GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – On the road for the final time in the 2022 regular season, the #16 Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team made the trip west on I-70 Friday for a matchup against Colorado Mesa. Following a scoreless first half in a game that had the feel of a postseason match, the Orediggers (11-4-2, 8-1-0) netted three goals in the final 45 minutes of play and received another outstanding defensive effort to defeat the Mavericks (8-7-1, 4-5-1) 3-0 in their final away match of the season.
 
Azad Iliozer nearly scored the opening goal of the evening in just the third minute of action, as he was able to get a head on a free kick deep into the box from Lucas King on the near side, but it caromed off the cross bar and allowed keeper Diego Chavez to collect the ball and put it back into play.
 
Daisuke Tanaka had a shot at goal in the 13th minute for the Mavericks, getting behind the defense and taking a ball ahead from midfield to nearly point-blank range, but his shot also missed off the crossbar before King was able to clear the rebound away. CMU kept up their early offensive pressure, as Tanaka and Manuel Ponce Casas each put up an attempt in the following minutes but missed their marks wide and high as the action remained scoreless.
 
The Mavericks threatened again shortly after as Ponce Casas again put up a shot in the 27th minute, getting a head on a cross into the box but didn't get enough on it as Brian Doherty was able to make the easy save. Just moments later, Iliozer played a ball from Quin Collins at the top of the box and fired a volley at goal, but his try missed high over the crossbar as both teams continued to hunt for the night's first goal.
 
A CMU corner kick in the 38th minute was followed by a shot from Jorge Rodriguez, but Doherty was able to reach above the crowd in front of goal to punch it clear. A 41st minute try from Gabriel Rodriguez would have been on target if not for a Maverick defender blocking the shot as the Orediggers looked to apply some pressure of their own in the final moments of the period. A ball played from the near side corner by King all the way across the face of goal to John Burnett showed promise, but the latter's shot was just wide left of goal as Mines managed one more shot in the half, but as the teams headed to the intermission, it remained a scoreless affair with CMU holding a 10-6 edge in shots.
 
As play resumed, CMU continued to push the tempo in their offensive third, as Diogo Silva and Rodriguez both put up shots against Doherty, with the first being blocked by the defense before the Seattle native made a save moving to his left to keep things level.
 
Despite the Mavericks pushing the pace of the action to open the half, in the 49th minute it was the Orediggers that got on the board first, and it was a familiar duo that teamed up to do it. After a foul on Chris Seery resulted in a free kick from the far side just downfield from the Mines bench. King stood over the ball and played it about midway into the box where Iliozer rose above the defense to get a head on the ball, sending it to the near post past the reach of Chavez for the first goal of the night.
 
In the 66th minute, it was Tristan Semelsberger's turn to find the net. A CMU foul called against Grant Bell on the edge of the box was awarded a penalty kick, and on the ensuing kick, the Los Alamos product did not miss, beating the keeper to record his 11th goal of the season to double the lead to 2-0.
 
Immediately after play resumed, the Mavericks looked to answer back, as a try from Fernando Morales from point-blank range sent Doherty to ground but he was able to hang on and make the save. A shot from Quin Collins was on target moments later but this time the save was made as it remained 2-0 for the moment.
 
The third goal of the evening came shortly after, as Burnett won a battle for possession on the far of side of the field before turning left into the box to find a waiting Semelsberger, who again went near post with a light heel touch for his second of the night to make it 3-0 Mines in the 70th minute.
 
Following a lengthy stoppage of play for an injury and now trailing by three, Colorado Mesa tried to mount a rally in the final 20 minutes. Colton Shafer and Raymond Jackson both put shots on goal, but Doherty was able to save both attempts while a try from Ethan Anderson was blocked by the defense as it remained a three-goal difference.
 
As the match wound down, the Mines defense kept CMU from getting too many more chance to get on the board, as one final save in the 87th minute all but wrapped things up as the Orediggers closed out their regular season road slate with a 3-0 win.
 
NOTABLES
-Iliozer's goal was his fifth of the season and first since September 28; he is now tied with Seery and Michael Sprauer for second on the team this season
-King and Iliozer have now teamed up to score three times this season, the first two coming against Cal State Monterrey Bay and Colorado Christian
-Semelsberger turned in his second two-goal game of the season, the first coming back on September 1 against Cal Poly Pomona; he has now scored in seven of the last nine matches for Mines and has 12 on the season, tied for the most in the RMAC
-Burnett's assist was his second of the season and first since the second match of the season back on August 28 against San Franciso State
-Doherty finished with eight saves in goal for the second match in a row and recorded his seventh shutout of the season; he is now tied for fourth all-time with Kevin Galloway (2003-06) with 15 in his career
-King's assist now gives him 34 in his career and moves him into sole possession of second all-time, passing Tesho Akindele (2010-13)
-With the win Mines enters play Sunday atop the RMAC standings, leading CSU Pueblo by two points and by five points over Westminster
 
UP NEXT
Mines returns to Stermole Stadium Sunday for the regular season finale and their second matchup of the season with Westminster, with kickoff set for 11 a.m. Sunday is also Senior Day, and the eight seniors on this year's Mines team will be recognized in a pre-match ceremony.
 
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.