CMU’s Steinke, Checketts Sweep RMAC Men’s Lacrosse Weekly Awards
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Mesa’s James Steinke and Dylan Checketts are the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Lacrosse Players of the Week, the league announced Wednesday.
Steinke claims the season’s first Offensive Player of the Week honor after leading the Mavericks (3-1, 1-0 RMAC) to victory in the conference opener against Westminster. The sophomore has racked up 13 ground balls, one unassisted goal and one game-winning goal so far this season. Against the Griffins, he racked up seven points on five assists and two goals.
Checketts claims the league’s first Defensive Player of the Week honor after winning an impressive 22 faceoffs against Westminster to open conference play. He has won 80 percent of the faceoffs he has taken so far this season and has 36 ground balls through the Mavs’ opening four contests.
Colorado Mesa continues its conference schedule Saturday, March 5, with a showdown at Adams State. The Mavericks will travel to Alamosa, Colo., to take on the Grizzlies, beginning at 1 p.m. MT, on ASU Lacrosse Field.
Offensive Player of the Week: James Steinke, Colorado Mesa – So. – M – Castle Rock, Colo.
Steinke recorded a career-high seven points on two goals and five assists, matching a CMU program record for assists in a game to lead the Mavs to a RMAC-opening win over Westminster. He also had a career-high seven ground balls in that win. He has scored five goals through the Mavericks' first four games, netting at least one in every contest, and claimed 13 ground balls. He has scored in seven of the Mavs' last eight games, dating back to last season and has 22 career goals in just 21 games
Defensive Player of the Week: Dylan Checketts, Colorado Mesa – So. – FO/M – Herriman, Utah
Checketts won 80 percent (64-of-80) of his face-offs and scooped up 36 ground balls in the Mavericks' first four games of the season, leading CMU to a 3-1 overall and 1-0 start in RMAC play. He won 22 of 29 draws and claimed a season-high 14 ground balls in Sunday's conference-opening win over Westminster. He now ranks fourth in the country for winning percentage and 11th nationally for ground balls per game (9.00).