DENVER – Here we go.
 
The 11^th-ranked Metropolitan State University of Denver women's soccer team is set to embark upon the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference portion of its schedule.
 
After scoring nine goals in two impressive opening weekend victories, the Roadrunners went 0-1-1 on a two-game road trip that included a 2-1 loss to then-No. 11 Western Washington.
 
Meanwhile, many RMAC schools are off to a strong start as well, foreshadowing what could be a highly competitive league race.
 
"Our four non-conference games really prepared us for the season," MSU Denver coach Tracy Chao said. "We took something away from each game.
 
"And I'm happy to see how well the RMAC has done in our non-conference portion. Every team has stepped up and is getting better."
 
New Mexico Highlands (0-3) comes to the Regency Athletic Complex for a 7 p.m. game Friday, while Colorado State-Pueblo (3-0-1), just into the national rankings at No. 23, invades Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
 
New Mexico Highlands was picked to finish 12^th among 14 women's RMAC teams. CSU-Pueblo was picked to finish sixth.
 
"New Mexico Highlands is always a scrappy team," Chao said. "They are going to come in infused with energy and intensity starting off the conference season."
 
Chao said that CSU-Pueblo early success hasn't surprised her.
 
"Not really," she said. "That program is starting to grow."
 
Both teams conjure recent memories for the Roadrunners. Highlands upset MSU Denver 3-2 last season, while CSU-Pueblo – after losing to the Roadrunners on Makenna Brassard's (Thornton, Colo./Horizon) goal with four seconds left in the regular-season meeting – picked up a 1-0 win over MSU Denver in the RMAC tournament quarterfinals.
 
CSU-Pueblo's Mackenzie Bean, the RMAC's preseason player of the year, has two goals thus far. The ThunderWolves' Alexa Eastep was named the league's preseason goalkeeper of the year, but it's Rylie Martin who has played all but 12 minutes while posting an 0.73 goals-against average and .870 save percentage.
 
MSU Denver's goalkeeper, Erica Torres (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield), leads all RMAC players who have faced more than 17 shots with an .875 GAA and ranks second with 7.0 saves per game.
 
Meanwhile, the Roadrunners' more diversified offensive attack has led to returning scoring leader Reigna Banks (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield) scoring more often than ever – she has scored at least one goal in all four games this season and ranks fourth nationally with five goals and eighth with 10 points.
 
"We you get a collective group of players working together, it can make it easier for certain players to be in more opportunistic places on the field," Chao said. "And there's a nice mix of people who are having a hand in it."