2020-21 RMAC Women's Soccer Tournament (hosted by UCCS)
SF - #25 Colorado School of Mines vs. CSU Pueblo, Friday, 7:30 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]
F – Mines/CSUP winner vs. #8 UCCS/Westminster winner, Sunday, 1 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]
 

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SPRING ENDS WITH RMAC TOURNAMENT FINALS
A season unlike any other comes to an end this weekend as #25 Colorado School of Mines heads to host UCCS for the final weekend of the 2021 RMAC Tournament. Mines squares off with CSU Pueblo in the semifinals on Friday at 7:30 p.m.; UCCS plays Westminster before that. Sunday's final kicks off at 1 p.m. All matches will be seen on the RMAC Network. With no NCAA Tournament this season, the RMAC Tournament is the ultimate prize for the four teams remaining this spring.

FAN POLICY
UCCS has announced that all games will be limited to 175 fans on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no advance ticket sales, all admission will be cash-only sales at the gate starting one hour before each match, and the stadium will be cleared between semifinals. Read full details at gomountainlions.com.

THE BRACKET
Four teams remain in the RMAC Tournament after Tuesday's quarterfinals. In Friday's first semifinal, top overall seed UCCS, a 6-1 winner over Adams State, will take on Rocky Division third seed Westminster, a 1-0 winner at Fort Lewis. In the late semifinal, Mountain Division winner Mines, a 1-0 victor against Colorado Mesa on Tuesday, will play Mountain Division third seed CSU Pueblo, which defeated Regis 2-0.

MINES IN THE RMAC TOURNAMENT
The two-time defending champion, Mines is making its 14th consecutive appearance in the RMAC Tournament. Mines has dominated the RMAC Tournament in the last decade, winning titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2019. The Orediggers are 22-5-2 all-time in the tournament, including 7-5-1 in the semifinals and 7-0-1 in the finals. Against the remaining field, the Orediggers have played CSU Pueblo only once in the tournament, a 2-1 win in the 2016 final. Mines and Westminster have never met in the postseason, while UCCS and the Orediggers have faced off each of the last three years with Mines winning the last two battles, 3-0 in the 2018 final and 2-0 in the 2019 final.

IN THE POLLS
In February, Mines was announced as the top pick in the RMAC preseason coaches' poll. The Orediggers received 137 points and eight of the 12 first-place votes to lead UCCS, Westminster, Fort Lewis, and MSU Denver in the top five. The United Soccer Coaches' national poll has Mines at #25 in their latest national poll; UCCS stands at #8.

IN THE QUARTERFINALS
Mines received an early Eliot Edwards goal and then held off a game Colorado Mesa side for a 1-0 victory in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Despite missing six starters, the Orediggers clamped down on defense after Edwards scored a phenomenal 20-yard strike in the fourth minute. Making her first career start in goal, Dani vonLembke had four saves to pick up the shutout.

EVERYBODY SCORES
In nine matches, Mines has had eight different goalscorers led by the veteran tandem of Eliot Edwards and Chaney Brugman. Edwards has scored six times with three assists – both team bests – including the gamewinning goals against Colorado Christian, Adams State, and Colorado Mesa. Brugman has added four more goals with two assists. AK Ford has had a breakout spring with four goals, and Emma Peterson and Cloey Seltzer each have a pair.  Mines is outshooting opponents by average of +9.9 shots per game and holds a +18 goal differential, scoring 2.33 goals per game and allowing just 0.33.

DOUBLE DUTY
Last week, Mines forward Amena Nelson was featured on 9News as she's in the midst of a very unusual spring season, competing simultaneously for the soccer and track & field programs. Nelson has had a successful season on the track running the 200m, 400m, and 4x400 relay, while scoring once with an assist in eight appearances and two starts on the pitch. It is believed that Nelson is the first Mines student-athlete to appear for two teams in the same season since 1973-74.

SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO
The Thunderwolves enter the semifinals at 6-2-1 overall after going 3-1-1 in RMAC play, drawing with Mines and losing to Fort Lewis. They beat Regis 2-0 on the road on Tuesday behind goals from Taylor Potter and Cara Siegel; Litzy Serna is their leading scorer with five goals and two assists this season. The Pack average 1.11 goals per game and concede 0.56 as Nicole Genis has been outstanding with a .914 save percentage in goal. Mines and CSU Pueblo drew 1-1 back on March 28 as Chaney Brugman scored the opener before Serna converted from the spot, both in the 26th minute. Mines outshot CSUP 18-8 in the game. Mines leads their all-time series 15-8-3.

SCOUTING #8 UCCS
The Mountain Lions are unbeaten at 8-0-0 behind an impressive offense averaging 3.13 goals per game. Tarah Patterson has scored seven goals while Amelia Junge has two with eight assists. UCCS allows only 0.38 goals per game with Chloe DeShazer (0.20, .917) and Gabrielle Laipenieks (0.67, .667) splitting time in goal. The two last met in the 2019 RMAC Tournament final when the Orediggers knocked off the #1-ranked Mountain Lions 2-0 on goals by Chaney Brugman and Eliot Edwards, plus seven saves by tournament MVP Shannon Mooney. Mines leads their all-time series 15-5-1.

SCOUTING WESTMINSTER
An upset winner at Fort Lewis on Tuesday thanks to Alexa Maple's 86th-minute goal, the Griffins are 5-2-2 overall after going 3-2-0 in-conference. They score 1.44 goals per game allowing 1.00. Maple is the team's leading scorer with four goals this season, while Naomi Kehl (1.12, .800) and Kelsea Cracroft (0.62, .857) have split time in net. Mines is 5-0 all-time against the Griffins.