RAPID CITY, S.D. – Back on the road for the third of four consecutive matches away from Stermole Stadium, the Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team made the trip north to begin the weekend with a matchup against South Dakota Mines. The Orediggers (8-3-2, 5-0-0) scored twice early and looked poised to continue their winning ways, but an own goal just before halftime and a second half goal in the final 20 minutes allowed the Hardrockers (1-10-2, 0-5-0) to tie things at 2-2 before Michael Sprauer played the hero in the closing seconds, scoring the game winner with just 14 seconds to go for the 3-2 win.
 
Mines opened up the scoring for the day first when Tristan Semelsberger got things off and running just 44 seconds into the action. An attempted cross by Azad Iliozer was broken up by keeper Daniel Freitas, but the ball rebounded back to Iliozer, who gathered it up and played it across to the far post to a charging Semelsberger, who connected with a header for his ninth goal of the season.
 
Chris Seery got in on the action in the 12th minute, as a clear attempt by SDM went awry as they turned it over deep in their own end. Seery was there to gain possession and put on a marvelous display of footwork, working his way around three defenders before beating Freitas with a top shelf volley to make it 2-0 Mines.
 
South Dakota Mines got on the board in the 42nd minute, as a free kick from long range into the box caromed off several players before being deflected by the defense into the net for an own goal to make it 2-1 heading into the intermission.
 
As play resumed, the Orediggers looked to regain their two-goal advantage as Semelsberger and Quinn Collins both had looks at goal in the first seven minutes of the period but came up empty as it remained 2-1.
 
That score held until the 72nd minute, when South Dakota Mines was able to get separation behind the defense of Mines following a free kick, as Trent Ripley managed to sneak a shot past a diving save attempt from Kenneth Symmes to even things at 2-2.
 
With time now against them, Mines looked to regain the lead as Gabriel Rodriguez and Iliozer combined for a trio of shots in minutes that followed, but all three missed high or wide as the score remained even. In the end, Mines finished the game the same way they started the game, scoring the game-winner in the final minute of play. A ball from Seery was played out wide to Iliozer, who cut back inside past a defender toward goal before crossing the ball into the middle of the box to a waiting Sprauer, who collected and buried a shot in the lower left corner with 14 seconds remaining to put Mines back on top before time expired for the 3-2 win and remain perched atop the RMAC standings.
 
NOTABLES
-Semelsberger has now scored in five-straight matches, the longest such streak of his career
-Iliozer has two assists in the last three matches for Mines and now has four on the season, tying a career high set in the spring 2021 season; he also now has two multi-assist games this season
-Seery has recorded a point in six-straight matches, also the longest such streak of his career
-The own goal snapped a season-best streak of nearly 293 minutes without a goal allowed by the Orediggers
-Sprauer's goal was his fourth of the season and sets a new career-high for goals in a season; it was also the fourth game-winning goal of his career
-Mines moves to 9-0-0 all-time against South Dakota Mines and has scored three goals or more in eight of those matches
 
UP NEXT
Mines will return to the Denver metro area Sunday as they make the trip from Golden to take on Regis in a match scheduled for 12 p.m.
 
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.