Mines (3-3-2) vs Adams State (0-7-1) – Friday, 5 p.m. – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (3-2-2) vs Fort Lewis (1-4-2) – Sunday, 12 p.m. – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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A NEW SEASON BEGINS
With eight matches in the books this season, it's time to get to the important part of the schedule this week as the Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team begins Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play this week at Stermole Soccer Stadium Friday against Adams State and Sunday against Fort Lewis.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches this weekend will be streamed free of charge on the RMAC Network and will have live stats through SIDEARM.
 
WEEK FOUR RECAP
Returning to the road for their final out of conference matches of the season, the Orediggers fell to CSU Pueblo 4-0 Thursday night behind a flurry of second half goals by the ThunderWolves and playing most of the second half with 10 men. Sunday, Mines fell behind early, allowing another short-handed goal just before halftime. Despite being down a man for the second match in a row, the Orediggers battled back to tie things coming out of the intermission with a Vaughn Simpson score before Chris Seery netted the game-winner on an easy goal courtesy of a miscommunication by Westminster on a goal kick and held on for the final 35 minutes to pick up the win and find the win column for the third time in 2022.
 
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
The Grizzlies are still in search of their first win of 2022 and are coming off a 1-1 draw with South Dakota Mines in non-conference play after dropping their first seven matches of the season. In eight matches, Adams State has been outscored by their opponents 38-6, including an 11-0 setback against UCCS last Thursday. Four different players account for ASU's scoring output this season, led by Brendan Koplin's three while Aidyn Ogle, Harrison Olmstead and Avery Richards have one each, while three Grizzles have assisted on those six goals this season. In goal, Adams State has utilized three different netminders in their first eight matches, with Logan Rabasca seeing the most time, logging 330 minutes and starting four times in five appearances and made a team-best 24 saves. Zach Carr has also seen extended time this season, starting three times in four games for 300 minutes and making 20 saves, while Charles Manthe has three saves in 90 minutes in his lone game of the season so far.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis has dropped four-straight one-goal contests after a 1-0-2 start to the season that included a 6-0 win over the aforementioned Adams State. Last weekend, the Skyhawks dropped a pair of 2-1 contests to Regis on the road and at home to MSU Denver in non-conference play, and take on Colorado Christian before taking on Mines Sunday. Despite their record, Fort Lewis has outscored their opponents 9-7 this season, led by Gabriel Legendre with four and Aymaro Vargas with three. Tomas Duenes leads the club with three assists while Legendre has two, as five other Skyhawks have assisted on a goal this season. In goal, Fort Lewis has utilized two keeper this season, with Evan Kowalski starting five of his matches he's appeared in for 513 minutes and has made 32 saves, which ranks second in the RMAC. Brendan Oberg has started twice and seen 117 minutes in goal and has not recorded a save yet this season while allowing just one goal.
 
SERIES HISTORY
To say Mines has had success against Adams State may be a bit of an understatement; the Orediggers are 20-1-0 all-time opposite the Grizzlies and have won the last 14 meetings following a 1-0 loss in 2013. Mines is averaging better than three goals per contest in the series, and turned in clean sheets in four of the last five meetings.
 
Against Fort Lewis, Mines trails in the series 24-32-8 but has won the last five meetings and eight of the previous nine. The Orediggers have posted back-to-back shutouts against the Skyhawks and have only allowed one goal in the previous five contests.
 
THE SKIPPER
Head Coach Greg Mulholland joined the program in 2007 as an assistant coach before taking over as interim head coach in 2017 and full head coach in 2018, making the 2022 season his 16th with the Orediggers. Through five years at the helm, Mulholland 74-17-11 overall with a mark of 50-2-6 in RMAC play. His overall winning percentage through the 2021 season ranks #1 among all active coaches in NCAA Division II with a minimum of five years as a DII head coach. Last season, Mulholland became the first men's soccer coach in the history of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to win five straight RMAC regular-season championships. He is a three-time RMAC Coach of the Year and headed the 2019 and 2020-21 United Soccer Coaches South Central Region Staffs of the Year.
 
THEY ARE THE CAPTAINS NOW
One day prior to the season opener, Coach Mulholland announced that the 2022 team captains are Lucas King and Grant Bell. King is entering his sixth season with the program and fifth as a starter between outside back and the midfield. He led the team in assists in 2021 on his way to Second-Team All-America status. Bell, an outside back, is a true sophomore who started 13 of 20 matches in 2021 and appeared in 18 while scoring one goal with two assists and serving on a back line that helped post eight shutouts thanks to a combined 0.87 goals-against average.
 
CHECKING THE STAT SHEET
Heading into Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play this week, Tristan Semelsberger leads the Orediggers and ranks in the top 10 in the RMAC with four goals this season. Azad Iliozer and Michael Sprauer each have two, while Gabriel Rodriguez, Vaughn Simpson and Chris Seery have one apiece. When it comes to dishing out dimes, John Burnett, Caelin David, Lucas King and Marc Zimmerman each boast one assist each. Goalkeeper Brian Doherty has seen the majority of the action this season and owns 17 saves, two wins and two shutouts in 617 minutes to date, while Kenneth Symmes saw action in both games last weekend, including a start against Westminster where he was credited with a win, and has made four saves in 103 minutes.
 
CLIMBING THE RANKS
Two different Orediggers are currently making moves in the program record book. Lucas King's assist against Cal State Monterey Bay gave the graduate student sole possession of #5 on Mines' all-time assists list with 29. He's one helper away from tying Alex Nass at #4, three away from Jared Peacock at #3 and four away from Tesho Akindele at #2. King now needs 13 more assists to break Niki Grotz' (2014-17) all-time record of 41. Also making moves is goalkeeper Brian Doherty. His shutout against San Francisco State gave him sole possession of #5 on the Orediggers' all-time shutouts list. Doherty's 10 clean sheets during his time at Mines put him ahead of OJ Bullard (2000-03) and sit five back of Kevin Galloway (2003-06) at #4.
 
NEW 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.
 
IN THE POLLS
Mines was picked #2 in the RMAC preseason coaches' poll announced earlier this month while making an appearance at #20 in the first United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 of the season. The Orediggers were edged on the conference list by Colorado Mesa which earned eight first-place votes and 97 points while Mines totaled three first-place votes and 92 points. On the national list, Colorado Mesa dropped out of the Top-25 but is still receiving votes, while CSU Pueblo jumped back up to #15. UCCS is receiving votes for the second-straight week while early-season opponents Cal Poly Pomona and Western Washington check in at #13 and #20 respectively.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Following this weekend's home matches to open RMAC play, the Orediggers return to the road for their next four matches, beginning with a short trip to Colorado Christian Wednesday September 28 at 7 p.m. followed by a matchup with MSU Denver Sunday October 2 at 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.