#10 Mines (8-1-2, 5-0-1) at Colorado Christian (3-8-0, 2-4-0) – Thursday, 1 p.m. – Lakewood, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#10 Mines (8-1-2, 5-0-1) at #RV UCCS (7-2-3, 4-1-1) – Sunday, 2:30 p.m. – Colorado Springs, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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STRETCH DRIVE
Just six regular season matches remain before the RMAC Tournament begins for the #10 Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team, as they will begin that stretch on the road with a pair of trips closer to home, first making the quick drive over Lakewood to take on Colorado Christian Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. before making their way south to lineup against #RV UCCS Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches this weekend will be streamed free of charge on the RMAC Network and will have live stats through SIDEARM.
 
AT THE HELM
Head Coach Kevin Fickes is in his 13th season leading the Mines women's soccer program, already the program's all-time leader in wins at 199-36-34. His .803 career win percentage is currently among the top-10 active NCAA Division II coaches, and he could become just the second RMAC coach to reach 200 career victories this season joining current UCCS boss J.B. Belzer. Through 2021, Fickes has overseen 24 All-American selections, 12 Academic All-Americans, 63 all-conference honorees, and 19 RMAC major award winners while guiding Mines to five RMAC regular-season titles and eight RMAC Tournament trophies, with 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

WEARING THE ARMBAND
The Orediggers have selected Jordan Barnhart and Meg Zimmerman as their captains for the 2022 season. Barnhart is entering her third season as a starter at centerback and played more minutes than any other Oredigger last season in guiding a defense that had a 0.73 GAA. Zimmerman, a forward, is a fifth-year senior returning from an injury-shortened 2021 season that saw her score a goal in the season opener; she has five career goals and three assists.
 
WEEK SIX REVIEW
Mines continued their winning ways this weekend and tied the program record for most consecutive home matches without a loss at 24 following a pair of 1-0 wins over Colorado Mesa and Westminster. Against the Mavericks, it was Katie Koehler who netted the only goal of the game in the 39th minute, doing so following a header from Jordan Barnhart off a free kick from Paola Rubi. Freshman netminder Allie Lundgen made her first start in an Orediggers uniform, recording four saves in the shutout. Sunday against the Griffins, Reese McDermott tied the program record for fastest goal to open a game when she scored just 49 seconds into the match on a free kick from Barnhart after a Westminster yellow card. The Mines defense made that goal stick for the next 89 minutes and another freshman, Sadie Wolf, logged three saves and the shutout in her collegiate debut. For her efforts, Koehler was named RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, becoming the third Oredigger to win that honor this season, joining Lauren Clingman and Barnhart.
 
IN THE POLLS
The Orediggers were chosen atop the RMAC preseason coaches' poll announced earlier this month and climbed to #10 in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Top-25 poll this week. It was a close race in the RMAC poll with Mines, UCCS, and Colorado Mesa all splitting the bulk of the first-place votes and just three points overall separating the three teams.  One of Mines' previous opponents, Dallas Baptist, remains in sole possession of first place in the poll, while UCCS continues to receive votes for the third week in a row.
 
ON TRACK
This year's roster boasts not one, but two dual-sport athletes as both senior Amena Nelson and freshman Callie Fuhr will spend their winters and springs competing for the Mines track & field program. Nelson can rightly claim to be the RMAC's fastest woman on the track or the pitch, coming off a superb outdoor season that saw her win the RMAC 400m dash title and claim RMAC 4x400 gold both indoors and out. Fuhr is also a 400m runner as a four-time Colorado 5A state qualifier and two-time top-10 placer in the event.  

THEM'S THE RULES
NCAA soccer has implemented a major rule change this season with the elimination of overtime in the regular season, bringing college soccer more in line with the FIFA Laws of the Game. Any match that is tied at the 90-minute mark will now end that way. In the postseason, there will be overtime but no more golden goal; teams will play two full 10-minute extra periods regardless of any goals and if it is still tied, the advancing team will be decided on penalty kicks.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO CHRISTIAN
Colorado Christian saw their two-match winning streak snapped last weekend as the dropped a 3-1 contest to Fort Lewis Friday evening before giving up an early goal to Western Colorado in a 1-0 loss Sunday afternoon. The Cougars have been shutout six times in 2022 and have been outscored 15-8 this season. A trio of players lead the team with two goals apiece in the persons of Skylee Deladurantaye, Capri Dewing and Saige Stock, while Jessie Sims and Parker Sweet have one goal each. Capri also leads the way with four assists while Stock, Kinley Sanders and Ashleigh Willette have all also assisted on goals this season. In goal, CCU has split time between two keepers, with Ashleigh Maguire starting six times for 540 minutes and making 18 saves while posting a 1.50 GAA and one shutout. Alana Lopp has started five times and played 450 minutes and leads the team with 20 saves and a 1.20 GAA while logging two clean sheets.
 
SCOUTING UCCS
The Mountain Lions received votes again in this week's United Soccer Coaches poll, as they try to re-enter the rankings for the first time since week two. Winners of four of their last six matches, Mines is the lone opponent for UCCS this week. Jadyn LeDoux, who was named RMAC Offensive Player of th Week Tuesday, surged into the team lead in goals over the weekend, tying the single-game scoring record with four goals against Black Hills State Sunday and is now among the league leaders in goals this season. Fabiola Estrada checks in with four goals while Sydney Lasater and Makayla Merlo have three apiece, as the Mountain Lions have an additional 10 players who have scored this season. Lasater also happens to lead UCCS in assists with six, a mark which is second in the RMAC, followed by Merlo and Abby Barhydt with three, while Jael Larson, Jessica Rockwell and Gabriella Lancaster each have two to their ledgers, as five other players make up the balance of the team's assists. In goal, it has been all Alexis Walker this season, having played all 1,080 minutes to date and making 37 saves to rank in the top five in the league, while posting a GAA of 0.87 along with six shutouts.
 
SERIES HISTORY
In 26 meetings all-time against CCU, the Orediggers have yet to lose a match, posting a record of 25-0-1 against the Cougars and currently riding a 23-match winning streak in the series. Last season's meeting in Golden saw a 1-0 Mines victory, while the last time the teams played in Lakewood was in the spring 2021 season also resulted in a 1-0 win. In the series with UCCS, Mines leads 16-7-1 as the teams prepare to meet for the first time in 2022. Last season saw the Mountain Lions and Orediggers meet on three occasions, with Mines winning 2-1 in the regular season, but falling in the last two meetings, including a 1-0 decision RMAC Tournament along with a 2-0 setback in the NCAA Tournament. Over the last eight meetings between the teams, the series is even at 8-8-0.
 
LOOKING AT THE STAT SHEET
11 matches into the 2022 season, Reese McDermott leads the club with seven goals followed closely by Laura Butler with five and a team-best four assists. Afton Rasco, Paola Rubi and Katie Koehler all have three goals to their ledgers this season, while four other Orediggers comprise the balance of the team's scoring output. Rasco is second on the club in assists behind butler, while Jordan Barnhart and Amena Nelson each have two assists and two goals. Between the pipes, Emma Carstens remains the team leader in saves with 20 in 791 minutes across nine games and five shutouts, while the freshman duo of Allie Lundgren and Sadie Wolf each have a shutout to their credit along with four and three saves respectively in their lone starts of the season to date.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Following this weekend's road trip, the Orediggers will return to Stermole Stadium for three of their final four matches of the regular season, beginning with fort Lewis Friday October 14 at 6 p.m. followed by a meeting with Western Colorado Sunday October 16 at 12 p.m.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's soccer on Twitter at @mineswsoc. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.