GOLDEN, Colo. – The weather Wednesday was about as opposite as it could get from the last action on Sunday, but the elements did little to change the outcome at Stermole Stadium in the semifinals of the 2023 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship as the #4 Colorado School of Mines took on third-seeded Regis. The Orediggers (15-2-3) got out to an early lead and never looked back, scoring a pair of goals in each half to defeat the Rangers (14-5-1) 4-0 and advance to the tournament title match.
 
With a wintry mix of rain and snow coming down at kickoff, Mines wasted little time getting moving on offense as Bella Campos teed up the first shot of the day in the second minute while Laura Butler had a look in the sixth, but neither was able to find the back of the net as Kayla Arucan made a pair of early saves.
 
Undeterred, the Orediggers continued to press home their attack on offense and were rewarded with a goal from none other than Campos in the 12th minute. A familiar face was at the front end as Cloey Seltzer played a cross from the near side into the middle of the box for Campos, who finished with the left foot sliding a shot past Arucan inside the far post for the first goal of the day.
 
After being on the facilitator of so many goals recently, Seltzer swapped roles with Reese McDermott in the 23rd minute, scoring on a one-timer on a cross off the endline just inside the near post to double the lead to 2-0.
 
Mines had one more look at goal in the first half on a volley from Paola Rubi that was saved as the defense held Regis to only two shots in the opening 45 minutes as the first half came to a close.
 
As the second half began, the wintry mix transitioned to rain only but the change in precipitation did little to change the action on the field. Following a free kick in the Regis end of the field that was cleared back the other way past midfield, Lauren Clingman gathered up the ball and played it ahead to McDermott up the right side of the field. The RMAC Player of the Year collected the pass and raced up field and appeared to have ideas of passing the ball, but instead pulled up from 25 yards out encircled by four Regis defenders and delivered a rifle shot off her right foot past a diving try from Arucan inside the left post to make it 3-0 Mines in the 51st minute.
 
Much like the scoring in the first half, it didn't take long for another goal to go on the board. A ball into the box from Seltzer was headed down by a Regis defender and gathered by Campos, who played it back past the top of the arc to a hard-charging Rubi, who fired a strike that tracked inside the left post past Arucan once again for the score to make it a 4-0 game.
 
With the minutes winding down, and the elements wearing both teams down, wholesale substitutions were made in the closing minutes to get fresh legs on the field. Regis looked for any way to try and claw back from a four-goal deficit, but the Mines defense held firm with the lone shot on goal allowed coming in the 89th minute and being scooped up handily by Sadie Wolf before time expired with Mines advancing back to the RMAC tournament title game.
 
NOTABLES
-Campos' goal was her 16th of the season and ninth in the last seven matches; she had now scored in eight of the last nine games for Mines while also adding her fourth assist of the season
-Additionally, Campos is now one goal shy of tying Kayla Mitchell's 2012 campaign for the third-most goals in a season in Mines history at 17
-Seltzer scored her fourth goal of the season and second in the last four matches while extending her assist streak to three matches as she now has seven on the year to tie with Ava Harman and McDermott
-McDermott added to her career season in terms of assists with her eighth while notching her 11th goal of 2023 and third in the last four matches for Mines
-Rubi scored her second goal of the season and likely wishes the Orediggers could play Regis all the time, as her first goal also came against the Rangers back on October 1
-Wolf and the Mines defense held Regis to just five shots in the match and only one on goal which came late in the second half
-Wolf also recorded her 10th shutout of 2023 and the 18th of her Mines career, moving her into sole possession of fourth all-time in program history, passing Sam Zumbro (2013-16) and now sets her sights on Briana Schulze (2007-10) in third with 26
-As a team, Mines has now recorded 10 consecutive shutouts, extending their new program record, and has not allowed a goal since the October 1 meeting with Regis that came at the 3:52 mark of that contest; since then, the Orediggers have played 986:08 of scoreless soccer including 945 scoreless minutes from Wolf  
-Wednesday marked the fifth time in program history Mines has scored four or more goals in an RMAC Tournament match
-The Orediggers are now 9-6-2 all-time in the RMAC Tournament Quarterfinals
 
UP NEXT
Mines will await the winner of the match between Colorado Mesa and Westminster, currently in progress at the time of publishing, to see who their opponent will be in Sunday's RMAC Tournament title game.
 
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.