2021 NCAA Division II Championship – Second Round
#25 Mines (14-4-1) at #11 Colorado Mesa (16-3-1) – Saturday, 6 p.m. – Grand Junction, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network] [Bracket]

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WHOLE NEW SEASON
For the fourth consecutive time and 10th overall, the #25-ranked Colorado School of Mines Men's Soccer team is playing in the NCAA Division II Championship tournament. As the #5 seed, Mines earned a first-round bye and a second-round matchup with fourth-seeded and #11-ranked Colorado Mesa. While the foe is familiar, the season is new and the stakes are single-elimination. It's truly win or go home. Survive and advance. It's the national postseason.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's second-round NCAA Tournament match will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network.
 
FAN INFORMATION
Fans are reminded that there is no passlist for postseason play and tickets are needed for all spectators. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors with free general admission for fans under 18. Gates open 60 minutes prior to kickoff.  Weather for the 6 p.m. start projects temperatures under 50 degrees, but minimal wind, minimal humidity and almost no chance of precipitation.
 
THE BRACKET [INTERACTIVE]
The 2021 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship tournament marks the second season in which the bracket is broken up into super regions instead of the normal eight regions typically used in DII. All four super regions feature 10 teams. The top six teams earn a first-round bye while the first round features #7 playing #10 at the top seed and #8 playing #9 at the second seed. The second round pits the first-round winners against the host programs while #3 hosts #6 and #4 hosts #5. Mines is in Super Region 4 where top-seeded Cal State L.A. will play CSU Pueblo which defeated Seattle Pacific 1-0 in the first round. Second-seeded Midwestern State will host the winner of Cal Poly Pomona and Biola in the final match of the weekend. Third-seeded Azusa Pacific also hosts West Texas A&M on Saturday night.
 
MINES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
As previously mentioned, Saturday marks Mines' 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history. It is also the Orediggers fourth straight trip to the big dance. After a big run in 2019 and no national tournament in 2020, Mines owns a NCAA postseason record of 5-9-2 with five trips to the Sweet 16 and one run to the Elite Eight. The Orediggers have won both of their shootouts in the big dance. Those instances included a 4-2 margin against Incarnate Word in 2005 and a 6-5 advantage over St. Edward's in 2018. Mines' last four appearances have resulted in a record of 4-4-1. The Orediggers most recent NCAA Tournament was 2019. Mines earned the #8 seed and down ninth-seeded Texas A&M-International in the first round followed by another 2-1 victory over top-seeded and #1-ranked Azusa Pacific in the second round. The Orediggers ended their season with a 2-1 loss against Cal State Can Bernardino in the Sweet 16 at Cal State L.A. Mines' five goals in that tournament snapped a scoreless streak in the NCAA postseason which dated back to 2015.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
While the United Soccer Coaches' national rankings no longer matter, they do provide context for the gauntlet that is Super Region 4. The latest list of DII's top-25 has Mines at #25. Cal State L.A. is ranked #6 with Midwestern State at #8. Azusa Pacific appeared at #10 with Colorado Mesa right behind at #11 in the Nov. 9 edition.  Cal Poly Pomona and West Texas A&M were back-to-back at #16 and #17. Seattle Pacific and CSU Pueblo rounded it out at #22 and #24. That makes nine of the 10 NCAA q           qualifiers from Super Region 4 ranked in the nation's top-25. Biola is the only team not in the trivial top-25.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Saturday will be Mines' first match in 13 days after the Orediggers bowed out of the RMAC Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 7. Top-seeded Mines hosted fourth-seeded CSU Pueblo in the conference semifinals and the ThunderWolves found a 2-0 victory at Stermole Stadium. CSU Pueblo earned the win despite playing a man down due to a red card late in the first half. Michael Sprauer was the leader for the Orediggers with three shots. Mines was without starting, All-RMAC outside back Patrick Allan.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
Colorado Mesa finished the regular season with an overall record of 14-3-1 while going 8-1-1 in the conference to earn the #2 seed in the RMAC Tournament. The Mavericks won the league's tournament thanks to a 3-0 win against Regis in the semifinals and a 3-1 victory against CSU Pueblo in the championship match. Currently, CMU boasts a three-match unbeaten streak and have won 10 of its last 12 matches. Mines dealt the Mavericks their only loss during that span. Mesa's roster features seven All-RMAC players including RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Ethan Anderson and RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year Connor Durant. Alec Fronapfel joined the aforementioned duo on the first team while Isa Trujillo claimed second-team distinction. Fronapfel and Durant are the two keys to watch. Fronapfel boasts nine goals and one assist for 19 points in 18 matches. Durant touts a 0.53 goals-against average with 65 saves and 10 goals against in 11 total shutouts.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Orediggers and Mavericks have faced off 27 times since Mines joined NCAA Division II in 1992. However, Saturday marks the first time that the Orediggers and CMU will ever play each other in the NCAA Tournament. The last meeting between Mines and the Mavericks was on Oct. 29 of this year at Stermole Stadium where the Orediggers earned a 2-1, double-overtime victory which all but clinched the RMAC's regular-season title. Midfielder Michael Sprauer was responsible for the golden goal on a header in the final minutes of the final period. Lucas King provided the assist. That victory improved Mines to 21-5-1 in the DII-series against Colorado Mesa. The Orediggers haven't lost to CMU since 2016 and they currently boast a seven-match unbeaten streak over the Mavericks. That run features three overtime thrillers and five matches decided by one goal and one draw.
 
ALL-RMAC
Prior to the RMAC Tournament, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference announced its 2021 Men's Soccer All-RMAC teams, and Orediggers filled the list. Greg Mulholland headlined the group as the RMAC Coach of the Year. Lucas King, Tristan Semelsberger and Patrick Allan were First-Team All-RMAC. Michael Sprauer and George Marchant earned Second-Team All-RMAC distinction. No program had more selections to the first and second teams than Mines' five picks. The RMAC Player of the Year was Alex Andersoon from UCCS. Lamar Bynum of CSU Pueblo and Tomas Duenes from Fort Lewis were Co-RMAC Freshmen of the Year. Ethan Anderson from Colorado Mesa claimed RMAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Connor Durant from CMU was voted RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year.
 
RMAC ALL-ACADEMIC
Late last month, the RMAC unveiled its all-academics teams. Patrick Allan, George Marchant and Michael Sprauer were voted RMAC First-Team All-Academic. No program had more first-team selections than the Orediggers. Additionally, Baptiste Debuire, Josef Emge, Joe George, Kagan Giltinan, Leland Heinicke, Azad Ilizoer, Andres Ocampo, Chris Seery, Vaughn Simpson and Connor van Loveren were placed on the RMAC Academic Honor Roll.
 
MULHOLLAND MAKES HISTORY – AGAIN
In 2019, Mines Head Coach Greg Mulholland became the first skipper in program history to sweep three straight RMAC Regular Season and Tournament titles. He extended that streak to four in 2020. This season, Mulholland became the first coach and Mines became the first team in the history of men's soccer in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to win five straight regular-season championships. Mulholland and the Orediggers were previously tied with Fort Lewis which claimed four straight from 2003-06 including a national crown in 2005. The head man for those FLC squads was RMAC Hall of Fame member Jeremy Gunn who is now the head coach at Stanford where he has won three NCAA Division I National Championships. Mulholland, since taking over head duties at Mines in 2017, boasts a career record of 71-14-8 while going 50-2-6 in RMAC play.
 
EVERYONE GETS A GOAL
Vaughn Simpson's goal at Westminster in Mines' regular-season finale made him the 19th Oredigger to find the back of the net this season. Only seven individuals to appear in a match for Mines this fall have not found the back of the net. Two of those Orediggers are goalkeepers and three others play on the back line. Tristan Semelsberger and Gabe Rodriguez lead the team with six goals each. Lucas King leads in overall points thanks to three goals and 12 assists.
 
FUN FACT OF THE WEEK
Mines' men have not lost a match since Sept. 24 in a 2-1, non-conference decision at home against CSU Pueblo. That puts the Orediggers on an 11-match unbeaten streak which started with a 4-0, non-conference win at MSU Denver. During the unbeaten run, Mines has registered six shutouts and outscored its opponents 34-7. The streak without a loss also extended the Orediggers' run without a RMAC loss at home to 27 straight. As a bonus, let's not forget that Mines is a perfect 3-0 against nationally-ranked opponents this fall including a 3-1 over #24 St. Mary's, a 3-2 overtime victory at #11 Seattle Pacific and last Friday' 2-1, overtime win against #12 Colorado Mesa.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
If Mines wins on Saturday, the Orediggers will advance to their sixth NCAA Sweet 16 in program history where the weekend after Thanksgiving, they'll face the winner of Cal State L.A. vs. CSU Pueblo. The highest remaining seed in the super region will serve as the host. If Mines falls, it marks the end of the season. Any and all postseason information will be announced at www.minesathletics.com and on social media.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines men's soccer on Twitter at @MinesMSOC. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.