Mines vs. Simon Fraser, Thursday, 2 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]
Mines vs. #25 Western Washington, Saturday, 7 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]

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OPENING THE 2021 SEASON… AGAIN
After going 7-0-3 in their truncated spring season, Colorado School of Mines returns to a full 18-match slate this fall starting with the season opener Thursday afternoon against Simon Fraser before hosting #25 Western Washington on Saturday night. Stermole Stadium will also host a neutral-site match between WWU and Adams State on Thursday at 11 a.m.

FAN INFORMATION
Mines Athletics is excited to welcome fans back to home matches this fall. Masks are not required for outdoor on-campus events, but unvaccinated guests are strongly encouraged to wear a mask. Tickets for all matches are available at the gate (cash or credit) or online at minesathletics.com/tickets. Fans are reminded that they must pay for on-campus parking on Thursday, but Saturday's parking is free.

LIVE COVERAGE
The RMAC Network has relaunched for 2021-22, and fans used to watching on their smart TV or other device must download the new app by searching "RMAC" in your device's app store. The new watch portal is available at minesathletics.com/tv or rmacnetwork.com. All Mines home matches will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network this fall.

IN THE POLLS
Mines was selected as the RMAC's preseason favorite on Aug. 18, topping the coaches' poll ahead of UCCS with seven of the 13 first-place votes. In the GNAC poll, Western Washington was selected second with Simon Fraser sixth. WWU also enters the season ranked #25 in the United Soccer Coaches' national poll.

SPRING RECAP
The Orediggers went 7-0-3 in the spring season, winning the RMAC Mountain division and advancing to the RMAC Tournament semifinals before bowing out to eventual champion CSU Pueblo on penalty kicks. Mines averaged 2.10 goals per game against a paltry 0.30 allowed as the defense led by goalkeeper Sierra Roth (0.23 GAA, .939 SV%) was once again the RMAC's best. Eliot Edwards had a breakout spring with a team-best six goals and three assists in 10 matches, with now-graduated midfielder Chaney Brugman striking four times and AK Ford adding a career-high four goals. 

PRESEASON TAKEAWAYS
Mines has played three preseason friendlies, challenging Division I programs Wyoming and Colorado as well as local club side FC Denver. Mines played Wyoming tough on Aug. 20 in a 2-1 loss, outshooting the Cowgirls 15-13 and leading for nearly an hour after Hannah Rowan's first-half goal from Emma Peterson's set piece. Mines won 3-0 over FC Denver on Aug. 22 thanks to first-half goals by Reese McDermott, Lauren Clingman and Taylor Klone. Against Colorado last Wednesday, the Orediggers struggled in a three-goal first-half for the Buffs, but took away plenty of positives from a scoreless second half as they had 10 shots and four on goal overall in the 3-0 loss. 

WHO'S BACK
In short, almost everyone. From the spring's team, Mines lost only central midfielder Chaney Brugman and center back Samantha Scott to graduation, meaning the Orediggers bring back plenty of scoring prowess including Eliot Edwards (6G), AK Ford (4G), Emma Peterson (2G), and Cloey Seltzer (2G). They also get back 2019 First-Team All-RMAC striker Emi Higgins, who scored eight goals as a freshman but did not play in the spring. Defensively, it's a similar situation as 2019 all-RMAC center back Jordan Barnhart returns after missing the spring; she rejoins a defensive mix that includes plenty of starting experience including Ava Harman, Karolina Sidebaeck, and Gracey Henoch on the outside and Katie Koehler in the middle. In the midfield, Emma Peterson, Zoe Sano, Michelle Easley, and Colleen Tyrrell all have starting experience in the middle along with wings Hannah Rowan, Landry Corbett, and Ford. Up front, Edwards, Meg Zimmerman, Amena Nelson, and Seltzer each made at least two spring starts in the attacking third. In goal, Sierra Roth was arguably the conference's top netminder in the spring with a miniscule 0.23 GAA and .939 save percentage going 6-0-2; Dani vonLembke was able in the backup role with a 0.51 GAA and .857 save percentage.

WHO'S NEW
Mines also added six freshmen and a transfer this offseason, and several have impressed in the preseason. Forward Reese McDermott had three shots in both the Wyoming and Colorado matches (starting the latter) while also scoring against FC Denver; Lauren Clingman also scored in that FC Denver match and played 29 minutes at CU, while fellow fullback Laura Butler played 45 minutes against the Buffs. The Orediggers also mix in midfielders Elise Putnam, Paola Rubi, and Emily O'Connor, while graduate transfer Mary Twetten, a defender, comes to Mines from Long Island University.

SCOUTING SIMON FRASER
Mines and Simon Fraser are meeting for the first time as Canada's only NCAA team visits Stermole Stadium. SFU - from Burnaby, British Columbia - did not play at all in 2020-21 and were 2-13-1 in the fall 2019 season. A member of the GNAC, SFU returns its two leading scorers from 2019 in Giuliana Zaurrini (5G, 1A) and Kiara Buono (2G, 2A) along with starting goalkeeper Nicole Anderson (1.80 GAA, .772 SV%). 

SCOUTING WESTERN WASHINGTON
A budding rivalry between two perennial national contenders continues as Western Washington visits Golden on Saturday. The Vikings went 4-1-2 in their spring season after a 23-3 record and national runner-up finish in 2019. It is the fourth all-time meeting between Mines and WWU with the Vikings owing a 2-1 series advantage; Mines won their last meeting in Golden in 2019, 2-1, on goals by Giselle Sawaged and Nicole LaTourette. They are anchored by returning All-American goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx, who had a 0.67 GAA and .833 save percentage in the spring, as well as all-American midfielder Grace Eversaul after scoring eight goals with five assists in 2019. 

ON THE SIDELINES
Saturday's Mines-WWU match will feature two of the top-five winningest coaches in NCAA Division II. Oredigger boss Kevin Fickes is third among active coaches in career winning percentage at 178-30-28 (.814), while the Vikings' Travis Connell is 265-73-30 (.761) to rank fifth. Both also rank in the all-time top-10 in D-II (Fickes fifth, Connell 10th), and Fickes is 11th all-time among coaches in all divisions.

EVANS GETS HALL CALL
Former Mines star Anna Evans was part of the Mines Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021 announced earlier in August. The three-time all-American and two-time Academic All-American was the 2012 RMAC Player of the Year and 2013 regional player of the year tallying 55 goals and 23 assists in her career, including 19 game-winning goals. Evans led Mines to the program's first-ever RMAC regular-season title in 2013 and won three straight RMAC Tournament crowns starting in 2011. 

OREDIGGERS EARN ACADEMIC HONORS
Mines student-athletes earned numerous academic honors after the spring, including Chaney Brugman's Academic All-America nod. She and Sierra Roth were named CoSIDA Academic All-District as well, while Brugman and Emma Peterson were selected to the United Soccer Coaches' Scholar All-West team. Roth also graduated from Mines in May with a degree in chemical and biochemical engineering, and is the only player on this fall's team with a silver diploma as she is working on a graduate degree in quantitative biosciences and engineering.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will be on the road for most of September, visiting Texas to play Midwestern State (Sept. 10) and Texas Woman's (Sept. 12) before heading to Florida to take on Rollings (Sept. 16) and Florida Tech (Sept. 18). RMAC play begins at home against Adams State on Sept. 24.