#14 Mines (3-0-0, 3-0-0 RMAC) at Fort Lewis (2-0-1, 1-0-1 RMAC) – Thursday, 3:30 p.m. – Durango, Colo. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
#14 Mines (3-0-0, 3-0-0 RMAC) at CSU Pueblo (4-0-1, 2-0-1 RMAC) – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. – Pueblo, Colo. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN
After a home-road split last weekend, the #14-ranked Colorado School of Mines Men's Soccer team will board the bus again this week as they head to Fort Lewis and CSU Pueblo. The Orediggers take on FLC on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in Durango and finish the trip Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in Pueblo. Not only does Mines enter the weekend touting a three-match win streak, it also faces a pair of teams that haven't lost either. Both opponents pose tough road tests for an Oredigger squad looking to stay atop the RMAC standings.
 
FAN POLICY
Fort Lewis is limiting attendance to 175 spectators; fans are highly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance on their website. CSU Pueblo is also allowing fans to attend this weekend's match. The ThunderWolves' COVID-19 policy is available on their website. Masks and social distancing are required at both facilities.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Fans and teams alike are certainly disappointed that no spectators are allowed to attend home matches. However, everyone can catch all the action 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". Additionally, live stats are available with links above and on the men's soccer schedule page at www.minesathletics.com.
 
LOOKING BACK
Mines rolled into the halfway point of its season with a pair of wins last weekend over Adams State and Colorado Christian. The Orediggers won a 2-1, overtime thriller in Alamosa, Colo., on Friday thanks to a game-tying goal from Greyson Adams and a game-winning goal from Michael Sprauer. Adams struck unassisted in the 83rd minute and Sprauer clinched the win in the 94th minute on an assist from Azad Iliozer. Sunday's game at Stermole Stadium featured an offensive outburst from Mines as Talon Stanley led the way with two goals in a 6-0 win over CCU. Tristan Semelsberger, Connor Van Loveren and Kagan Giltinan and Iliozer all notched tallies as well off of assists from Ryan Wilson (2), Baptiste Debuire and Iliozer. Brian Doherty and Kenenth Symmes combined for the shutout in net.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
As mentioned above, Fort Lewis has not lost this season. The Skyhawks own a non-conference victory over Westminster and their lone RMAC victory against Colorado Christian. Most recently, FLC fought to a 1-1 draw with CSU Pueblo. As a team, Fort Lewis averages just over 1.0 goals per game and has surrendered just two in 290 minutes of action. Loic Jean-Baptiste and Gabriel Legendre both tout one goal and one assist apiece. Peter Byrne boasts all three starts with nine saves and one combined shutout in goal.
 
WHAT'S A SKYHAWK
It is a question that has been asked and answered before, and it is one that probably should be answered again. Fort Lewis' nickname is the Skyhawks. Folks who are not in the know would simply respond that a Skyhawk is a bird, and those folks would be half right. In fact, it would seem there is no real animal that bears the name Skyhawk, but there are a whole lot of airplanes under the same moniker. So yes, it's a bird, but not a real bird. Some reading this may be familiar with the Cessna 172 Skyhawk which is a single-engine four-set light airplane. Or the ground-attack jet known as the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Real aircraft nerds may even know about the Seibel S-4, a helicopter evaluated by the United States Army under the designation YH-24 Sky Hawk. Those who know very little about aircraft (like the author) may have also heard of or even ridden in a Buick Skyhawk between the years of 1975-1989 or a Studebaker Sky Hawk in 1956. However, to this writer's knowledge, nobody can say they've ever seen a winged, feathered Skyhawk soaring through the skies. And now you know.
 
SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO
CSU Pueblo has just one winning season in the last 11 years (2015), but this season first-year head coach Oliver Twelvetrees has "The Pack" sitting 4-0-1 overall and 2-0-1 in the RMAC. That is good enough for second place in the conference standings to date. The ThunderWolves boast four shutout victories by a combined margin of 16-0 over UCCS, MSU Denver, Adams State and Colorado Christian. The only blemish on CSU Pueblo's record is a 1-1 tie against Fort Lewis which is also the only goal "The Pack" has allowed this season. Miguel De leo Jr. and Vinzent Zingel lead CSU Pueblo's offense with a total of seven goals and five assists between the two. Ten different individuals have scored goals for the ThunderWolves. Joseph Banul has started all four of the five games in goal and owns three combined shutouts thanks to eight saves.
 
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.
 
SERIES HISTORY – FORT LEWIS
Mines is 20-30-8 in the series against Fort Lewis since joining NCAA Division II in 1992. This weekend marks the Orediggers' first of two showdowns against the Skyhawks in 2021. Mines last faced Fort Lewis on Oct. 25, 2019 in Durango. The result was a 2-1 overtime loss for the Orediggers – their only RMAC loss of the season. George Marchant scored Mines' only goal in that match off a double assist from Patrick Allan and Jason Zobott.
 
SERIES HISTORY – CSU PUEBLO
Historically, Mines has controlled the all-time series against both CSU-Pueblo. The Orediggers are 36-9-4 against the ThunderWolves thanks to a 1-0 victory at Stermole Stadium in 2019. That followed a 3-2 overtime win in Pueblo in 2018. The game-winner in 2019 was an own goal in the 43rd minute. Talon Stanley scored the golden goal in 2018. Overall, Mines has taken down CSU-Pueblo in 13 consecutive meetings. The Orediggers' last loss to the ThunderWolves was Oct. 14, 2007 in a 1-0 loss at Pueblo.
 
RMAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Greyson Adams and Brian Doherty both earned RMAC Player of the Week for the first time in their respective careers after last weekend's 2-0-0 record. Adams earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week after playing every single minute in victories over Adams State and Colorado Christian. Adams hit the game-tying goal in the 83rd minute at ASU, and Mines went on to a 2-1, overtime win. The Alaskan racked up 90 more minutes against CCU at Stermole Stadium and anchored a defensive line that pitched a 6-0 shutout against the Cougars. Doherty claimed RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week as helped the Orediggers go undefeated while minding the net and earning two wins with one combined shutout. The junior made two saves against the Grizzlies. He also notched one save at home against CCU. His 0.356 goals-against average is #1 among RMAC goalkeepers with more than one appearance this season. Doherty is also #5 in total saves in the RMAC. No other goalkeeper has more shutouts than Doherty.
 
HOW IT'S WORKING
After canceling the normal fall season, the RMAC is conducting a conference schedule this spring which will culminate with the RMAC Tournament starting April 23. Mines' men tout a six-game, regular-season schedule. Teams must complete at least 50 percent of their original RMAC slate to qualify for the tournament. The regular season champion and seeding for the tournament will be determined by "points per match" (total points divided by matches) with three points for a win and one for a draw.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines closes the regular season on Friday, April 9 against Fort Lewis at 6 p.m. inside Stermole Stadium. As of March 31, fans will not be allowed to attend, but live stats and video will be available for free at www.minesathletics.com.
 
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.