Mines vs. Texas Woman's, Thursday, 7 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
Mines vs. Midwestern State, Saturday, 12 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]

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THE 2022 SEASON STARTS AT HOME
It's been a long wait, but college soccer is finally back. Colorado School of Mines officially kicks off the 2022 season Thursday when they host Texas Woman's in a 7 p.m. non-conference match at Stermole Stadium, the first contest in any sport for Mines Athletics this school year. The weekend continues Saturday with a rematch of their unforgettable 2021 NCAA Tournament First Round game as the Orediggers welcome in Midwestern State at noon. 

LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network, which can be accessed at minesathletics.com/tv as well as with apps on all major smart TV platforms by searching "RMAC". 

IMPORTANT PARKING INFORMATION
Due to construction to install solar canopies in Lot K adjacent to Stermole Soccer Stadium, fans should be aware that there is very limited parking in that lot for this weekend's games and it will be first-come, first-served both days. Additional parking is available in Lot Q located at Elm and West Campus Drive, the parking garage located at 14th and Maple Streets, and in City of Golden municipal parking along 11th Street. Visit mines.edu/parking for a parking map.

OREDIGGERS FACE TOUGH SLATE
Mines' 2022 schedule is one of the toughest in the nation as five of their six non-conference opponents were NCAA qualifiers last year, plus the always-difficult RMAC schedule. In addition to Midwestern State, the Orediggers take on NCAA qualifiers Angelo State, national semifinalist Dallas Baptist, national quarterfinalist Seattle Pacific, and Western Washington plus RMAC rival UCCS. 

A NEW LOOK FOR STERMOLE STADIUM
Stermole Stadium looks a little different this season with a new playing surface installed over the summer. The AstroTurf LigaTurf pitch was complete in early July, replacing the original artificial turf surface that was installed in 2008. The most noticeable change is in the middle, where the M logo has been replaced by Blaster. 

AT THE HELM
Head Coach Kevin Fickes enters his 13th season leading the Mines women's soccer program, already the program's all-time leader in wins at 191-35-32. His .802 career win percentage is currently third among 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.

IN THE POLLS
The Orediggers were chosen atop the RMAC preseason coaches' poll announced on Thursday, and are also receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 poll. 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.

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.

OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS
The Orediggers' offensive attack will be led by Reese McDermott, the 2021 RMAC Freshman of the Year and an all-region striker after leading the team with eight goals a year ago. She has plenty of veteran help up front, though, including Eliot Edwards (3G in 2021), Amena Nelson and Ellise Putnam (2G each), the returning Meg Zimmerman (1G), plus pacey freshman Kayla Thomas.

CONTROLLING THE MIDFIELD
Mines' midfield brings back a plethora of talent from last season, starting on the wings with Landry Corbett and Laura Butler. Corbett led the team with five assists and scored twice last year, but her stat line doesn't tell the whole story as her long-throw ability generated three more own goals on opponents and makes Mines a multi-dimensional team in the attacking third. Butler saw her playing time grow as a freshman with a goal and two assists in 2021. The central midfield will have to replace stalwarts Emma Peterson and Zoe Sano, but the Orediggers have experience returning including Colleen Tyrrell, Michelle Easley, Paola Rubi, Lauren Clingman, Cloey Seltzer, Kate Clady, Emily O'Connor, and Lauren Sherburne, and add talent with rookies Afton Rasco, Kaitlyn Manalili, Ariana Ahumada, and Gaby Guerrero. 

VETERAN BACKLINE RETURNS
The Orediggers return all four starters from their 2021 defense as the centerback pairing of Jordan Barnhart and Katie Koehler are flanked by outside backs Ava Harman and Karolina Sidebaeck. Mines had a 0.73 GAA and allowed 11.4 shots per game last season. Brooke Pennington also returns after seeing time at centerback last year, and redshirt junior Brooke Patterson, the 2019 starter at outside back, returns after missing 2021 to injury. Callie Fuhr, Jolie Jiricek, and Gabriela Rodríguez join the unit as freshmen. The only hole to fill on defense is in net to replace the graduated Sierra Roth; redshirt sophomore Emma Carstens and freshmen Sadie Wolf and Allie Lundgren will vie for the starting goalkeeper spot.

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.  

HOME SWEET HOME
Stermole Stadium has always been friendly to the Orediggers, and they are currently riding the third-longest home unbeaten streak in program history that dates all the way back to the 2019 season. Mines is 15-0-4 in their last 19 matches at Stermole, and this weekend could tie or pass a 20-game run that took place from 2015 to 2017. Mines was 7-0-2 at home last year. 

SCOUTING TEXAS WOMAN'S
Coming off a 12-5-2 season last year, Texas Woman's was voted fifth in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll. The Pioneers are young this season, with just two seniors - goalkeeper Morgan Sherman and leading scorer Keely Chapman - returning. 

The Orediggers and Pioneers match up for the fifth time dating back to 2010, and TWU's first trip to Golden since 2015. They played to a 1-1 draw last season as Eliot Edwards' eighth-minute goal was equalized by Alyssa Simien in the 29th minute. Mines led 10-7 on shots. Mines holds a 2-1-1 all-time series edge over TWU. 

SCOUTING MIDWESTERN STATE
Midwestern State, coming off a 12-5-3 season in 2021, was selected fourth in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll after finishing as the LSC runner-up last year. They return seven starters and 13 letterwinners overall, led by strikers Cassidy Savoy (6G, 4A) and Lexi Beck (4G, 2A) as well as midfielder Randi Heaton (5 G, 2 A). 

Mines and Midwestern State played twice last year, a 2-0 Oredigger win in Wichita Falls in the regular season, and then a comeback 3-2 overtime win in the NCAA First Round at UCCS. AK Ford and Lauren Clingman provided the scoring with second-half goals to win the first match, but the Orediggers had to rally back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to advance in the postseason. Lexi Beck and Isabella Cruz scored for the Mustangs in the first half, but Amena Nelson's goal on the hour started to shift the momentum before Eliot Edwards headed home Landry Corbett's throw-in for the 86th-minute leveler. In overtime, Brooke Pennington served a long pass from her own half into the box for Ellise Putnam, who netted the winner at 99:20. Mines and Midwestern State will meet for the sixth time, with the Orediggers holding a 4-1-0 series lead.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Orediggers embark on a six-match road swing after this weekend, starting with visits to Angelo State and Dallas Baptist on Sept. 1-3. Mines isn't back home until Sept. 23 when they host Black Hills State.