By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado Mesa University men's lacrosse team used big runs at the start and end of the game to defeat Concordia University Irvine, 15-6, in the Peach Belt Conference's Rocky Mountain Division Championship, Saturday, at Unity Field.

Colorado Mesa advances to the Peach Belt Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship game where they will face Peach Belt Division champion Flagler. The Mavericks and Saints square off in a 5 p.m. (MT), Friday, May 2 contest at Flagler Lacrosse Field in St. Augustine, Florida. Flagler advanced to the championship after stunning top-seed Lander in Saturday's other divisional final. The winner of the Colorado Mesa-Flagler contest receives the Peach Belt Conference automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Lacrosse Championship.

The Mavericks opened the game with five unanswered goals in the opening 6:54 and led 6-1 after the first quarter. Those six goals were scored by six different Mavericks players as they outshot CUI 15-10.

Concordia battled back and scored five of the next six goals in a run that consumed all of the second quarter and nine minutes of the third. Parker Teel's goal with 5:55 left in the third narrowed the deficit to 7-6.

But that goal appeared to spark the Mavericks who scored the game's final eight goals. JJ Brummett's back-to-back goals in a 13 second span during the third gave CMU an 10-6 lead. Connor Jensen then provided back-to-back goals in a 2:17 span in the fourth, extended the lead to 13-6 and sealing the win.

Meanwhile, Mavericks goalkeeper Shaden Shields came up big down the stretch, making nine saves in the final two periods – seven of those in the fourth – and finished the game with 20 saves on 26 shots on goal.

Brummett had four goals and an assist in the win, while Jensen suppied three goals and three assists. Deuce Kirschke also had a hat trick for the Mavericks.

Chad McFadden and Jeremy Barnes had two goals each to lead Concordia's offense.