Box Score HOW IT HAPPENED
#20 Colorado School of Mines lifted its fifth straight RMAC Tournament trophy - and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that comes with it - beating #25 Fort Lewis 1-0 in the final at Stermole Stadium.
Haley Cole scored from tournament MVP Acacia Ortiz in the 78th minute to give Mines the edge in a hard-fought defensive battle from beginning to end.
Mines will find out its NCAA draw in a live selection show Monday at 4:30 p.m. MST on ncaa.com. Emily Garnier, Mel Westhoff, Haley Cole, Holly Weyand, and Peyton Sanders earned all-tournament honors for the Orediggers.
The Orediggers were held without a shot on goal in the first half but had several dangerous early opportunities, including wide looks from Ortiz and Brooke Stoermer. Fort Lewis' best chance of the game came on a header by Jordan Hix in the fourth minute, but the Skyhawks were a constant threat controlling possession throughout the half.
Mines flipped it around in the second half, coming out of the break with a period of sustained pressure that included saves off shots by Ortiz and Taylor McRae. The breakthrough finally came in the 78th minute when Ortiz crossed to her right for Cole, who blasted a shot that glanced off a defender and in.
The Orediggers rode out late pressure from Fort Lewis, which included a pair of corner kicks and Courtney Riley's wide shot.
NOTABLES
- Ortiz earned tournament MVP honors after assisting on Cole's strike and scoring the game-winner in the semifinals against MSU Denver.
- Mines' fifth straight cup is unprecedented in RMAC Tournament history. The Orediggers have also won the last three regular-season championships.
- Jayln Yates was a late change to start in goal for Mines and was excellent, making five saves. Caitlyn Espinosa had two stops for Fort Lewis.
- Fort Lewis led 11-7 on shots and 7-1 on corners.
QUOTABLES
"I thought we started off pretty slowly and they had most of the play in the first half… I thought we persevered through it and fought hard, and didn't give up too many chances on goal." – head coach Kevin Fickes on Mines surviving Fort Lewis' first-half pressure
"When I shot it I saw the girl coming and I said 'oh no!' but I kept wishing and it went in." – Cole on her score, which was nearly blocked by a defender
