#9 (1) Mines (14-1-3, 10-0-2) vs. (5) MSU Denver (12-3-4, 7-2-3) – Wednesday, 6 p.m. – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

---

 
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE
The #9 Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team entered the 2022 RMAC Women's Soccer Tournament on Sunday as the top seed following the program's sixth regular season title and left little doubt as to why that was the case in their opening round match against CSU Pueblo, downing the ThunderWolves 5-0 to advance to the semifinals and set up a rematch with fifth-seeded MSU Denver after the Roadrunners knocked off #RV Westminster 1-0 in their quarterfinal match Sunday.
 
FAN INFO
Fans are reminded that there is no passlist for the postseason. All students with a valid ID card will be admitted free of charge to all matches. All matches will be streamed on the RMAC Network. Tickets and additional tournament information can be found here.
 
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 204-36-35. His .804 career win percentage is currently among the top-10 active NCAA Division II coaches, and Friday at CCU he became just the second RMAC coach to reach 200 career victories, 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.
 
WELCOME TO THE 200 CLUB
As previously mentioned, head coach Kevin Fickes collected his 200th career win on October 6 when Mines defeated Colorado Christian in Lakewood 3-0 behind goals from Colleen Tyrrell and Reese McDermott. Fickes, who took over as head coach ahead of the 2010 season, has won no fewer than 11 games in a season during his tenure at Mines, notwithstanding the 2020-21 season played in the spring on account of CoVID-19. The Orediggers are poised for another double-digit win season again in 2022, currently having won nine times this season and sit just two points back of Regis for the top spot in the league as they pursue a sixth RMAC regular season crown.

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.
 
BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE
The RMAC announced their All-Academic teams and Honor Roll along with All-Conference Team and major award winners earlier in the week, and the Mines women's soccer program was well-represented. Katie Koehler and Reese McDermott were named All-Academic First Team honorees while an additional 13 players were named to the Academic Honor Roll on Monday. Tuesday saw six Orediggers named All-RMAC selections in addition to earning two superlative awards while head coach Kevin Fickes was voted Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career. Jordan Barnhart was selected as RMAC Defensive Player of the Year and named to the league's First Team, while Afton Rasco was tabbed as the RMAC Freshman of the Year and was named to the Second Team, the only freshman named to either All-RMAC squad. Reese McDermott landed a spot on the First Team for the second time in as many seasons while Laura Butler rounded out the trio of First Team selections with her first career postseason honor. Joining Rasco on the second team was Koehler while Lauren Clingman was named Honorable Mention All-RMAC.
 
WEEK 10 REVIEW
Mines opened the postseason in dominant fashion Sunday, making quick work of CSU Pueblo for the second time in a span of eight days in a 5-0 shutout win. Four different players found the back of the next against the ThunderWolves, with the fifth goal coming on an own goal on a defensive miscue. The Orediggers outshot CSUP 32-7 in the match and 15-4 in shots on goal. Laura Butler and Reese McDermott scored the first two goals of the day before Jordan Barnhart converted a PK and Cloey Seltzer scored late, with the own goal sandwiched in between. Sadie Wolf and the defense worked their fourth shutout in as many matches and 13th of the season to advance to the semifinals against MSU Denver.
 
IN THE POLLS
The Orediggers were chosen atop the RMAC preseason coaches' poll announced earlier this season and maintained their standing at #9 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, continues to remain in sole possession of first place in the poll, while Seattle Pacific continues to receive votes. In last week's regional rankings, Mines was fourth in the South Central Region as the highest-ranked RMAC team and trailed only Dallas Baptist, West Texas A&M and Angelo State.
 
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 MSU DENVER
In their quarterfinal match Sunday at Westminster, the Roadrunners were able to make an early goal stand up against the Griffons, who were receiving votes in last week's United Soccer Coaches poll. Jaimy Sawaged's 11th minute goal was one of just seven shots MSUD took in the match, but their defense and keeper Kylie Bach were up to the task of holding Westminster off the board, doing so successfully to advance 1-0 to the semifinals. Earlier this season, the Roadrunners saw three different players scored in the first matchup with Mines, as Elli Zimmer, Brooklyn Gold and Paloma Teran pushed the Orediggers to the brink, but it wasn't enough to earn a win as match ended in a 3-3 draw. Sawaged leads the team with nine goals and has three assists for 21 points, while Teran has scored five times and has a team-leading five assists. Luna Garcia and Zimmer each have four goals and five assists between them as seven other Roadrunners have scored this season. MSU Denver has utilized two goalies who have both seen extensive action this season, with Bach leading the way making 11 starts in 12 matches for 1,012 minutes, recording 30 saves and seven shutouts with a GAA of 0.62 and a .811 save percentage. Kayla Caballero has been more than capable in net as well, starting eight times and logging 698 minutes while posting four clean sheets, making 19 saves and posting a GAA of 0.39 and a save percentage of .864.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday will be the second time in 2022 the Orediggers and Roadrunners will meet. Their first matchup in Denver on September 25 resulted in a 3-3 draw with Mines fighting back all day before Katie Koehler scored the latest equalizer in program history in the 88th minute to force the draw. Prior to that, the Orediggers had won the previous nine meetings by a combined score of 19-3 with six shutouts. The last time the teams met in the postseason was in the semifinals of the 2019 rendition of the RMAC Tournament, with Mines winning 2-0.
 
LOOKING AT THE STAT SHEET
Reese McDermott leads the team in scoring with 13 goals and is the first Mines player since Nicole LaTourette to score 10 or more times in a season. Laura Butler scored her sixth goal of the year Sunday and continues to lead the team with six assists. Jordan Barnhart joins Afton Rasco and Paola Rubi with five goals on the season. Eight other Orediggers have scored in 2022 while 15 different players have assisted on goals this season. Between the pipes, Sadie Wolf continues her strong play and now has six shutouts on the season while recording 20 saves and a GAA of 0.38 while clocking a save percentage of 0.870 in 720 minutes. Emma Carstens, who started the first nine matches of the year including the first meeting with MSUD, has 20 saves and along with five shutouts in 791 minutes with a GAA of 0.91 and a .714 save percentage.
 
CLIMBING THE RANKS
Not even two full seasons into her time as an Oredigger, Reese McDermott has penned her name into the record books when it comes to career marks; her 21 career goals are now tied for sixth all-time with Brooke Stoermer (2014-17). In addition, her 45 points are ninth, trailing Haley Cole (2014-17) by just one. Her seven game-winning goals are tied for sixth in program history with Erin Onat (2008-11) and Caitlin Kaltenbaugh (2013-16). McDermott is now tied with Kayla Mitchell (2007) and Anna Evans (2011) for the fifth-most goals in a season at 13. When it comes to shutouts, Sadie Wolf now has six in her young career and has now passed Marissa Burton (2005-06) in that category, trailing Penny Rogers (2008-11) by one.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Should the Orediggers advance, the RMAC Tournament Final, that match will be held Saturday afternoon November 5 at 12 p.m. at Stermole Stadium. If Mines does not advance, they will await hearing their name in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship Selection Show on November 7.
 

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.