#5 Mines vs. Westminster, Friday, 7:30 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
#5 Mines vs. Dixie State, Sunday, 1:30 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
 

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THE WEEKEND AHEAD
Still unbeaten in RMAC play at 6-0, #5 Mines hosts a tough pair of conference matches as it hosts Westminster and Dixie State this season. Westminster comes into the weekend 7-2-0 overall and 4-1-0 in RMAC competition, which includes a 3-1 upset of then-#13 MSU Denver last Sunday. Dixie State is 6-3-0 overall and 2-3-0 in the RMAC having also beaten MSU Denver last weekend.

OREDIGGERS HANDLE FORT LEWIS, ADAMS STATE
Mines had no lack of offensive production last weekend, improving to 6-0 in RMAC play with a 3-1 win over Fort Lewis and 4-0 victory over Adams State. Peyton Sanders and Nicole LaTourette had first-half strikes against FLC with Emily Townsend adding second-half insurance, while four different Orediggers – Sanders, Taylor McRae, Jennifer Kendall, and LaTourette – scored against the Grizzlies.

IN THE POLLS
Mines stayed at #5 in this latest United Soccer Coaches poll for the second consecutive week. It is the 43rd time that Mines has received a top-10 ranking since 2009; since the start of the 2013 season, the Orediggers have been nationally ranked in 57 of a possible 65 polls.

KENDALL, LATOURETTE PACE OFFENSE
Jennifer Kendall and Nicole LaTourette lead a Mines offense that tops the RMAC averaging 21.1 shots per game. Kendall has team bests in goals (5) and assists (3) this season, having produced six points in her last four games, while LaTourette has four goals with two assists including goals in each of the last two games. Peyton Sanders has also scored in consecutive games, while Acacia Ortiz dished out a pair of assists against Adams State.

NO SHOT
It's one thing to not give up goals (which Mines doesn't - its 0.36 GAA leads the RMAC). But it's another to not even give opponents the chance. The Oredigger defense is giving up only 6.1 shots per game and a miniscule 2.9 shots on goal per game, both of which lead the RMAC. At one point last weekend between the Fort Lewis and Adams State games, Mines did not allow a shot for more than 128 minutes of play, including a shotless second half for FLC and first half for ASU.

HOME SWEET HOME
Mines has won nine straight games at home and conceded only one goal in that span, which dates back to a 1-0 overtime win against Western State on Oct. 15, 2017.

MINES VS. WESTMINSTER AND DIXIE STATE
Mines and Westminster will meet for the fourth time with the Orediggers having won in each of the previous three meetings (3-0 last year, 3-0 in 2016, and 1-0 in 2015). New RMAC member Dixie State squares off with Mines for the first time ever on Sunday.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Westminster is off to a great start at 7-2-0/4-1-0, with their lone RMAC loss coming 1-0 to UCCS. They average two goals per game led by Emma Heyn and Aimee Kurfurst, who each have four goals. Hillary Weixler has a 0.96 GAA and .809 save percentage. Dixie State boasts the second-best defense, statistically speaking, in the RMAC behind Mines at 0.44 goals allowed per game. Felicity Tarr has a 0.58 GAA and .800 save percentage in goal; offensively, the Trailblazers are paced by Whitley Johns' four goals and Kelsey Cook and Ambree Bennett's three each. DSU is 6-3 overall with their losses coming to Westminster, Regis, and UCCS.

BITS AND PIECES
Mines has set season highs for shots in each of its last three games, taking 29 at New Mexico Highlands, 31 against Fort Lewis, and 34 vs. Adams State … Mines set a program record taking 19 corners against Adams State … Mines has started RMAC play 6-0 for only the second time in program history after their undefeated conference season in 2013 … Jennifer Kendall is Mines' active scoring leader, scoring her 16th career goal against Adams State ... After not having a penalty awarded to them since 2016, the Orediggers have had two in the last two weeks with spot kicks against CSU-Pueblo (converted by Kendall) and Adams State (converted by Taylor McRae) … Acacia Ortiz is Mines' active points and assists leader with 35 (8 goals, 19 assists) … Shannon Mooney is now third on the Mines career shutout list at 20 … Mooney leads the RMAC in GAA (.37), save percentage (.867), and shutouts (5) … Sierra Roth made her first career appearance in goal against Adams State, making a save in 28:55 of scoreless relief … Head coach Kevin Fickes is 143-28-21 overall and 88-14-9 in RMAC play in his ninth season.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will head out on the road for a very tough duo of games next weekend, visiting defending RMAC champion UCCS on Friday and MSU Denver on Sunday.