#3 Mines at New Mexico Highlands, Friday, 7 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
#3 Mines at CSU-Pueblo, Sunday, 1 p.m. [Live Stats]
 

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IN THE POLLS
Mines held steady at #3 in the nation in this week's NSCAA Top 25 poll. The Orediggers sit behind #1 Grand Valley State and #2 Central Missouri. Mines also remained atop the South Central regional rankings.

BEST START EVER
Mines is 8-0-0 for the first time in program history, surpassing a 7-0 start in 2011. The 2013 season is the gold standard in the Mines history books, when the Orediggers began 7-0-1 over their first eight games on the way to an unbeaten regular season and 19-1-1 overall record.

TOWNSEND EARNS RMAC HONOR
Emily Townsend was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season on Tuesday, making it four straight weeks to start the season that an Oredigger defender has earned the honor. Kortney DesCamp (9/13) and Emily Garnier (9/20) also won it along with Townsend's first pick on Sept. 6.

NONE SHALL PASS
Through the first half of the season, Mines has had one of the nation's most dominant defenses, allowing a single goal in eight games. The Orediggers are ranked second in NCAA D-II in goals-against average (0.12), shutout percentage (.875), and save percentage (.944). Mines has not allowed a goal over the last 480:29.

EVERYBODY GETS A TURN
Twelve different Orediggers have scored a goal this year, already one higher than last year's total. Mines' distributed production included a team-best four goals for Emily Townsend, two each for Emily Garnier, Taylor McRae, and Nicole LaTourette. The most recent Oredigger to get in the goal column was Anna Deleray, whose 83rd-minute winner beat CCU on Sunday.

WAIT FOR IT…
Sure Mines is 8-0, but that doesn't mean they didn't make some of those wins a little extra exciting. Fully half of Mines' game-winning goals this season have come in the 83rd minute or later, on strikes by Taylor McRae (85' at Cal State San Bernardino), Kortney DesCamp (86' at UC San Diego), Emily Townsend (101' vs. Regis), and Anna Deleray (83' vs. Colorado Christian).

THE SERIES
Mines and New Mexico Highlands will meet for the 20th time, with Mines leading 12-4-3. The two teams played twice last year, with Mines winning 1-0 at home on Laya Rybicki's goal and 3-0 in Las Vegas on strikes from Brooke Stoermer, Peyton Sanders, and Mel Westhoff '16. Mines and CSU-Pueblo will play for the 21st time as Mines holds an 11-7-2 series edge. The Thunderwolves beat Mines 1-0 in Pueblo last season on Karley Whiteman's goal, while the two tied in Golden with Rachael Turner '16 scoring for Mines and Megan Garcia for CSUP.

SCOUTING NMHU/CSUP
New Mexico Highlands is 1-5-1 overall and 1-2 in RMAC games coming off a 7-2 win against Black Hills State. Anyssa Dagnino, Daniela Fonseca, Haley Velez, and Salina Lucero co-lead the team with two goals apiece while the goalkeeping duo of Makenna Luster (2.60, .696) and Katherine Scott (2.06, .765) have played the bulk in net. CSU-Pueblo is 4-3 and 1-2 in RMAC play, with their win also coming against Black Hills State. Laikyn Koss has been one of the league's top scorers early in the year with four goals, and Sandra Grimaldo has scored three times. Alison Darr has a 1.05 GAA and .788 save percentage.