#3 Mines at UCCS, Friday, 7:30 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
#3 Mines at Western State, Sunday, 1 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]

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IN THE STANDINGS
The stretch run towards a fourth consecutive RMAC regular-season title begins this weekend as #3 Mines visits UCCS and Western State. Mines (11-1, 6-1 RMAC) is three points clear at the top of the RMAC table ahead of CSU-Pueblo and Fort Lewis with six games to go.

IN THE POLLS
After a week at #7, Mines jumped back up to #3 in this week's NSCAA Top 25 poll. The Orediggers also remained atop the South Central regional rankings for the sixth consecutive week.             

MINES SWEEPS RMAC WEEKLY AWARDS
It was a clean sweep as Mines earned all three RMAC player of the week honors on Tuesday. Jaclyn Knott (offensive), Holly Weyand (defensive), and Sam Zumbro (goalkeeper) took the honors after a 2-0 weekend for the Orediggers. Knott scored three times, Weyand worked a pair of shutouts with an assist, and Zumbro made five saves without allowing a goal. Notably, Mines has now had all four starting defenders - Weyand, Emily Garnier, Emily Townsend, and Kortney DesCamp - earn a combined five Defensive Player of the Week awards in six weeks this season.

OREDIGGERS HONORED FOR CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE
Twelve Orediggers, head by First-Team RMAC All-Academic selections Emily Garnier and Sam Zumbro, were named to the RMAC All-Academic teams on Monday for carrying 3.3 or above GPAs. Ten others made the Honor Roll: seniors Anna Deleray and Jaclyn Knott, juniors Haley Cole, Devon Dunmire, Julia Hawn, Jennifer Kendall, and Cari Smith, and sophomores Jackie Chiastra, Mickey Hostetler, and Acacia Ortiz.

EARLIER THIS YEAR VS. UCCS
This Friday's game will be the second time in three weeks that Mines and UCCS have played. The Orediggers routed the Mountain Lions 5-0 in a non-conference meeting on Sept. 21, outshooting them 40-5 with two goals by Emily Townsend and strikes from Nicole LaTourette, Julia Hawn, and Haley Cole.

THE SERIES
Mines and UCCS will meet for the 14th time, with Mines holding a 12-1-0 advantage. UCCS' only win in the series came in 2010. Western State matches up with Mines for the fourth time since they began play in 2013; the Orediggers have won all three meetings, including last year's 1-0 win in Golden thanks to Haley Cole's goal from Acacia Ortiz.

MINES QUICK LOOK
The Orediggers continue to put up national-level defensive numbers, allowing only 0.25 goals per game (third in NCAA Division II) and with 10 shutouts in 12 games (second-best in D-II). Sam Zumbro's 0.26 GAA ranks third among D-II goalies, and she is saving shots at a .880 clip. Mines' defenders are also its top offensive producers, with Emily Garnier (3G, 7A) and Emily Townsend (5G, 2A) leading the team in points. Jaclyn Knott is coming off a three-goal weekend, and Taylor McRae has also scored three times this year. Remarkably, 15 different Orediggers have scored a goal this season and 18 have a point.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
UCCS is 2-8 overall and 2-4 in RMAC play, sitting third from the bottom of the table. The Mountain Lions are allowing 3.6 goals per game. Offensively they are led by Michaela Mansfield, who is one of the RMAC's top scorers with six goals. Western State is 4-6-1 and tied with UCCS in the RMAC standings at 2-4. The Mountaineers score 1.27 goals per game allowing 1.09. Jessica Kresl is their leading scorer with three goals while Katie Simpson-Johnson has a 1.05 GAA and .855 save percentage.