DENVER – Schedule-makers did the MSU Denver women's soccer team no favors this season.
 
Fresh off a road matchup against the team picked to finish first in the RMAC, the Roadrunners hit the road again this week for games against the team picked to finish second (UCCS) and the team that was picked to place third (CSU-Pueblo).
 
Add in the fact that MSU Denver's other league road game thus far was against the team picked to finish fourth (Westminster) and further evidence of the team's scheduling degree of difficulty isn't necessary.
 
"It's exciting," MSU Denver coach Kat Mertz said. "It's a great test for us. It's a great measuring stick. This is a really strong year for the RMAC and it's something we as a staff and as players have talked about. There are no easy games in this league."
 
With that in mind, the Roadrunners play Thursday night at 6:30 at UCCS (8-2 overall, 3-1 and tied for third in the RMAC with nine points), which is ranked No. 12 in NCAA Division II. Sunday at 1 p.m., MSU Denver invades CSU-Pueblo (4-4-1, 3-0-1 and second with 10 points).
 
Both teams lost non-conference games to teams MSU Denver beat by at least two goals (UCCS split two games with Texas A&M-Commerce, while CSU-Pueblo lost to Eastern New Mexico) but have steadied the ship and are still formidable foes.
 
"UCCS has one of the best players in the league and J.B. (Belzer) is clearly a great coach," Mertz said. "They're very organized. They have experienced seniors mixed in with great freshmen and they are all playing well. We are going to have to be ready to play defensively."
 
Last weekend, UCCS beat Westminster in overtime before losing to Colorado Mesa, while CSU-Pueblo beat Mesa before playing Westminster to a tie.
 
"She (coach Sierra Cardenas) does a great job," Mertz said of CSU-Pueblo. "They're organized, they get numbers behind the ball, and they're a hard team to break down. It's another really tough test for us."
 
So far, the Roadrunners have dropped 1-0 decisions in their tough road matchups despite a slight statistical advantage against Westminster and a clear advantage against Colorado School of Mines.
 
Katy Coats leads the Roadrunners with seven points and shares the team lead of three goals with Elisa Dean, while Annie Rolf has a team-best four assists. Meanwhile, the defensive group of Jordan Lewis, Elli Zimmer, Katy Harris and Kate Giordano have helped hold opponents to six goals all season – true freshman goalkeeper Kayla Caballero has an 0.67 goals-against average.
 
At 5-2-2 overall and 2-2 in the RMAC, MSU Denver is tied for fifth with six points.
 
"We had a good practice today," Mertz said Tuesday, in the team's first training since Sunday's defeat. "We went over the film and clearly there were some opportunities we left on the table against Mines. We have to be better defensively, and on the ball we rushed a little in the attacking third. But it was a positive session. We know what the standard is, and to get to the top of RMAC we have to close the gap in certain areas."