GOLDEN, Colo. – Back at home and still in search of that elusive first win of 2023, the Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team had a prime opportunity to do so Thursday night at Stermole Stadium as they lined up opposite a familiar opponent in #3 CSU Pueblo. On a night that saw a highly competitive match, it was the Orediggers (1-1-4) who came out on top on home turf, as Ian Kugler connected from long-range on his first goal of the season to down last year's national runners-up and deal the ThunderWolves (5-1-1) their first loss of the year.
 
The action started as soon as the opening whistle blew as CSUP needed just 57 seconds to attempt the first shot of the night before trying twice more in the sixth minute, as the first was blocked while Caden Allaire snared the second to keep things level early. Marc Zimmerman, last Saturday's star, launched the first try for Mines in the match in the seventh minute, but missed off target high.
 
The rivals went back and forth as the half went on, with Allaire making a pair of saves before the 20th minute while Zimmerman officially tested Tristan Whitlock between the pipes for the first time in that span as well. As was to be expected based on previous history, both teams traded blows in a physical affair as the first half went on. Allaire made two more saves in near succession in the 35th minute while a near miss off the crossbar by CSUP's Caio Oliveira sent a gasp through the crowd in the 40th minute, but both teams went into the intermission still searching for the first goal of the night.
 
As it turned out, that first goal of the night came in the 55th minute on the side of the Orediggers, as Alex Gonzalez played a ball from the near side across the middle to a hard-charging Ian Kugler, who collected the pass and took a few dribbles before launching a strike from about 25-yard out into the lower right corner past a diving try from Whitlock to break the seal and put Mines out front.
 
Now having put the ThunderWolves in an unfamiliar place this season, the Orediggers dug in their heels on defense for the final 35 minutes of the night. The next four shots CSUP took all missed their mark and were highly contested. Allaire notched two more saves in a 40 second span in the 71st minute, turning away Oliveira and Robert Zanfir as the clock ticked down. Chris Seery had a look in the 79th minute to make it a 2-0 game and again in the 89th minute, but it was not to be.
 
CSU Pueblo went back to their bench in the closing eight minutes, looking for their playmakers to find any way to draw back even, but the Orediggers defense was up to the task, as Gabriel Campora's try in the 87th minute that missed high ended up being the last gasp as Mines defended their home field and picked up their first win of the season with a 1-0 result.
 
NOTABLES
-Kugler's goal was his first of the season, the fourth of his career and second game-winner, the last of which came all the way back on April 9 in the spring 2023 season
-Gonzalez recorded his team-leading second assist of his freshman campaign
-Allaire recorded six saves in goal to record his first career shutout as an Oredigger
-Seery and Zimmerman both led the way with three shots apiece while Collins added a pair
-Mines was outshot 22-9 overall and 6-5 in shots on goal on the evening, but limited the RMAC's leading scorer Campora to six shots, none of which were on frame
-The Orediggers are now 42-13-7 all-time in the series and improve to 24-6-2 at home and snapped a seven-match winless streak in the process
-Against Top 25 teams this year, Mines is now 1-0-2
 
UP NEXT
Mines closes out non-conference play with another RMAC opponent Sunday afternoon at Stermole Stadium at 12 p.m. when they host Westminster.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines men's soccer on Twitter and Instagram at @MinesMSOC and @mines_msoc. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.