#9 Mines (11-1-0, 8-0-0) at Colorado Christian (1-10-0, 1-7-0) – Friday, 12:30 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
#9 Mines (11-1-0, 8-0-0) at MSU Denver (6-6-0, 5-3-0) – Sunday, 2:30 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

---

                      
ROUND TWO – READY? PLAY!
The #9-ranked Colorado School of Mines Men's Soccer team starts its second round of RMAC play this weekend as they travel to Colorado Christian Friday and MSU Denver Saturday. At 11-1-0 overall and 8-0-0 in RMAC play, the Orediggers look to strengthen their hold on first place in the conference standings and extend their winning streak to 12 games.
 
LAST WEEKEND IN REVIEW
Mines played its first cold-weather matches of the season and came away with a pair of grueling, 1-0 victories over Dixie State and Westminster. Julian Kehe headed in the first goal of his career to give the Orediggers the win over Dixie State Friday thanks to the assist from Lucas King. The goal was extra special with Kehe's father traveling from New Delhi, India to watch his son in college for the first time. Sunday required a late game-winner from John Haist who converted a penalty kick (drawn by Kehe) in the 87th minute.  
 
WEATHER REPORT
According to the forecast, it will be a tail of two matches for the Orediggers. Friday's match kicks off at 12:30 with sunny skies and a game-time temp around 55 degrees. A light wind may provide some chill but overall looks to be a great day for soccer.  The tables will turn Sunday with snow in the forecast early and the temperature at kickoff projected around 25 degrees. Fans coming from out of town should pack their sunscreen and winter jackets while preparing for almost anything.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO CHRISTIAN
Since their last meeting with the Orediggers, Colorado Christian found the net four times and got its first win of the season. Now 1-10-0 overall with a victory over Adams State, CCU will look to keep the momentum going hosting Mines at home. Dohnovyn Jackson will be the Cougar to watch with two goals on the season. A total of four individuals have one assist while goalkeeper Zach Roberts is #4 in the country in saves per game. As a team, CCU ranks #8 in DII in saves per game with an average of 6.73 stops per contest.
 
MORE COUGAR FACTS
When Mines and Colorado Christian met earlier this season, fans learned that Cougars like leftovers, can leap a long way and have a large home range. What fans may not know is that cougars hold the Guiness record for the animal with the highest number of names with over 40 names in English alone. Cougars that live close to the equator are smaller than those living towards the north and south poles. Only females are involved in parenting while no species, besides humans, preys upon mature cougars in the wild. Last but not least, Cougars can run as fast as 35-45 miles per hour. And now you know.
 
TRAILBLAZER STADIUM
Colorado Christian is one of the few schools in the RMAC to have its home pitch located off campus with home soccer matches played at Trailblazer Stadium, owned by JeffCo Public Schools. Located in Lakewood, the stadium also hosts football and lacrosse competitions. It has an artificial turf field with visitor seating featuring 500 grandstand seats. There are also home and visiting dressing rooms with a permanent press box and stadium lighting for games at night.
 
SCOUTING MSU DENVER
MSU Denver enters the weekend fighting for a spot in the RMAC Tournament. At 5-3-0 in conference play and 6-6-0 overall, the Roadrunners are currently in fifth place in the standings, just five points up on seventh-place Fort Lewis. Jaime Gutierrez leads MSUD in scoring with four goals and four assists. Jacob Coking also has four goals on the year with one assist. The Roadrunners have won three straight including two shutouts with James Tanner in net boasting 44 saves and a 1.50 goals against average.
 
MORE ON ROADRUNNERS
Prior to Mines and MSU Denver's last meeting, it was revealed that Roadrunners are members of the cuckoo family, found chiefly in arid country. Despite being considered a bird, Roadrunners are unable to stay airborne for more than a few minutes due to their short wings. The bird can run up to about 17 miles per hour thanks to the unique x-shaped footprint they bear. Roadrunners also have the ability to lower their own body temperatures by going into torpor at nighttime.
 
REGENCY ATHLETIC COMPLEX
MSU Denver Men's and Women's Soccer, along with baseball, tennis and softball, call The Regency Athletic Complex home. Completed in 2015, the $24 million facility features an artificial turf soccer field along with competition surfaces for baseball, softball and tennis. It hosted the 2016 NCAA Division II Spring Sports Festival. The complex also boasts a 20,000-square foot building housing locker rooms for each sport. Fan seating at soccer features concrete bleachers and a grass berm.
 
FIRST ROUND SUMMARY
The first round between Mines, Colorado Christian and MSU Denver took place at Stermole Stadium over homecoming weekend. The Orediggers claimed a pair of shutout victories, defeating the Roadrunners 2-0 and CCU 4-0. John Haist was the star of the weekend, scoring four goals including a hat-trick Sunday against the Cougars. Ford Edwards and Connor van Loveren also scored for Mines.
 
GOING STREAKING
The #9-ranked Orediggers have won 10-straight matches dating back to Sept. 7 and also boasts a shutout streak spanning over 450 minutes of action. It marks the second-longest active winning streak in the country. Only two other teams have current runs that are longer than Mines'. The 10-match stretch run features a total seven shutouts and two overtime victories. Mines has not surrendered a goal since the 82nd minute Sept. 21 at CSU-Pueblo.
 
RMAC GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
Drew Johnson was named RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week Tuesday after going 2-0 over the weekend. It's the second weekly award of the season for Johnson. He is now #3 in the nation with seven shutouts and leads the RMAC in goals against average, shutouts and save percentage.
 
TOP 10 IN THE NATION
Mines' 10-game winning streak vaulted the Orediggers to #9 in the nation according to the United Soccer Coaches Division II National Poll. Previously ranked #16, Mines leapfrogged over Colorado Mesa into the top 10 while the Mavericks dropped to #12. Additionally, the Orediggers are #1 in DII in shots per game and boasts the #4 win-loss percentage in all of NCAA Division II. South Central Regional opponent Midwestern State holds the top spot in the region and ranks #3 in the country.
 
ALTITUDE TO AIR OREDIGGERS VS. COLORADO MESA
Mines' Oct. 19 match against Colorado Mesa has been selected for broadcast by Altitude Sports and moved to a 4 p.m. kickoff. Fans will be able to watch the nationally-ranked showdown on Altitude Sports found on channel 725 (Comcast), 681 (DirecTV) and 413 (Dish Network. The match is being produced as part of NCAA Division II's national package and will also be streamed on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/minesathletics.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines hosts #12 Colorado Mesa Oct. 19 and Fort Lewis Oct. 21 at Stermole Stadium with kickoffs set for 4 p.m. and 12 p.m., respectively.  Live stats and video of the matches will be available at www.MinesAthletics.com.