#7 Mines (2-0-0, 0-0-0 RMAC) vs. Angelo State (1-0-1, 0-0-0 LSC) – Thursday, 7 p.m. – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#7 Mines (2-0-0, 0-0-0 RMAC) vs. #3 Dallas Baptist (1-0-0, 0-0-0 LSC) – Sunday, 12 p.m. – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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CONTINUING THE HOME STAND
Following a perfect weekend to begin the 2023 season on the first leg of a six-match home stand, the #7 Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team plays the middle leg of that stretch this weekend starting Thursday night when they welcome the first of two NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago to Stermole Stadium, first taking on Angelo State before closing out the weekend with a rematch of last season's third round meeting with #3 Dallas Baptist.
 
FAN INFORMATION
Tickets are available for pre-purchase at minesathletics.com/tickets as well as on the day of the event at the gate. Parking in Lot K is free after 5 p.m. during the week and on weekends. 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.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches this weekend will be streamed free of charge on the RMAC Network and will have live stats through SIDEARM.
 
AT THE HELM
Head Coach Kevin Fickes is in his 14th season leading the Mines women's soccer program, already the program's all-time leader in wins at 211-37-35. His .806 career win percentage is currently among the top-10 active NCAA Division II coaches, and on October 6 of last season against Colorado Christian, he became just the second RMAC coach to reach 200 career victories, joining current UCCS boss J.B. Belzer. Entering the 2023 season, Fickes has overseen 27 All-American selections, 13 Academic All-Americans, 69 all-conference honorees, and 21 RMAC major award winners while guiding Mines to six RMAC regular-season titles and nine RMAC Tournament trophies, with 13 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

WEARING THE ARMBAND
The Orediggers have selected a new group of captains for the 2023 season, as Ava Harman, Katie Koehler and Reese McDermott will be wearing the armband this fall. Harman is entering her third season as a starter and scored the first goal of her career in 2022. McDermott was named Third Team All-American to cap off a decorated breakout season in which she was one of the most prolific goal scorers in in the conference, finding the net 15 times as only one of two players with double-digit goals. Koehler, also entering her third season as a starter, was a key piece of a defensive backline last fall that allowed just 0.74 goals and 9.7 shots per match while also scoring four times herself.
 
WEEK 1 REVIEW
It was about as a good of a start as the Orediggers could have hoped for on opening weekend, as they posted a pair of 4-0 wins over San Francisco State and Chico State on Friday and Sunday respectively. Friday night three different players found the net for Mines, as Bella Campos got the evening started with a goal late in the first half before finding the net again the second half to kick off a flurry of three goals in the final 18 minutes to pick up the win over the Gators. Sunday, Natalie Rouse got the action going early with the first of three first half scores against the Wildcats before the Orediggers added a fourth goal in the second half. Sadie Wolf and Keira Garcia had a pretty light weekend in goal, making one save each and posting a pair of shutouts as the Orediggers outshot the opposition 50-13 and 25-2 in shots on frame in the first two matches of 2023.
 
SET PIECE SUCCESS
The Orediggers scored three times on set piece goals this weekend, all of which were free kicks from varying distances and all started by Ava Harman. The senior connected on a pair of salvos Friday night from just outside the 18-yard box to Katie Koehler before finding Natlie Rouse from about 30 yards out. Sunday Harman and Rouse connected again, this time from 40 yards out for the first goal of the game to get the offense running. All three goals also were finished off by headers, proving that Mines student-athletes can put their noggins to use in applications outside the classroom.
 
A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
On a weekend where there was plenty of excitement and action on the pitch, two names stood out above the rest as they played their first matches for the silver and blue. Freshman Bella Campos came off the bench in the season opener Friday night and scored the first goal of her career within minutes of checking into the game. Not content with just scoring only once in her collegiate debut, she scored again in the second half again moments after checking back in off the bench. The Highland Village, Texas product did all that in just 23 minutes of action, and while she didn't score Sunday, she was able to sub on and create some mismatches for the defense that allowed her teammates to score instead. In the previous section, we mentioned Natalie Rouse, a transfer from UNLV who arrived in the spring semester, who scored in each game this weekend, but also worth noting was the fact she started and played all 180 minutes this weekend, taking over as the starting center back for the Orediggers and answering the task of replacing All-American and RMAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 in Jordan Barnhart. There's still a long way to go in this season, but Campos and Rouse are definitely two names to keep an eye on in 2023.
 
DISTRIBUTING THE WEALTH
Scoring eight goals over the span of two matches is no small feat, no matter who you are playing against or how good your team is. But the fact that six different players contributed to that total, along with an further seven racking up nine assists on those eight goals, paints a telling picture: the Orediggers are deep when it comes to goal scoring and there are plenty of folks who can help set the table. Bella Campos and Natalie Rouse lead the team with two goals apiece after week one, while Katie Koehler, Landry Corbett, Afton Rasco and Cloey Setlzer each scored. Ava Harman already has three assists, more than doubling her career total in just one weekend while Koehler, Lauren Clingman, Jolie Jiricek, Reese McDermott, Ellise Putnam and even Sadie Wolf all recorded an assist. While at least one assist on every goal scored is a tough standard to maintain, it just goes to show that Mines has plenty of weapons at their disposal when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net.
 
RUN IT BACK
26 players return from last season's club including nine starters and two more players who started double digit matches. That group is led by the leading returning scorer in the RMAC Reese McDermott, who was just one of two players league-wide last season with double-digit goals. Three of the top four scorers from last season are also back as Laura Butler and Afton Rasco each scored seven goals in 2022 while Paola Rubi added five more while a further eight goal scorers will all be back in uniform. The goalkeeping situation is on firm footing too, as all three netminders who saw action last fall will be competing for time between the pipes in 2023.
 
IN THE POLLS
The first National Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll of the regular season came out Tuesday and despite an impressive 2-0-0 start to the season, the voters tabbed the Orediggers in seventh this week, three spots lower than their preseason ranking. One of this weekend's opponents Dallas Baptist, jumped up four spots to #3 despite playing only one match this weekend, while Western Washington remained #1 after 1-1-0 start to the year. Colorado Mesa made their Top 25 debut at #23 while preseason #22 UCCS dropped out this week. The RMAC Preseason Poll, announced August 16 also had the Orediggers leading the way, as the RMAC coaches picked Mines to repeat as champions with nine first place votes, followed by UCCS, Regis, Westminster and MSU Denver in the top five.

CLIMBING THE RANKS
Not even two full seasons into her time as an Oredigger, Reese McDermott has penned her name into the record books when it comes to career marks; her 23 career goals are now tied for fifth all-time with Jennifer Kendall (2015-18). In addition, her 51 points are good for eighth, now tied with Brooke Stoermer (2014-17) for seventh. Her seven game-winning goals are tied for sixth in program history with Erin Onat (2008-11) and Caitlin Kaltenbaugh (2013-16), while she is now fourth all-time in single-season goals with 15, two behind Anna Evans' 17 in 2012. When it comes to shutouts, Sadie Wolf now has nine in her young career and has now passed Penny Rogers (2008-11) for sixth all-time and now trails Sierra Roth (2018-21) by three.
 
SCOUTING ANGELO STATE
The Rambelles went 1-0-1 at home to begin the new year, playing to an opening night 3-3 draw with Central Oklahoma before blanking East Central 4-0 Saturday afternoon. Abby James leads the team in goals, assists and points in the early going, scoring in each match while adding two dimes in the Saturday contest against East Central. Five other players have also scored for ASU in the persons of Abigail Gutierrez, Madison Maxey, Brianna Rodriguez, Emily Thames and Shaelyn Ward. When it comes to assists, Mia Czarnecki also has a pair to join James while Isabella Hernandez has one.
 
In goal, the Rambells are breaking in a new keeper in 2023 as Oklahoma State transfer Amber Lockwood has played all 180 minutes this season, allowing three goals and making four saves against just 13 shots faced.
 
ASU is averaging 3.5 goals and 21 shots per match compared to 1.5 and 6.5 by their opponents. They have five assists on the seven goals thieve scored and hold an 11-5 advantage in corner kicks.
 
SCOUTING DALLAS BAPTIST
The Patriots played just once on opening weekend, but it was a convincing win over Southwestern Oklahoma State as they downed the Bulldogs by a 4-1 tally. DBU scored three goals in less than nine minutes to open the season, including one goal just 55 seconds in by Haley Roberson courtesy of Taylor Tufts. Tufts then scored the second goal in the sixth minute, teaming up with Kaleigh Naizer before Angelina Olmos and Annie Severide got together to make it 3-0. Despite allowing a goal to SWOSU in the 22nd minute, the Patriots pushed their lead back to three just 90 seconds in the second half, as Severide combined with Tufts and Sophia Schrock to make it 4-1 as that score held for the duration. In goal, Carmen Lopez got the start and played 65 minutes, logging four saves before turning things over to Breanna Bowen, who made a pair of saves in the final 25 minutes.
 
DBU outshot SWOSU 29-14 and 11-7 in the match and held a 10-3 edge in corner kicks.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday night will mark the fourth meeting between the Rambelles and Orediggers, as they teams are 1-1-1 in the first three matchups, the last of which came in week two last season and resulted in a 2-2 draw in San Angelo. At home, ASU came out on top in the only meeting at Stermole stadium back in 2018 by a score of 1-0. When it comes to DBU, the Patriots lead the series 5-3-4 all-time. Last year the teams met in the regular season which saw DBU pick up a 3-2 win at home in Dallas, but when the two teams met in the NCAA Tournament, it was Mines who came out on top with a 1-0 win in Bellingham, Washington to claim the South Central Region title. One item to note since Sunday will be a home match for the Orediggers, they are 1-0-3 all-time in the series at Stermole Stadium.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines closes out their home stand next weekend against two teams from the Pacific Northwest, first taking on #1 Western Washington on Thursday September 14 at 7 p.m. before hosting Seattle Pacific Saturday September 16 at 6 p.m.
 
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.