Mines (4-2-0, 2-0-0 RMAC) vs. Adams State (0-4-0, 0-2-0 RMAC) – Friday, 7:30 p.m. – Stermole Stadium [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (4-2-0, 2-0-0 RMAC) vs. CSU-Pueblo (1-5-0, 1-1-0 RMAC) – Sunday, 2:30 p.m. – Stermole Stadium [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 
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.
 
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".
 
RMAC ACTION BEGINS
The Colorado School of Mines Men's Soccer team has officially settled into the rhythm of the regular-season conference slate with games on Friday and Saturday. The Orediggers host Adams State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Stermole Stadium and CSU-Pueblo Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Both games represent a chance for Mines to extend its winning streak to four games which would be its longest of the season. Additionally, the contests are the second half of soccer doubleheaders as Mines' women host CSU-Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands at 5 p.m. and 12 p.m., respectively.
 
WEATHER REPORT
As Mother Nature appears to be finally transitioning into fall whether, that change also brings a little volatility to the weather. Friday's forecast presents a chance for isolated thunderstorms starting around 6 p.m. but clearing off by 9 p.m. This could affect kickoff times or even result in a suspension of play. That being said, temperatures are slated to sit in the 60's with a light breeze gusting up to eight MPH. At the very least, a light jacket would be recommended. On the flip side, Sunday's kickoff could not project any better. With a high of 85 degrees, 19-percent humidity and no chance of rain, Sunday should be a beautiful day for soccer. Winds are predicted to gust upwards of 20 MPH, but sunscreen and a t-shirt should be suitable for all fans in attendance.
 
THE PERFECT START
Mines experienced some speedbumps in the nonconference portion of its schedule, but the start of RMAC play last weekend brought a reenergized squad to the pitch. As a result, the Orediggers started its conference schedule with a perfect, 2-0 mark by way of wins over South Dakota Mines and UCCS. Friday's win over South Dakota Mines finished with a 2-1 tally thanks to goals from Jason Zobott and Ben Overholt. Talon Stanley and Ford Edwards chipped in on the assists. Sunday ended with a 2-0 result in favor of the home team. Overholt scored again while Baptiste Debuire notched his first tally of the season. Assisting were Tristan Semelsberger and Ian Kugler. Overall, Overholt's two goals led all players on the weekend. Zobott was not far behind with one goal and a team-high eight shots. Goalkeeper Drew Johnson needed just one save to earn two wins and a shutout.
 
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
Adams State travels to Golden still seeking its first win of the season. The Grizzlies have scored only one goal in four matches. That tally came at CSU-Pueblo in a 2-1, overtime loss. Otherwise, ASU has been shut out by Concordia (Ore.), Saint Martin's and Fort Lewis. Individually, Abdoulie Danso is responsible for Adams State's lone goal and Greysen Gilman has one assist on the year. In regards to production, Juan Pablo Segura leads all Grizzlies with his six shots, three on goal. Speaking of on-goal, Jacob Faircloth has started all four matches as ASU's goalkeeper. His 17 saves and nine goals surrendered convert into a 2.22 goals against average and a 0.654 save percentage. Matthew Munhall serves as head coach for Adams State. He is in his first year at the helm.
 
URSUS ARCTOS HORRIBILIS
Yeah, say that five times fast with your mouth full of cheese puffs. If you chose to read this section instead of skipping over that combination of letters, we salute you. The Ursus Arctos Horribilis is how scientists chose to say Grizzly bear, or Grizzlies, which is also the nickname for Adams State Athletics. Those who kept up with the team last year know that the appropriate term is North American brown bear, but enough with the semantics. Did you know that North American brown bears are officially considered a threatened species? At one point, approximately 50,000 grizzled bears roamed North America, but that number has since dropped to about 1,800 bears in the lower 48 states. The creature can weigh up to 800 pounds, nearly half a ton and actually varies in color from light cream to brown or black. The distinguishing feature of the North American brown bear is a hump on its back which is a mass of muscles used for digging. These are solitary creatures that live for about 30 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity. Females cannot reproduce until they are four or five years old. The gestation period is 180-270 days and interestingly enough, female bears can give birth to cubs while sleeping. So there's that. We could go on, but those seem like enough interesting facts for today.
 
SCOUTING CSU-PUEBLO
Colorado State University at Pueblo will make the scenic(ish) journey up to South Dakota to face South Dakota Mines on Friday before coming to Golden on Sunday. CSU-Pueblo enters the weekend 1-5-0 overall and 1-1-0 in RMAC play. The ThunderWolves' lone win was mentioned two sections prior. It came in overtime over Adams State thanks to a golden goal resulting in a 2-1 tally. CSU-Pueblo is averaging exactly 1.0 goals per game due to shutotuts at #21-ranked Rogers State and at Colorado Mesa. Dominik Huetgens and Vinzent Zingel have scored four of the six goals with two apiece. Huetgens also has an assist on the year for a team-best five points. Michael Chism has dished out two assists which leads the team in that category. Zingel's 25 shots are also a team high, but only nine have gone on goal. Tyler Harvey is the man in net. Similar to his counterpart at Adams State, he has given up nine goals and touts just nine saves on the year. Head man Roy Stanley is in the midst of his 26th year at the helm.
 
WHAT'S A THUNDERWOLF
A made up animal and the nickname for CSU-Pueblo Athletics. That's what a ThunderWolf is. In the context of CSUP, the thunderwolf is a mythical creature intertwined in legend with colors reflecting Colorado's diverse geography. However, maybe a little history is in order. Colorado State University-Pueblo was previously known as the University of Southern Colorado with Indians as the nickname of its athletics teams. However according to CSU-Pueblo's athletics website, "The University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University-Pueblo) adopted the "ThunderWolf" as its mascot prior to the 1995-96 academic school year. The ThunderWolf came to life as USC looked to modernize its image following over 60 years of being known as the "Indians." The term Thunder Wolf (Thunderwolf/Thunderwolves) is part of a number of pop-culture references, but, as previously mentioned, is not actually part of the existing animal kingdom.
 
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
Historically, Mines has controlled the all-time series against both CSU-Pueblo and Adams State. The Orediggers are 35-9-4 against the ThunderWolves and 15-1-0 against Adams State. Both of those marks and thanks to a pair of wins on the road last year. Though, not by a very large margin. The 2018 showdown "down south" went into overtime before Talon Stanley knocked home the golden goal for a 3-2 victory. Then, on Sunday at Adams State, the Orediggers escaped with a 1-0 win thanks to a lone goal from Ben Overholt. Overall, Mines has taken down CSU-Pueblo in 12 consecutive meetings The Orediggers' last loss to the ThunderWolves was over a decade ago. In 16 meetings with ASU, Mines has shut out the Grizzlies eight times and outscored the Alamosa foe 62-8. The most lopsided victory was the programs' first meeting – a 10-0 decision back in 2019. Mines has not lost to Adams State since 2013.
 
RMAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jason Zobott was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday following last weekend's 2-0 start to RMAC play. It marked Zobott's first weekly award of the season and the fourth of his career. The Lake in the Hills, Ill., native afforded Mines a solid balance of offense and defense in the Orediggers' wins over South Dakota Mines and UCCS last Friday and Sunday. Not only did Zobott lead all Mines players with eight shots on the weekend and scored his first goal of the season, the senior also anchored a defensive line that allowed just two shots on goal and eight total shots in 180 minutes of action. Zobott was on the field for all 180 of those minutes, scoring the early go-ahead goal against the Hardrockers and holding both opponents to zero second-half shots on goal. Zobott was also named the 2018 RMAC Defensive Player of the Year.
 
EARLY RMAC RUNDOWN
One weekend of RMAC Men's Soccer action is in the books. After those two games, a trio of teams sit in a tie for #1 in the conference standings. Leading the way at 2-0 are Mines, Westminster and Regis. Fort Lewis and Colorado Mesa are also unbeaten in the league, boasting records of 1-0-1 in the RMAC. That marks puts the FLC, CMU duo in a tie for fourth. There is another three-way tie for sixth place which tends to happen early in conference play as MSU Denver, Dixie State and CSU-Pueblo are all 1-1-0. Sitting at the bottom without a win are UCCS, South Dakota Mines, Adams State and Colorado Christian. If the season ended today, Mines, Westminster, Regis, Fort Lewis and Colorado Mesa would all be guaranteed a berth in the RMAC Tournament. MSU Denver, Dixie State and CSU-Pueblo would all go to tiebreakers for the last spot.
 
BREAK IT DOWN NOW
Through six contests, Mines has won four games and lost two while scoring 11 goals and giving up eight. Despite the narrow goal margin, 75% of the Orediggers' wins have come in shutout fashion. That's three shutouts for those who are mathematically challenged. Mines is outshooting its opponents 89-59 with a mostly-even, 41-48 split between the first and second periods. There is a similar split in scoring as the Orediggers have scored five goals in the first half and six in the second. However, the most detrimental time for opponents appears to be from the 50th minute to the 65th minute. Within that quarter-hour span, Mines has found the net five times and three of those were the eventual game-winners. So if you're wondering the best time to tune in on the RMAC network, it'd be early in the second half.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Following the weekend's matchups, Mines will take a four-game road trip. The next two contests will be at Colorado Christian on Oct. 4 and MSU Denver on Oct. 6. Live stats and video of both games will be available at www.minesathletics.com.

Fans can keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics. Men's soccer is also on Twitter under the handle @MinesMSOC.