PUEBLO, Colo.– Colorado State University Pueblo women's lacrosse returns to the road for the first time in more than a month this weekend as they play Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contests at Colorado Mesa and Westminster University.

The ThunderWolves, who have lost two straight games and six of its first seven games this season, open the weekend with a 7 p.m. game on Friday, March 28 in Grand Junction, Colo., against Colorado Mesa, before traveling to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a 3 p.m. game on Sunday, March 30 against Westminster.

CSU Pueblo, who is led by third-year head coach Taylor Ward, comes into this week's action sporting a 1-6 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the RMAC after dropping home games at home last weekend to then 17th-ranked Regis (18-3) and UCCS (21-8). The Pack is currently sitting in fourth place in the league standings.

Through seven games this season, the Pack has scored 66 goals and is averaging 9.43 goals per game, which is fifth in the RMAC. Leading the way offensively for the Pack is freshman attacker Moira Turpen (Newberg, Ore./Newberg) as she has scored a team-best 18 goals and has added two assists for 20 points. Turpen's 18 goals are sixth in the league and is averaging 2.57 goals per game and has scored at least three goals in four of the Pack's seven games.

In addition to Turpen, freshman midfielder Sydney Gunnels (Dallas, Texas/Coppell) is second in goals with 14 and has added two assists for 14 points, while freshman attacker Emily Doane (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) has tallied 10 games and a team-high six assists for 16 points. In addition to Doane's six assists, sophomore midfielder Reese Wasmund (Portland, Ore./West Linn) and sophomore attacker Clara Drinkwater (North Kingstown, R.I./North Kingstown) have each recorded four assists, while Wasmund has scored seven goals, and Drinkwater has tallied four goals. As a team, the Pack has recorded 22 assists on 66 goals and is averaging 3.14 assists per game.

One area where the Pack has been strong this season is in free-position goals as they recorded 27 free-position goals and leads the league in free-position percentage at 55.1 percent (27-for-49). Gunnels leads the way with 12 free position goals and is 12-for-17 on the season, while Turpen is 6-for-12 on free position shots. Gunnels is averaging 1.71 free position goals per game, which is tops in both the RMAC and NCAA Division II. The 12 free position goals are third on the school's single-season chart.

The Pack has had four players take 20 or more shots this season as Turpen leads the way with 38, including 27 shots on goal, while Gunnels has taken 26 shots, Doane has taken 22 shots and Wasmund has taken 21 shots. Turpen is fifth in the league in shots per game (5.43).

Wasmund leads the team in draws with 22, while Turpen is second with 21 draws as the Pack has collected 88 draws on the year and is fourth in the league in draws per game as they are averaging 12.57 draws per game.

Sophomore goalie Breonna Mason (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) is tied for the league lead in ground balls with 31 and is averaging 4.43 ground balls per game. In addition to Mason, Turpen has collected 15 ground balls, while junior defender Audrey Allendorf (Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) is third with 13 ground balls. The Pack is fifth in the RMAC in ground balls per game as they are averaging 19.29.

Defensively, the Pack is allowing 17.14 goals per game and has caused 54 turnovers with Wasmund leading the way with eight, while Allendorf, Mason and Turpen have each had seven caused turnovers.

Mason, an Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection last season and named to the RMAC Preseason Player to Watch List, has continued her stellar play in the cage this season. She leads the league in saves per game (12.71) and overall saves (89) and ranks fourth in save percentage (43.8 percent). Her goals-against average of 17.33 is sixth in the league.

ABOUT COLORADO MESA
Colorado Mesa comes into Friday's home game with the Pack sporting a 4-4 overall record and is a perfect 3-0 in league play after collecting a 17-6 home win last weekend against Westminster. In addition to the win over Westminster, the Mavericks have also picked up RMAC wins at both Regis (16-11) and UCCS (18-15). The three wins this season have moved Colorado Mesa's all-time RMAC record to 68-20, as 18 of those 20 losses have come to Regis as the Mavs haven't lost an RMAC game to any other current conference member.

Since opening the season by losing four of its first five games, CMU, who was tabbed to finish second in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll as they earned 21 points and a first place vote, has reeled off three straight wins but is 1-1 at home this season and 52-16 at home over the last 10-plus years. Since the beginning of the 2023 season, the Mavs have posted a 12-4 record at home.

As a team, Colorado Mesa has scored 105 goals and is averaging 13.13 goals per game, which is second-best in the RMAC. Leading the way offensively for the Mavericks is junior attacker Courtney Havel, who leads the league in goals (30) and goals per game (3.75), is second in points with 35, and is fourth in the league in shots per game (6.25). In addition to Havel, junior attacker Justine Anderson and senior attacker Caroline Ohngemach, who have each scored 16 goals. Anderson is second in points with 30 as she leads the team with 14 assists.

The Mavericks have recorded 53 assists and are second in the league in assists per game at 6.63. In addition to Anderson's 14 assists, senior midfielder Ali Bryant has had eight assists and Ohngemach has tallied seven assists.

Bryant leads the team with 46 draw controls, while Ohngemach has recorded 32 and senior attacker Emme Rezoski has had 30 draws. The Mavs have recorded 127 draws and lead the league and is 17th nationally in Division II in draw controls per game as they are averaging 16.00 per game.

Seven CMU players have recorded 10 or more ground balls with freshman goalie Heather Hawkins leading the way with 23, while Bryant is second with 17. As a team, CMU is fourth in the league in ground balls per game, as they are averaging 19.38 per contest.

The Mavs are also third in the league in caused turnovers per game as they are averaging 10.75 per game and have been credited with 86 caused turnovers, including Bryant leading the way with 12 and is averaging 1.50 per game, while sophomore defender Monroe McClimans has had 10 and is averaging 1.25 per game.

Hawkins has been the Mavs primary goalie this season and she is second in the league in saves per game (8.71) and save percentage (.469) and is fourth in total saves (61). In addition, she is second in the RMAC in goals-against-average at 12.55. Senior Shannon Murphy has played four games in the cage and has recorded 15 saves and has a 15.19 goals-against-average.

Colorado Mesa is coached by Ashley Delaney, who is in her second season with the Mavericks. She has posted a 15-10 overall record as the Mavs head coach and is 33-19 record in her four seasons as an assistant with the Mavericks.

Friday's game will mark the 18th all-time between the two schools as Colorado Mesa leads the all-time series with an 18-0 record. The Pack lost both games last season as they fell 15-4 at home to the Mavs and then lost 16-3 at Mesa.

ABOUT WESTMINSTER
Westminster, who hosts Fort Lewis on Friday before facing the Pack on Sunday, comes into this weekend's action sporting a 3-5 overall record and a 0-3 mark in the RMAC as the Griffins lost last weekend at Colorado Mesa (17-6). In addition to the loss to the CMU, Westminster has lost league games at UCCS (16-12) and at Regis (18-6). The Griffins' three wins this season came against Saint Michael's (16-11) and on the road against William Jewell (14-1), and Rockhurst (8-7). Since the win at Rockhurst, Westminster has lost three straight games.

As a team, Westminster has scored the fifth fewest goals with 63 as they are averaging 9.75 goals per game, which is fourth in the RMAC. The Griffins have scored 10 or more goals in three games, including a season-high 16 goals in the season opener against Saint Michael's.

Leading the way offensively for Westminster is sophomore attacker Jordan Williamson, who has scored 18 goals and has added two assists for 20 points. In addition to Williamson, freshman attacker Holly Shoughro has tallied 11 goals and freshman midfielder Grace Szwedko has added 10 goals.

The Griffins have also recorded 22 assists in eight games, with senior midfielder Celia Fidanza leads the way with 10 assists and has tallied 13 points. Shoughro has had three assists and has tallied 14 points, which are second-most on the team.

Westminster has collected 94 draw controls as the Griffins are averaging 11.75 per game and have a draw control percentage of .477, which is third best in the RMAC. Szwedko leads the way with 29 draws, while sophomore defender Madi Rogers is second with 20 draws.

Defensively, Westminster has caused 95 turnovers and has allowed 94 goals in eight games. The 95 caused turnovers are second-most in the league and leads the league in caused turnovers per game at 12.25. Sophomore Marianna Dick leads the league with 28 caused turnovers and is averaging a league-best 3.50 per game, while graduate student defender Riley Weldon has had 15 and is averaging 1.88 per game, which is fourth-best in the RMAC.

The Griffins have played two goalies this season. The primary goalie is senior Gabriella Cheminant, who has recorded 28 saves and a 10.82 goals-against average. In addition to Cheminant, freshman Kaelyn Hart has played 225 minutes in the cage, recorded 39 saves, and has a 12.80 goals-against average.

Westminster is coached by Jannel Snow, who is in her third season directing the Griffins women's lacrosse program. She has led the Griffins to back-to-back RMAC Tournament appearances and was named the RMAC Coach of the Year in 2023. She has compiled a 13-21 record as Westminster's head coach.

Sunday's game will mark the 13th all-time meeting between the two schools as Westminster holds an 8-4 advantage in the series. The Pack have lost four straight games in the series and is 1-4 all-time in Salt Lake City and 3-4 in Pueblo against the Griffins. The Pack is 3-8 against Westminster in RMAC games.