GOLDEN, Colo. – Looking to build off their big win Friday night, the #20 Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team took the pitch at Stermole Stadium Sunday for a rematch of the 2022 RMAC tournament championship against Regis. While the Orediggers (6-2-2, 2-1-1) did fall behind early to the Rangers (7-3-0, 3-1-0), they scored three unanswered goals to end the match and collect three more points on the weekend with a 3-1 win.
 
Regis took advantage of some matchups against Mines in the early moments, as Natalie Bunch scored the first goal of the game just before the fifth minute on a ball played up the near side to the top of the box by Kelby Kuo to take the first lead of the day.
 
After making some substitutions, the Orediggers went on the attack as their first two shots of the day caught the Rangers a bit off balance, as the second was a near-miss over the crossbar from Paola Rubi in the ninth minute. Rubi's next try in the 13th minute was true, as she finished off a pass from Michelle Easley with a little lower trajectory off her right boot into the lower left corner for the equalizer past a diving try from Kayla Arucan.
 
Mines kept their foot on the gas as play resumed, as the shots kept coming with chances to take the lead. Natalie Rouse's bid for another two-goal weekend was dashed in the 22nd minute when Arucan made a diving save on a header off another corner kick by Landry Corbett. Kaitlyn Manalili and Reese McDermott both had a try at the go-ahead goal in the half, but neither was able to put the ball in the back of the cage as the first half ended with the score even at 1-1.
 
After being denied in the first half, McDermott made sure she wasn't going to miss out in the second. Bella Campos came up with the ball after intercepting a pass deep in Regis own end, and was able to work her way into the box and evade two defenders to find McDermott, who with a defender also on her hip, was able to spin and win, finishing with a left foot to go top shelf for her fourth goal of the weekend to take the lead 2-1.
 
A shot from Cloey Seltzer in the 70th minute elicited a gasp from the stands as Arucan made the initial save, but allowed the ball to dribble away just a bit before scrambling to cover it up with both Regis and Mines players converging. The final goal of the afternoon came in the 84th minute and all but wrapped things up in favor of the Orediggers. Laura Butler played a little give and go with Campos after a deep kick by Sadie Wolf, as the header was won by Mines and saw Butler come away with and play it ahead to the freshman in space before she dished it back to the junior, who pulled up from the top of the 18-yard box to also go top shelf and make it 3-1.
 
With Regis now in desperation mode, they looked for any way they could to try and get back in contention, but a pair of saves from Wolf in the final four minutes amidst a flurry of shots dashed those hopes as the Orediggers picked up the 3-1 win to earn another three crucial points in the conference standings.
 
NOTABLES
-Rubi's goal was her first of the season and is the sixth of her career
-Easley's assist now gives her three in her career and one in each of the last two seasons
-McDermott, who became the third-leading scorer in Mines history Friday, now has 30 career goals and is now eight back of Megan Woodworth (2009-12) for third all-time; she has also now passed Nicole La Tourette (2016-19) in career points now with 67 and is now tied with LaTourette for fifth all-time with nine game-winning goals
-Butler cracked the scorebook for the first time this season and adds to her career total with nine career goals and has now scored at least once in every season at Mines
-Campos recorded two assists in the match, giving her three for the season now as she recorded her first multi-assist game as an Oredigger and ends the weekend with six points
-Wolf finished the game with two saves in goal after coming on in the second half for starter Emma Carstens
-Carstens, along with Easley, Brook Patterson, Colleen Tyrrell, Kate Clady, Brooke Pennington and Landry Corbett, each saw their name in the starting lineup for Senior Day
-The Orediggers outshot the Rangers 23-9 overall and 8-3 in shots on goal in the match
-Mines improves to 21-9-2 all-time against Regis and has now won three in a row and nine of the last 12 matches
 
UP NEXT
Mines is at home again next weekend, as they'll take on Fort Lewis Thursday night October 5 at 7 p.m. before clashing with Western Colorado Sunday October 8 at 2:30 p.m. Both matches will be the second matches of doubleheaders with the men's team each day.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's soccer on Twitter and Instagram 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.