DENVER – The MSU Denver men's soccer team is facing one of its most difficult tasks of the season on Thursday, as it travels to Colorado Mesa to play the 15^th-ranked Mavericks at 4:30 p.m.
 
"It'll be a good test," MSU Denver coach Nick Kirchhof said. "They've had success in recent years. It's a good opportunity for us to see where we're at and where we've grown from the start of February to where we are now. It's a good environment, a fun place to play, so we're excited to have the opportunity."
 
The Roadrunners wrap up the regular season Sunday, with a 1:30 p.m. home game against UCCS.
 
MSU Denver is 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while Colorado Mesa is 2-0-1 both overall and in league play.
 
The Roadrunners are coming off a 1-0 victory at South Dakota Mines.
 
"It's always tough to win on the road in the RMAC, and we didn't have ideal conditions," Kirchhof said. "The wind was very intense. We did a good job of dealing with the conditions, and scoring the first goal early was important. We passed the ball well, especially going against the wind, but there are always smaller details that we can always clean up."
 
Nick Jansen earned RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week honors after making a career-high nine saves with his second shutout of the season.
 
"He was very composed when there were hectic moments, and he definitely made some big saves when asked," Kirchhof said. "But he was also able to put the ball in good spots from goal kicks going into the wind. He was a good calming force in a game that was hectic for us."
 
Meanwhile, a young Roadrunners team continues to gain experience.
 
The list includes true freshman midfielders Noah Hannula and Adan Perez.
 
"We've asked them to do quite a bit," Kirchhof said. "We went them defending, and we want them getting on the ball and creating attacks. Noah and Adan both did a really good job of finding the ball, being available and just keeping things simple for us.
 
"This had been a great opportunity for them as true freshmen to see what college soccer takes."
 
UCCS is 1-4 overall and 1-3 in the RMAC and is coming off a 4-0 home loss to Colorado Mesa.
 
"We're trying to take the Mesa game first," Kirchhof said. "We were able to watch them a little bit as we were watching Mesa. There are just no easy games in this conference. Everyone brings a different style and a different technique and a different way to attack things. That's what I love about the conference, but it's also what makes it so tough.
 
"We'll focus on Mesa first, then we'll have a couple of days to regroup and focus on hopefully performing well at home for the last regular season game."