DENVER – One indication of the youth movement in the MSU Denver women's soccer program will come prior to Friday's 6 p.m. Senior Night game against Adams State at the Assembly Athletic Complex.
 
Unlike the massive class from last year, this year's ceremony will celebrate three players, one of whom has been unable to play this season.
 
But that doesn't mean that Luna Garcia, Kailey Maness and Dani Nelson haven't had huge impacts during their Roadrunners careers.
 
"They've done a really good job stepping in and leading and really setting the standard for a young team, what our culture and expectations are for where we want to take this program," MSU Denver coach Kat Mertz said. "They've done a good job helping with that, even though it is such a small class."
 
Garcia was a 2022 All-RMAC first team selection after previously earning All-RMAC honorable mention. She has career totals of nine goals and eight assists while playing more than 3,600 minutes.
 
"For Luna, what an unbelievable story it has been, for her to finish her degree and walk out of here to be ready to face the real world," Mertz said. "Luna was a tremendous playmaker. What made her special was her vision and her creativity, and we've certainly missed that this year. She's a competitor on the field and off, and she cares deeply about the overall success of the program and her teammates."
 
Maness has played more than 4,000 minutes for MSU Denver while playing forward, midfield and defender. She has career totals of seven goals and 11 assists, and four of her goals have been game-winners. She is a past two-time All-RMAC honorable mention selection.
 
"Kailey has such a huge engine, and she's really competitive," Mertz said. "When Kailey puts her mind to something, she's able to do it – that's what we always say in practice, it's just hard to beat her when she's determined. She's one of the nicest humans you'll ever meet, but she has a different mindset on the field – you don't want to get between her and the ball. As a captain, she's always there for everyone, someone that everyone can trust and lean into."
 
Nelson has been a long-time contributor as an outside back for one of the RMAC's best defensive units. She scored her first career goal this season and also has four career assists, and she has played more than 2,300 minutes as a Roadrunner.
 
"Dani has done a great job stepping in to that outside back position and working really hard over the past few years," Mertz said. "As a captain, she's really done a great job developing relationships with our players and setting a standard and being accountable, but also by being there and being able to listen when people need help. She really plays with her heart on her sleeve."
 
In Adams State, MSU Denver (5-5-4 overall, 4-3-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) will be playing a team that is 2-5-5 overall and 1-3-3 in the RMAC.
 
Though the Grizzlies are 0-23-3 all-time against MSU Denver and have lost 6-0 to the Roadrunners in each of the last two seasons, they are sitting in ninth place with six points in league play and are just three points out of seventh. The top eight teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the RMAC Tournament.
 
"(Coach) Alex (Greco) is doing a good job there," Mertz said. "You can see the way he wants them to play, and they've given some teams fits. They're playing with a lot of heart and they're organized. And any time you're playing a team that's fighting for points, they're hard to beat."
 
MSU Denver is fifth in the RMAC with 13 points, but will likely need some help to earn one of the top four spots and home-field advantage for the first round of the RMAC Tournament after a 4-0 loss to fourth-place Colorado School of Mines on Sunday.
 
"Everyone was pretty disappointed in our performance, and we challenged our players and staff to go back and see where we can be better," Mertz said. "We've had good practices this week. We have to get back to valuing the ball, not forcing things. We've revisited our attacking principles to make sure we're on the same page, how we get to the final third and what does it look like in the final third."