Mines (1-1-0) vs. Seattle Pacific (0-0-1) – Friday, 5:30 p.m. – Stermole Stadium [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (1-1-0) vs. Western Washington (1-1-0) – Monday, 5:30 p.m. – Stermole Stadium [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 
WE'RE COMING HOME
The Colorado School of Mines Men's Soccer team will play on its home pitch for the first time in 2019 this Friday and Monday, hosting Seattle Pacific and Western Washington. It will mark the first time in 306 days that the Orediggers host a match that counts towards their record at Stermole Stadium and the first regular-season match in 324 days. Both matches start at 5:30 with Mines' women on the road and both will carry playoff implications in the new Super Regional format instituted by the NCAA for 2019.
 
GAME DAY INFO
New in 2019, fans can purchase digital tickets online in advance via Mines' new ticketing portal, or buy them at the gate on game day. Ticket pricing remains the same as 2018 at $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, military, and children. Mines students, faculty, and staff are free with their Blaster Card. No dogs (except service animals) are permitted at Stermole Stadium.
 
WEATHER REPORT
It is quite possible the weather could not be any better for Friday's home opener at Stermole Stadium. The forecast calls for sunny skies and a game-time temperature hovering around 75 degrees. Humidity is predicted to sit around 20 percent with a light breeze and no chance for precipitation. As the sun goes down, fans may find benefit in a light jacket. Monday's outlook is somewhat similar but still of the gorgeous variety. With a high of 86 degrees during the day, kickoff will see a mercury reading in the low 80's. However humidity looks to sit in the 20 percent range with a small chance of precipitation (because, you know, mountains) and a light wind up to seven miles per hour. Once again, a light jacket won't be the worst call fans could make. The weather should be gorgeous and the view towards North Table Mountain and Boulder should be poppin'.
 
LIVE VIDEO AND THE RMAC NETWORK
Every Mines home game and all RMAC contests can be seen live and for free on the RMAC Network at www.minesathletics.com/tv. The RMAC Network can also be found on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Android TV devices by going to the app store and searching "RMAC".
 
TEXAS TURNAROUND
Less than one week ago, Mines was touching down in hot and humid Texas. The result of the trip was a 2-0 win over St. Edward's on Friday and a 3-1 loss at St. Mary's on Sunday. It was nearly a mirror image of last season's openers which led to the Orediggers running off 12 straight wins and no losses until the NCAA Tournament. Top performers from the most recent weekend include Ben Overholt who notched a goal and an assist against the Hilltoppers. Ford Edwards accounted for the other goal in Austin while Lucas King scored off a free kick from Greyson Adams in San Antonio. Defensively, Drew Johnson recorded the clean sheet at St. Edward's which was the 11th of his career.
 
SCOUTING SEATTLE PACIFIC
Seattle Pacific rolls into Golden with just one match under its belt after the second game was canceled due to inclement weather. The Falcons' only result so far this season was a 1-1 draw at home against Sonoma State. Mario Vukic was responsible for the goal and Alden Massey took credit for the assist. Lars Helleren played all 110 minutes in goal and made 10 saves to preserve the draw. Overall, SPU took 16 shots and put eight of those on goal while also giving up 27 shots to the opposition with 11 on goal. The Falcons were picked to finish #4 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) after posting an overall mark of 8-11 in 2018 and a conference record of 4-8. Seattle Pacific returned eight starters from last season including its top five goal scorers. Among those was First-Team All-GNAC forward Titus Grant who scored 13 goals and notched five assists.
 
FUN FALCON FACTS
Fans should know by now that the author of these previews loves any chance to use alliteration for a section title. With Seattle Pacific using Falcons as its nickname, it was too tempting not to take advantage of. That being said, let's get started. Falcons are considered birds of prey with about 40 different species and are present on every continent of the world except Antarctica. The falcons found in the state of Washington are two different types of Peregrine Falcon including Peale's and Continental. Peregrine falcons have been clocked reaching speeds of 242 MPH while diving for prey. That would make them the fastest recorded animal ever. So that's pretty neat. Also, while other birds of prey (hawks, eagles etc.) use their feet to kill their prey, falcons use their beaks with a little side tooth. Additionally, falcons are believed to hunt and eat several thousand kinds of species. So they're not too picky. On a more personal note, falcons mate for life. They devote themselves to one partner for their reproductive years. However, that does not mean they're married. Falcons are actually fairly solitary. All of that being said, Seattle Pacific's nickname may be the most appropriate nickname we've had this season.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN WASHINGTON
Unlike its travel counterpart, Western Washington was able to play both of its contests on opening weekend and came away with a 1-1-0 record. The Vikings fell to Chico State in Bellingham, Wash., by a score of 2-1 before finding redemption over Sonoma State in a 2-0 victory. Drew Farnsworth is the early man to watch with two of WWU's three goals on the year. Gerg Cholewa has the other tally while Christian Rotter accounts for the lone assist on the stat sheet. Brand Wolter is the man in goal with 180 minutes, two saves and two goals against to his name. Western Washington brought back eight starters for 2019 including six All-GNAC performers. Cholewa is the top returner with eight goals and seven assists. Farnsworth had just two goals and five assists last season. Wolter was also Honorable Mention All-GNAC with seven shutouts and a 1.08 goals against average. Before coming up to Golden on Monday, the Vikings face #6-ranked West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT).
 
SCANDINAVIAN SAILORS
Western Washington's nickname is the Vikings. A quick Google search reveals an initial finding that defines Vikings as, "any of the Scandinavian seafaring pirates and traders who raided and settled in many parts of northwestern Europe in the 8th-11th centuries. That would make one ask if WWU was focused more on the pirate part or the trading part. However, if one looks a little deeper, it's revealed that Viking is actually credited to the Old Norse, vikingr. That breaks down into vik which translates into creek or sea inlet and ingr which ties to the Old English wic, or camp. It just so happens that Bellingham, Wash., the home of WWU, is located directly on a bay just off the Pacific Ocean making Viking far more acceptable and appropriate a nickname at its very root. While the Scandinavian roots of Western Washington are somewhat blurry, here are some other fun Viking facts for those who are still reading. Vikings did not wear horned helmets and were actually known for their excellent hygiene. Viking women enjoyed some basic rights for their time which include the potential to inherit property, request divorce and reclaim their dowries if their marriages ended. Finally, and probably least surprising, Vikings didn't actually call themselves Vikings. The term simply referred to all Scandinavians who took part in overseas expeditions. And now you know.
 
STERMOLE SOCCER STADIUM
Stermole Soccer Stadium, named in honor of Frank and Dot Stermole in the fall of 2014, is located in the heart of the Clear Creek Athletic Complex. Stermole Stadium has an artificial all-weather pitch and seating accommodations for 500 spectators with spectacular views of Golden, North Table Mountain, and the foothills. Hillside grass seating can accommodate hundreds more spectators. Stermole Stadium has hosted several major events, including numerous RMAC and NCAA Tournament games. The United States women's national team trained at Stermole Stadium in April 2014 ahead of their friendly against China at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver.
 
SERIES HISTORY
It has been over 20 years since Mines has faced off against either Seattle Pacific or Western Washington. The Orediggers boast an all-time, combined record of 2-1-0 against the Falcons and Vikings. The last meeting came on Oct. 11, 1998 when Mines and WWU faced off in Washington. The Orediggers won that contest 4-3 in overtime. It marks the only meeting between the two programs. Mines' last showdown came just two days prior on Oct. 9, 1998. It was also in Washington and the Orediggers fell, 3-0. Mines and SPU met one other time and that was in Golden. The home team came away victorious by a mark of 3-1.
 
GETTING TO KNOW THE GNAC
Both of Mines' opponents this weekend are members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). Historically, the Orediggers don't face a ton of GNAC opposition. However, with a new look to the NCAA postseason, fans could be seeing a lot more of this west-coast conference. In regards to men's soccer, there are seven competing members. In addition to WWU and SPU, Concordia (Ore.), Saint Martin's, Northwest Nazarene, Simon Fraser and Montana State-Billings all compete in the GNAC. Arguably the most recognizable name out of those seven is Simon Fraser which went 17-2-0 in 2018 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It also happens that SFU is the NCAA's only Canadian member and sports a maple leaf logo. So far this season, Concordia sits atop the conference at 2-0-0 in nonconference action. Saint Martin's is also undefeated at 1-0-1 along with SPU at 0-0-1.
 
FIRST ONE OF THE SEASON
Ben Overholt's tally against St. Edward's last Friday marked the Orediggers' first goal of the season. It just so happens that Overholt also scored the first goal of the 2018 season. Also against St. Edward's. Going further down the rabbit hole, Overholt also has three games in which he has one goal and one assist. Two of those performances have come against St. Edward's in the last two season openers. Overholt has seven goals in his career as an Oredigger. Does any of that mean anything? Probably not, but it is pretty neat.
 
FRESH FACES
Two different Orediggers made their collegiate debuts on opening weekend in Texas. Jacob Eanes and Ian Kugler both appeared in the matches at St. Edward's and St. Mary's. The duo combined for a total of 89 minutes of action and one shot attempt. A majority of their time was spent in the attacking third.
 
MULHOLLAND AT HOME
Greg Mulholland has been at the helm of the Mines men's soccer team since 2017 when he was named interim head coach and eventually lost the interim tag in 2018. Since taking over as skipper, Mulholland's teams are 19-3-1 when playing within the friendly confines of Stermole Soccer Stadium. Specifically in home openers, Mulholland's squads are 3-1-0 with victories over Cal State Monterey Bay, Concordia (Ore.) and St. Edward's. The Orediggers only home-opening loss came last season against St. Mary's which accounts for one third of Mulholland's losses at Stermole Stadium. The other two home losses in two campaigns came against MSU Denver in the regular season and West Texas A&M in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
This weekend marks a six-game home stand for the Orediggers. After hosting SPU and WWU, Mines remains in Golden for matchups against South Dakota Mines and UCCS on Sept. 20 and 22. Live stats and videos of both contests will be available at www.minesathletics.com.