#1 Mines (9-0-1, 3-0-1) at Fort Lewis (6-1-1, 3-0-0) – Friday, 4:30 p.m. – Durango, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#1 Mines (9-0-1, 3-0-1) at Western Colorado (3-4-2, 2-0-1) – Sunday, 12 p.m. – Gunnison, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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WEEKEND OUT WEST
It may seem hard to believe as just eight matches remain in the 2024 regular season for the #1 Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team as they return to the road this weekend, traveling first to Durango for a Friday night clash with Fort Lewis before heading to Gunnison Sunday to take on Western Colorado.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches this weekend will be streamed free of charge on the RMAC Network. Free live stats will be available through Sidearm for both matches. Links for video and stats for both matches can be found on minesathletics.com.
 
WEEK 5 RECAP
Mines hit the road for the first time in RMAC play over the weekend for the first half of a four-match road trip as they headed to Black Hills State and Regis. Though they were unable to run their winning streak to 10 matches, the Orediggers remained unbeaten by way of a 1-1 draw Friday against the Yellow Jackets and a 3-0 win Sunday over the Rangers.
 
Friday Bella Campos netted what looked like the go-ahead goal in the 34th minute on a header off a Kaitlyn Manalili cross from the endline, but 25 seconds later BHSU raced down the field off the ensuing kickoff to score a goal of their and draw back even. Despite a 21-4 advantage in shots with 11 shots on goal, Mines was unable to regain the lead and had to settle for one point in the draw.
 
Sunday against the Rangers, the Orediggers looked to atone for the outcome Friday and did so in a major way, outshooting Regis 30-4 in the match and not allowing a single shot on target. Reese McDermott kicked things off in the 67th minute of an endline header from Afton Rasco before converting a PK in the 79th minute following a hard take down of Campos inside the box. Manalili closed things out in the 87th minute by scoring her first collegiate goal in the winning effort.
 
RULES RESET
It wasn't too long ago that the NCAA implemented new changes to the soccer rules with the last set of changes coming in 2022. Now in 2024, there's been more tweaks to the rulebook, including at least a partial revision of one of the 2022 changes. First up is an adjustment to the substitution rules in the second half and overtime, when applicable. To avoid clock manipulation by teams that are ahead or teams that are tied late in a match, all substitutions within the final 15 minutes of regulation and any made during overtime will result in the clock being stopped. The second change affects overtime during the postseason, as sudden victory (otherwise known as the "Golden Goal") has been reinstated. In addition, video review has been expanded to review all penalty kick situations, all straight red cards events, denial of obvious goal-scoring opportunity situations and any potential offside violations in goal-scoring situations.
 
AT THE HELM
2024 marks the 15th season leading Mines for boss Kevin Fickes, the program's winningest head coach. With a career mark of 233-41-39 (.807), he ranks sixth in all of the NCAA and third in Division II among head coaches with at least five years of experience when it comes to winning percentage. One of two RMAC coaches with 200 career victories, under his direction Mines has overseen 36 All-America selections, 17 Academic All-America selections, 75 all-conference honorees and 25 RMAC major award winners. Fickes has also guided Mines to six RMAC regular season titles and nine RMAC Tournament crowns and made 15 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
THE CAPTAINS
The three Orediggers who wore the captain's 'C' in 2023 will do so again in 2024 as Ava Harman, Katie Koehler and Reese McDermott will all reprise their roles this fall.
 
Harman, a fifth-year player, started all 22 matches last season, logging a career-best marks with two goals and seven assists with both goals being game winners. Going back to her freshman season in the spring of 2020, Harman has started 68 of 72 matches in her career entering this fall.
 
Koehler, another fifth-year player, tied her career high with four goals last fall while also registering the first two assists of her career from her center back spot after starting 21 of 22 matches. Like Harman, she brings a wealth of experience and has started 69 times in her 72 matches played for over 6,000 minutes through four seasons.
 
McDermott enters her fourth and final season at Mines as one of the greatest to ever don the Silver & Blue with her named dotted across the program's record book. The reigning RMAC Player of the Year, former Freshman of the Year and three-time First Team All-RMAC selection, she scored 11 times with a career-high eight assists in 2023 with four game-winners while starting 21 times in 22 matches. Another experienced veteran, the striker started 59 times in 63 matches over the course of her first three seasons.
 
IN THE POLLS
It was a close one, but in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll Mines was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the league in 2024, earning seven first place votes while reigning champions UCCS earned six. Colorado Mesa was picked to finish third with Regis and MSU Denver rounding out the top five.
 
Mines maintained their grip on the #1 spot in the latest United Soccer Coaches rankings Tuesday. More shuffling took place behind the Orediggers, with Cal Poly Pomona taking over second followed by Columbus State moving up to third. Ashland surged into the top five, moving up from eighth to fourth while Central Missouri rounded out the top five after checking in at #7 last week. Previous #2 Grand Valley State dropped all the way to #16 this week following their first loss of the season, while RMAC running mates Colorado Mesa and MSU Denver both earned votes in this week's rankings.
 
CHECKING THE STANDINGS
Two weeks of league play are in the books as MSU Denver leads the way at 4-0-0 with 12 points followed by Mines in second at 3-0-1 with 10 points. Colorado Mesa and Fort Lewis sit tied for third at 3-0-0 with nine points while Western Colorado and Westminster are 2-0-1 with seven points in a tie for fifth. Colorado Christian is seventh at 2-2-0 with six points while Regis currently clings to eighth at 1-2-1 with four points.
 
If the season ended today, those eight teams would comprise the RMAC Tournament field with the Roadrunners earning a first-round bye based on changes to the postseason seeding in 2024. Currently on the outside looking in are CSU Pueblo (1-3-0, 3 pts), Black Hills State & New Mexico Highlands (0-3-1, 1 pt) and Adams State, with perhaps the biggest shock of any this season, UCCS (0-4-0, 0 pts).
 
CLIMBING THE RANKS
Over the weekend, Reese McDermott added her name to another list in the Mines record book by becoming the fourth playing in program history with 100 career points. With her two goals Sunday, she brings her RMAC leading total to 10 and her career tally to 44. In addition, she's now tied for third with Megan Woodworth (2009-12) for third all-time with 13 game-winning goals. She, along with Ellise Putnam, are both on the verge of breaking into the all-time assists list as both have 15 in their careers, three back of the great Kayla Mitchell (2006-09).
 
Meanwhile, goalie Sadie Wolf's opening day shutout raised her career total to 19 as she trails Briana Schulze (2007-10) by seven for third all-time. Someone else already penning their name into the record books is the reigning RMAC Freshman of the Year Bella Campos. After registering 36 points and breaking the freshman single-season scoring record by five last season, Campos is up to 46 points in her career, which ties her with Haley Cole (2014-17) for ninth all-time.
 
CHECKING THE STATS
Eight different players (and a UCCS defender) comprise the 26 goals scored by the Orediggers this fall, led by Reese McDermott with 10 who is also tied for the team lead in assists with three. Bella Campos is following up her freshman season with four goals and two assists in 10 matches while Afton Rasco and Ava Harman each have three goals and a combined three assists between them.
 
Ellise Putnam has two goals and two assists to her ledgers thus far while Kaitlyn Manalili, who scored her first career goal Sunday, is tied with McDermott for the team assist lead at three. Laura Butler has a goal and two assists while Natalie Rouse has one goal on the season.
 
Allie Lundgren has taken over starting duties in goal and performed admirably since doing so, recording 17 saves against two goals while facing 41 shots for a GAA of 0.27 and an .895 save race across 675 minutes in eight appearances, six of which have been shutouts. Sadie Wolf, who started the first three games, has six saves against one goal allowed for a 0.40 GAA and an .857 save percentage against 15 shots with a shutout.
 
Collectively Mines is +23 in scoring margin at 26-3, averaging 2.60 goals and 201, shots per contest while allowing just 0.30 goals on 5.6 shots to the opposition. They have 18 assists on their 26 goals, combined for 23 saves in goal and taken 69 corner kicks. They have been whistled for 66 fouls, been assessed two yellow cards and are 3-5 on penalties this season.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis has emerged as a serious contender in the RMAC through the first two weeks of league action, knocking off CSU Pueblo, New Mexico Highlands and Adams State by a combined score of 9-1. They'll put a five-match winning streak on the line Friday night against the Orediggers following their only loss of the season to Midwestern State on September 12.
 
A team that scored only 25 goals in 19 matches last season, FLC already has 20 to their credit in eight matches this season. 13 different Skyhawks have contributed to that offensive output led by Abila Tapia with four goals and an assist for nine points. Josie Coulter, who is tied for the team lead in assists with three, has also scored twice along with Abigail Nkrumah, Ashlyn Salas and Jenna Salazar.
 
Danielle Gonzales also has three assists and is one of eight players with a single goal this season. Haley Stafford, Amber Otts and Ann Spence all have two assists each while a further five Skyhawks each have one.
 
In goal, things remain roughly the same with FLC rotating between Riley Bravin and Katlyn Rosenbaum. Each has started four times in eight matches and have 360 minutes to their credit and six combined shutouts. Bravin has 14 saves against two goals allowing for a GAA of 0.50 and an .875 save rate against 30 shots, while Rosenbaum has 16 saves against fives goals for a 1.25 GAA and a .762 save rate against 57 shots.
 
On the season, FLC is +13 in scoring at 20-7 and averages 2.50 goals and 16.8 shots per game, while allowing 0.88 and 10.9 to opposing teams. They have 17 assists on their 20 goals and have taken 37 corner kicks. They've been whistled for 48 fouls, been issued three cautions and are 0-1 on penalties.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN COLORADO
Western Colorado may be one of the most pleasant surprises in the RMAC to start conference play off. After winning four games in the entirety of 2023, the Mountaineers already have three this season and find themselves already halfway to their RMAC win total at 2-0-1 in league play to start this season. They downed defending champs UCCS 2-1 in their opener before going on the road and beating Adams State by the same score and closed out week two with a 1-1 draw against New Mexico Highlands.
 
Seven players account for the 10 goals scored this season led by junior college transfer Cianna Thomas with three. Ellie Kubena has two to her credit while Abby Raio, Sarah Connolly, Kylie Hickox, Malia Ramdhanny and Winter Woolley each have one.
 
Raio and Thomas each have an assist as do Taylor Bottoms, Matsuki Marakami, Reilly Schindler and Jordan Welsh.
 
Between the pipes, Aubree Orosco has been the frontrunner starting seven times in eight games for 654 minutes, making a league-leading 63 saves while allowing 12 goals against 153 shots for a GAA of 1.65 and an .840 save percentage. Ashlyn Fitzpatrick has started twice in three games for 156 minutes and has 11 saves against six goals allowed for a 3.47 GAA and .647 save rate against 42 shots faced.
 
On the season WCU is -8 in goal differential at 18-10 and averages 1.11 goals on 10.1 shots per contest while allowing 2.00 goals on 21.7 shots to opponents. They have six assists on their 10 goals and have a combined 75 saves defensively. They taken 31 corner kicks, been whistled for 54 fouls and issued four yellow cards and are yet to attempt a PK this season.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Friday night will be the 30th meeting between Mines and Fort Lewis with the Orediggers leading 19-7-3 all-time. Last season the teams met in the regular season, playing to a scoreless draw before meeting in the RMAC quarterfinals where Bella Campos dropped a hat trick on the Skyhawks in her postseason debut. The teams last met in Durango in 2021 as the Orediggers improved to 7-5-1 with a 3-0 win. Mines has won the last six meetings as the visiting team with the last loss coming on September of 2012.
 
On Sunday Mines and Western Colorado will square off for the 14th time ever with Mines leading 12-1-0 and riding a nine-game winning streak. The trip to Gunnison will be the first since a 4-0 win in 2021 as the Orediggers own a three-match winning streak as the road team. The only loss in the series did take place in Gunnison back in October 2016 in a 3-2 overtime decision.
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers are back home next week to host Colorado Christian and MSU Denver at Stermole Stadium October 18 and 20.
 
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.