#4 Mines (2-0-0) at Regis (1-0-0) – Wednesday, 3 p.m. – Denver, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#4 Mines (2-0-0) vs. Fort Lewis (1-0-1) – Friday, 5 p.m. – Stermole Stadium [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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RIGHT BACK TO IT
The Colorado School of Mines Men's Soccer team has just two days off following opening before returning to action this week with a pair of non-conference tilts against Regis and Fort Lewis. The Orediggers make the short trip into Denver to face RU on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Mines welcomes FLC to Stermole Stadium on Friday at 5 p.m. Neither match counts towards the RMAC standings, but the familiar faces should make for some spicy action.
 
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 www.minesathletics.com/tickets.
 
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 www.minesathletics.com/tv or www.rmacnetwork.com. All Mines home matches will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network this fall.
 
OPENING WEEKEND REVIEW
An undefeated start highlighted opening weekend for the Orediggers as they knocked off Saint Martin's by a score of 2-1 on Friday followed by a 3-1 win over then #24-ranked St. Mary's on Sunday. Gabe Rodriguez accounted for the first Mines goal of the season by knocking in the ball off a corner kick from Lucas King. Tristan Semelsberger notched the eventual game-winning goal against Saint Martin's off a free kick, also from King. No saves were made in the match as the teams combined for just three shots on goal. Sunday saw Michael Sprauer use his head off another corner kick from King. Patrick Allan made it 2-0 thanks to a back-heel pass from Azad Iliozer which was also the game-winning goal. Semelsberger struck for a second straight game by converting a penalty and making the final tally. It marked Mines' first 2-0 start in the fall since 2015 and its first win over St. Mary's since 2000.
 
SCOUTING REGIS
Regis will be "scouted" at least one more time this season, but the early look finds the Rangers 1-0 after a convincing 5-0 win over the same Saint Martin's teams Mines saw on Friday. Kevin Cela was RU's leading threat as he accounted for two of his team's tallies. Ethan Wilson and Vilhjamur Kaldal also scored and added one assist apiece. Jake Brown rounded out the points with an assist of his own. The season-opening win wipes away a spring campaign that saw Regis go 3-3 overall with a 2-1 mark in RMAC play. The Rangers narrowly slipped into the RMAC Tournament where they knocked off CSU Pueblo before falling to Colorado Mesa. Regis was picked fifth in the RMAC Preseason Poll.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis journeys over the mountains to Golden following a 1-0-1 start to the fall 2021 campaign. The Skyhawks knocked off Lubbock Christian 3-1 last Thursday before battling UT-Permian Basin to a 2-2 draw. Five different individuals accounted for all five of FLC's goals. The most familiar name in the group was Gabriel Legendre who also notched an assist, as did Georgi Stoyanov. Notably quiet was Loic Jean-Baptiste who has practically scored at will in the RMAC the last few seasons. All-RMAC goalkeeper Peter Byrne is also back and touts six saves compared to three goals against. Last spring, Fort Lewis finished its adjusted slate 5-3-1 overall while going 3-2-1 in the RMAC. All three of the Skyhawks' losses came at the hands of the Orediggers including a 5-1 decision in the RMAC Tournament Semifinal match. The conference coaches voted Fort Lewis fourth in the RMAC Preseason Poll which also featured one first-place vote going to FLC.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday marks the 55th meeting between Mines and Regis since the Orediggers transitioned to NCAA Division II in 1992. Mines holds a 27-21-6 advantage in the rivalry including a nine-game unbeaten streak dating back to 2014. The last time the Orediggers and Rangers faced off was Nov. 15, 2019 in the RMAC Tournament Championship match at Stermole Stadium where the official result was a 0-0 draw with Mines hoisting the RMAC cup thanks to a 7-6 advantage on penalty kicks. The Orediggers haven't defeated Regis since Oct. 27, 2018, in a 2-0 win at RU. Conversely, Friday marks the 63rd meeting between Mines and Fort Lewis since 1992 in a series that FLC leads, 23-30-8. The Orediggers do boast three consecutive wins over the Skyhawks thanks to the spring 2021 slate, but Fort Lewis did defeat Mines 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 25, 2019. It was Jean Loic-Baptiste who scored the golden goal.
 
EARLY LEADERS
Tristan Semelsberger is Mines' early leader in scoring thanks to goals in back-to-back games. The last Orediggers to score in back-to-games were Ryan Wilson and Azad Iliozer in last spring's RMAC Tournament. Semelsberger is the only Oredigger thus far with multiple goals and sits tied for first in the RMAC in total goals and total points. Right behind Semelsberger is Lucas King who boasts three assists through two games. That number ranks first in the RMAC this season. The trio of assists also puts King at 19 in his career which is tied for sixth-most in program history. The only Orediggers with more career assists than King are Reine Huber (1994-96), Alex Nass (2009-12), Jared Peacock (2000-03), Tesho Akindele (2010-13) and Niki Grotz (2014-17).
 
MOVIN' ON UP
On Tuesday morning, the United Soccer Coaches moved Mines from #8 up to #4 in the nation in the NCAA Division II Top 25. It marks the Orediggers' highest national ranking since 2010 when they moved to #3 and eventually #1 where they sat for four weeks. The only teams ahead of Mines in the first poll of the regular season were Charleston, Indianapolis and Franklin Pierce. Colorado Mesa was the only other RMAC team on the list at #16. Other super region teams included Azusa Pacific (#7), West Texas A&M (#11), Seattle Pacific (#14), Simon Fraser (#18) and Midwestern State (#23).
 
FUN FACT OF THE WEEK
After Colorado School of Mines hosted 22 NCAA Division II athletic events on campus last weekend, the Orediggers are only hosting two this weekend. That's not the fun fact of the week, it just seemed like solid follow up from the last preview. That being said, the last time Mines started the fall 2-0 was 2015. Most fans should know this by now if they follow any sort of game stories or social media. During that time of 1-1 or even 0-2 starts, the Orediggers have swept the RMAC titles four times (2017, 2018, 2019, spring 2021), earned three NCAA Tournament berths (2017, 2018, 2019) and appeared in two NCAA Sweet 16s (2017, 2019). However, when Mines did start the fall 2-0 in 2015, it advanced all the way to the NCAA Elite Eight thanks to a 4-3, overtime win over #2-ranked Midwestern State in the regional final. The Orediggers eventually lost to #17-ranked Cal Poly Pomona by an overtime score of 3-2. It was Mines' only loss of the 2015 season as they posted an overall mark of 18-1-3 while going 9-0-1 in the RMAC. Leading up to the 2015 campaign, the Orediggers had started eight of their nine previous seasons with a perfect 2-0 mark, but only won one game in the NCAA Tournament and claimed just one RMAC Regular Season title while hoisting three RMAC Tournament cups. So, there ya go. Take it for what it's worth. Remember, these facts level of fun is all relative to the author.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
After this week's home-away split, the Orediggers hit the road to the Pacific Northwest where they will face Western Washington on Sept. 16 and #14-ranked Seattle Pacific on Sept. 18. Live stats and video of the road matches will be offered 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.