DENVER – Don't get too comfortable just yet about the MSU Denver women's soccer team having a firm grip on fifth place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings.
 
It does for now have a three-point edge over sixth place CSU Pueblo, but a sneaky difficult trip to Western Colorado and Fort Lewis, with games scheduled for Thursday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., respectively, is up next.
 
After that, the Roadrunners wrap up the season Wednesday, Nov. 1, at home against Colorado Christian at 5 p.m.
 
"We need to play our style and be competitive," MSU Denver coach Kat Mertz said. "Our message all week has been being consistent, and what does that look like? A lot of that is our training mentality. We want to make sure we don't ride the highs or ride the lows. It's being consistent with every play.
 
"We have to be able to fight back when we're down and be resilient."
 
MSU Denver is 6-5-4 overall and is 5-3-1 for 16 points in RMAC play. The Roadrunners would likely need a surprise or two from around the league to jump into fourth place and the opportunity to host a first-round game in the RMAC Tournament.
 
But surprises happen, and one of them was pulled off last weekend by Western Colorado (3-10-2, 3-6 for nine points and ninth place) when it upset Regis, knocking the Rangers back into a tie for second. The Mountaineers also beat Black Hills State.
 
"Western had a really good weekend," Mertz said. "They're well-coached. They're sorting some things out. Against every team I've watched them play against, tactically, they're on point. Some games I thought they were unlucky and could have scored some goals. They're a good, possession-oriented team. They're solid defensively and hard to break down. It should be a good game."
 
Fort Lewis is 7-3-5 overall and is 3-3-3 for 12 points and seventh place in the RMAC.
 
The Roadrunners traveled to Durango, Colo., last year too, dominating statistically but losing 1-0 on a first-half penalty kick.
 
"I don't think it will be that type of game again," Mertz said. "(Coach) Damian (Clarke) has done a good job of really getting them firing on all cylinders. They had a great non-conference season. It's a tough place to play. It's going to be a great battle."
 
Four RMAC teams sit atop the table, with Colorado School of Mines leading the way at 7-1-2 for 23 points. Mines has two only two games remaining, though. Colorado Mesa (7-1-1), Regis (7-2-1) and UCCS (7-1-1) all have 22 points, with Mesa and UCCS still having three games left.
 
Should the Roadrunners win out, they would get to 25 points, which would potentially put them in the top-four range if there are a couple of upsets.
 
Should the Roadrunners not pick up all the points that are out there, CSU Pueblo, Fort Lewis and Westminster are lurking nearby, and Western Colorado still has a reasonable chance to make the tournament field.
 
"It's a race to the finish," Mertz said. "Three games left, a few with only two games left, and every point matters. We need to take care of our own fate by really playing good soccer against Western and then we can focus on Fort Lewis."