 14-1 at half. Mesa finished the game with 54 shots and put 29 shots on goal.
 
Sophomore attacker Kyle Parker (Hamilton, New Zealand/Northland College) paced the Pack with two goals in the game. The two goals pushed his season total to 11, which is third-most on the team. Sophomore attacker Andrew Dzubak (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Mount Saint Vincent) added his team-leading 13th assist of the season. The 13 assists are ninth on the school's single season chart.
 
Dzubak leads the Pack in goals (15), assists (13) and points (28) this season. The 28 points are 12th on the school's single season charts.
 
CMU opened the game by scoring the first seven goals as they jumped in front 7-0 just seven-plus minutes into the opening period. The Pack would get on the scoreboard thanks to a goal from sophomore midfielder Lane Lessley (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood) that was assisted by Dzubak. Lessley's 12th goal of the season cut Mesa's lead to 7-1 with 7:07 left in the first period.
 
CMU would cap the first period scoring with a goal from Logan Smith to hold an 8-1 lead after the first 15 minutes of play.
 
The Mavs would outscore the Pack, 6-0, in the second period to hold its 14-1 lead at the half.
 
In the second half, the Pack scored four goals, while Mesa scored six goals as they tallied three goals in each period.
 
After CMU opened the third period by scoring three straight goals to a take 17-1 lead, the Pack tallied the final two goals of the period thanks to unassisted goals by sophomore defender Bergen Anderson (Lincoln, Neb./Southwest) and Parker to cut the Mavs lead to 17-3 heading to the final period.
 
CMU would score three of the four goals in the final period with the Pack goal coming from Parker with 4:38 left in the game. Parker has now scored two goals in a game four times this season.
 
The Mavericks got 20 goals from 13 different players as Nik Moore led the way with three goals, while Smith, Alex Blatt, Paden Chastain, Ryan Garcia and JJ Brummett each tallied two goals in the win. Eli Bibler and Hunter Holcomb each had five of the Mavs 14 assists in the game.
 
Mesa won the ground ball battle, 49-20, as Dzubak and sophomore midfielder Bryce Campbell (Meridian, Idaho/Meridian) each had three in the game for the Pack. Mike Edwards had four for the Mavs as 28 players were credited with a ground ball in the contest.
 
Dzubak and Parker combined for 12 of the Pack's 21 shots and five of its eight shots on goal. Campbell won seven face-offs and the Pack were credited with two caused turnovers.
 
Mesa collected 20 face-offs in the game with Edwards earning six of them. CMU also was 15-for-15 on clears and the Pack were 12-for-20.
 
The teams combined for 33 turnovers as the Pack had 18 and Mesa finished with 15.
 
Sophomore goalie Connor Russell (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven) started in the cage and played nearly 26 minutes and collected four saves, a ground ball and a caused turnover, while freshman Cole Rutz (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) played the final 34-plus minutes and recorded five saves, allowed seven goals and had a ground ball.
 
CMU played three goalies in the game as Luke Parrish played the entire first half and finished with one save and allowed one goal. Mac Bayless and Dom Pasquale played the second half in goal and combined to record three saves and allow three goals.