Thanks in part to numerous saves by former Montezuma-Cortez High School goalie Micah Conrads, the Colorado Mesa University men’s soccer team has advanced to the national semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
The Maverick’s semifinals appearance is the first in school history and comes after the team finished the regular season with an 18-3-1 record and won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) regular season title.
“It’s definitely very exciting for everyone on the team,” said Conrads. “We have a good group of guys that have played together for the last two years and worked very hard.”
To reach the semifinals, Colorado Mesa scored a 1-0 home victory over Midwestern State University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 16. Conrads played goalie for all 90 minutes of the game and made four saves.
“It was always my dream to be able to play in an NCAA tournament,” said Conrads. “Playing in that first game, there were some nerves. (Midwestern State) was a team that we had lost to at the beginning of the season.”
In the second round of the tournament, Colorado Mesa defeated St. Edwards University 2-1 in Seattle on Nov. 20. Conrads again played the entire game and made nine saves.
“St. Edwards was a very good team,” said the senior. “They had a lot of shots. Most of the high-demand saves were towards the end of the game. They spent a lot of the final 15 minutes on our end.”
Playing in Seattle in the national quarterfinals on Nov. 22, the Mavericks punched their ticket to the national semifinals with a 2-1 victory over Cal State L.A. Conrads played the entire match and made two saves, including one in the final minute.
Next up for Colorado Mesa will be a matchup against the University of Charleston, which is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation. The game will take place in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 4.
“(Charleston) is a very good team,” said Conrads. “I feel like our goal is to come out and play our game and work harder than the other team.”
Prior to suiting up for Colorado Mesa University, Conrads competed in soccer, basketball and track for M-CHS from 2006 until 2010.
The former M-CHS standout was named RMAC goalkeeper of the year in 2013 after finishing the season with an 8-0-3 record and helping the Mavericks capture their first-ever RMAC Tournament championship.
Personally, (2013) was a great season for me,” said Conrads. “I didn’t have any losses on the season, and it was a huge year for the team.”
Those interested in watching Conrads compete in the national semifinals are encouraged to visit the Colorado Mesa University men’s soccer website, which will post information about the game in the coming days.