Mines (3-9-2, 2-2-2) vs. #13 Fort Lewis (7-1-5, 3-1-1) – Thursday, 6 p.m. – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (3-9-2, 2-2-2) vs. Adams State (2-7-2, 0-4-1) – Sunday, 12 p.m.– Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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THE STRETCH RUN
After securing an eight-point haul over the course of their four-match road trip the last two weekends to go unbeaten and vault themselves back into the postseason conversation in the RMAC standings, the Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team returns to Stermole Stadium for three of their final four matches of the season starting Thursday night against #13 Fort Lewis at 6 p.m. before hosting Adams State Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU
Though the Orediggers still have one home match on their 2024 docket following this weekend, they will take time Sunday afternoon before the Adams State match to honor the eight members of this year's team who will be calling it a career at the collegiate level at season's end. John Burnett, Caelin David, Jimmy Koufidakis, Marc Zimmermann, Quin Collins, Raul Gerhardus, Hilmir Arnarsson and Gabriel Rodriguez will be the men of the hour in a pre-match ceremony featuring friends and family as they celebrate their careers and accomplishments.
 
FAN INFORMATION
Tickets can be purchased online in advance at minesathletics.com/tickets or at the gate on the day of the match. Mines students, faculty and staff will be admitted for free with their BlasterCard. Fans are encouraged to park in Lot K immediately to the north of Stermole Stadium. Fans as are not allowed to park in the neighborhood surrounding the Clear Creek Athletic Complex, as the City of Golden's street parking requires a permit seven days a week.
 
HANA'S HOPE
Starting Thursday evening, all Mines home events this weekend will be partnering with Hana's Hope, a non-profit organization that assists individuals coping with hair loss due to chemotherapy, radiation, alopecia and other conditions by providing free consultation, custom-styled wigs, wig/head accessories and skin care services to those facing financial hardship. Donation opportunities will be available throughout the weekend and more information about Hana's Hope can be found here.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches this weekend will be streamed free of charge on the RMAC Network. Free live stats will be available for both matches. Links for video and stats for both matches can be found on minesathletics.com.
 
WEEK 7 RECAP
Mines capped off their four-match road trip by earning four more points thanks to a 3-3 draw with league leader Regis Thursday night before posting a 1-0 win over South Dakota Mines Sunday. Thursday night, the Orediggers found themselves down 3-0 after 55 minutes, but stormed back with three goals over the next eight minutes and combined with a gutsy defensive effort earned the draw. Ayman Bushara scored and added an assist, Raul Gerhardus netted his first goal of the season and Quin Collins' second goal of 2024 was the equalizer. Noah Roles and Smith Russell also added assists in the match while Peter Saunders recorded a season-high seven saves.
 
Sunday against the Hardrockers, one goal was all that was needed as Marc Zimmermann's corner kick before the half with just 23 seconds on the clock was headed home by Bushara for the game-winner. Saunders and the defense dug in and allowed just nine shots on the afternoon to SDM in their first clean sheet of the season.
 
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.
 
THE SKIPPER
With a record of 92-34-20 (.699) overall and 63-9-10 in RMAC action at the helm in Golden, skipper Greg Mulholland has established himself as one of the top head coaches not just in Division II, but the NCAA as a whole. An assistant with the Orediggers from 2007-2016 who served as interim head coach in 2017 before having the interim tag dropped in 2018, Mulholland ranks third among active Division II coaches with a minimum of five years on the job in winning percentage and is 15th across the entirety of NCAA Soccer. Under his direction, Mines has claimed a combined 11 regular season and postseason championships, running off six consecutive regular season crowns from 2017-22 and four tournament titles from 2017-20. Mulholland is also a four-time RMAC Coach of the Year and has twice headed up the United Soccer Coaches Regional Staff of the Year.
 
WEARING THE ARMBAND
For the second consecutive year, Caelin David will serve as a captain for the Orediggers and be joined by goalie Caden Allaire and striker Gabriel Rodriguez.
 
David, a senior from Alpharetta, Georgia, has been a staple in the starting lineup for Mines each of the last two seasons, starting all 38 matches over that span after appearing as a reserve in nine matches as a freshman in 2021. He scored his first two career goals in 2023 and has five career points heading into 2024.
 
Allaire has emerged as a locker room leader heading into his second season at Mines after transferring into the program for the 2023 season. An RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week honoree last October, he started all 16 matches in which he played for more than 1,400 minutes and recorded 56 saves, a 1.60 GAA and a .691 save percentage while going 4-6-6 with three shutouts.
 
Rodriguez, who earned his captaincy just last week, appeared in 51 matches with 14 starts over his first three seasons as an Oredigger and scoring 11 goals with five assists including two game-winners in over 2,100 career minutes played.
 
IN THE POLLS
Mines was tabbed to finish fifth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll back on August 15, earning 63 points on the ballot. The national runners-up each of the last two seasons, CSU Pueblo was picked to win the league with eight first place votes while defending champion Fort Lewis earned three first place ballots to place second. Colorado Mesa and UCCS rounded out the top five in third and fourth.
 
The top five in this week's United Soccer Coaches Top 25 saw some shuffling as Lynn remained #1 while Charleston moved up to second. Cal State Los Angeles dropped to third while Limestone and UCCS swapped places in fourth and fifth. Fort Lewis returned to the rankings following wins over the Mountain Lions and CSU Pueblo, who plummeted from seventh to 25th this week.
 
WEEKLY AWARD WINNER
A big part of the reason the Orediggers were able to earn eight points over their last four matches on the road, Ayman Bushara was honored for his efforts Tuesday as he earned the first RMAC weekly honors for the Orediggers in 2024, taking home his first Offensive Player of the Week honor. Read more about Bushara's award-winning performance here.
 
AMAZIN' AYMAN
A big reason the Orediggers came away with eight points on road over their last four matches was the play of Ayman Bushara. The redshirt junior scored in each of the last three matches for Mines, netting the equalizer against Westminster in the closing moments, keying off a three-goal rally against Regis and scoring the game-winner against South Dakota Mines. Chip in an assist against the Rangers as well and seven points over the last two matches is a pretty strong performance. Bushara, who started his career at Air Force before stepping away for a year and then sitting out his first year at Mines, now leads the Orediggers with five goals and 12 points and is one of three players with two assists this season. Heading into the next four matches, Mines will look to Bushara to keep it going as they look to secure a postseason spot.
 
ALL HANDS ON DECK
With the addition of 13 newcomers to the program this fall, the 34-man roster Greg Mulholland brought into this season was one of, if not the largest, roster he and his staff had assembled during his tenure in Golden. 27 different players have now seen action in at least one match this season. For comparison, that's as many players who were rostered for the Orediggers in 2023 and is tied for the most players used by an RMAC team this season with Colorado Mesa. In addition, the Orediggers have sent out 14 different starting lineups in 14 matches this season as they look to nail down the right rotation heading down the stretch.
 
A LOOK AT THE STANDINGS
With just a handful of matches remaining in the regular season, the race to the postseason is heating up. Regis remains atop the standings with 16 points with a four-point lead back to CSU Pueblo in second. UCCS and Fort Lewis stand tied for third with 10 points while MSU Denver and Mines are tied for fifth with eight points. If the season ended today, those six teams would make the field for the RMAC Tournament.
 
Currently on the outside looking in tied for seventh with five points each are Colorado Christian and South Dakota Mines. Colorado Mesa is ninth with four points followed by Westminster with three with Adams State bringing up the rear with a single tally in 2024.
 
CHECKING THE STATS
Ayman Bushara moved into the top spot on the clubhouse leaderboard over the weekend in scoring and enters the weekend at Stermole with five goals and two assists for a team-leading 12 points. Gabriel Rodriguez has four goals to his credit this season while Quin Collins now has two along with an assist for five points.
 
Raul Gerhardus netted his first score of the season on Thursday at Regis to add to his assist from the last time Mines was at home while Luke Hanna rounds out the scoring with one goal this season. Smith Russell and Marc Zimmermann each picked up their second assists of the season on the final two matches of the road trip while John Burnett and the freshman trio of Kian Mueller, Jaden Igarta and Noah Roles all have an assist.
 
In goal, Peter Saunders has thrived since taking over starting duties to begin RMAC play. Despite a tough start to his season against Cal Poly Pomona, the sophomore has rebounded and been a big part of why Mines is in the postseason hunt, making 37 shaves against 11 goals allowing in 630 minutes for a 1.57 GAA and a .771 save percentage against 97 shots and turning in the first shutout of the season Sunday. Caden Allaire started the season in goal and had a tough go of it through no fault of his own before swapping places with Saunders. The junior has 31 saves against 16 goals allowed in 630 minutes for a 2.29 GAA and .660 save rate against 105 shots faced.
 
On the season, Mines is -14 in goal differential at 27-13 but seems to have hit their stride recently when it comes to scoring, as there are now averaging 0.93 goals and 10.4 shots per game while lowering opposing numbers to 1.93 and 14.4. They have 12 assists on their 13 goals and have taken 70 corner kicks while going 2-2 on penalties. Defensively they have combined for 68 saves and been whistled for 147 fouls, assessed 19 cautions and been issued one ejection.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
The top-10 rankings in front of UCCS and CSU Pueblo did little to deter the Skyhawks last weekend, as they bounced back from a 2-1 loss to Regis by going on the road and knocking off the Mountain Lions and ThunderWolves 3-1 and 1-0 respectively to launch themselves back into the Top 25 this week.
 
Almost a dozen different players have found the back of the net this season for FLC, led by Tomas Duenes with five goals and David Citron with four. That duo has also combined for 10 assists with Citron posting a team-best mark of seven.
 
Three players have each scored three times in the persons of Gabriel Legendre, Theo Bergman and reigning RMAC Freshman and Player of the Year Anton Hjalmarsson. Legendre also has three assists while Hjalmarsson has been in and out of the rotation this season, appearing in just six matches and only three in the month of October. Thomas Kirkham and Fabrizio Aguilera have two goals apiece while a further four Skyhawks have a solo tally to their credit.
 
Casey Stracher joins Duenes and Legendre with three assists this season while Hjalmarsson and Tristen Banquil have a pair each. Jakob Larson, who also has a goal, along with Adnan Elaqad and Lucas Martin each have one dime apiece.
 
Speaking of Martin, he's also been the main man in goal in addition this season to compliment his goalie assist. He started the first 11 matches of the season for 990 minutes and has a 0.91 GAA and .792 save rate, logging 38 saves against 10 goals while facing 113 shots and posting five shutouts. Aidan Hartman was the starter in the two matches last weekend as he made his season debut and performed admirably, making six saves against one goal allowed in 180 minutes for a 0.50 GAA and an .857 save percentage against 27 shots faced.
 
For the season, Fort Lewis is +15 in goal differential at 26-11 and averages 2.00 goals on 14.5 shots per match while holding opposing teams to 0.85 goals and 10.8 shots. They have 23 assists on their 26 goals and have combined for 44 saves in goal. They have taken 67 corner kicks and are 2-3 on PKs, while defensively have been whistled for 159 infractions, issued 26 cautions and one ejection.
 
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
Adams State enters the weekend still seeking their first league win of the season after earning their first point of 2024 two weeks ago thanks to a scoreless draw with South Dakota Mines. They'll play MSU Denver Thursday night before heading up the road to Golden Sunday as they come off a weekend where they were outscored a combined 10-1 by CSU Pueblo and UCCS.
 
Eight players account for the offensive production this season by the Grizzlies, with three players tied for the team lead in goals. Ranulfo Lopez and Avery Richards have each scored twice while assisting on two further goals for six points while Tim Mietenkorte has four points on two goals of his own.
 
Kaidin Reese, Mario Alejo, Sebastian Flories, Tobias Sereing and Marius Wirz complete the scoring while Reese, Jelmer Fokkink and Leonardo Villacorta all have an assist.
 
In goal, JP Fernandez has played all 990 minutes in the first 11 matches for ASU, making 47 saves to rank among the league leaders while allowing 29 goals for a 2.64 GAA and .618 save percentage against 162 shots faced.
 
On the season, ASU has been outscored 29-11 and averages 1.00 goals and 8.5 shots per match while allowing 2.64 goals and 14.7 shots to opponents. They have seven assists on their 11 goals and 47 saves defensively. They have taken 34 corner kicks and been whistled for 128 fouls, issued 22 yellow cards and handed two ejections.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Friday night will see the Orediggers and Skyhawks tangle for the 67th time in the series as Fort Lewis leads 33-25-8 all-time. Last season, the eventual RMAC champions took a 5-2 decision in Durango to snap a six-match winning streak by Mines in the series. The last time the teams played in Golden was in the 2022 season which resulted in a 3-1 win for the Orediggers. All-time, Mines is 15-12-4 when playing at home and has not lost in Golden since October of 2014.
 
When it comes to the Grizzlies, the Orediggers have enjoyed a great deal of success in the previous 23 meetings, going 22-1-0 and entering Sunday on a 16-match winning streak that dates back to 2013. The lone loss in the series did come in the first of two meetings that year in Golden by a score of 1-0, but since then the Orediggers have won the last seven home matches, including an 8-0 romp back in 2022 that saw seven different players score highlighted by two goals from Marc Levin.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Orediggers have just one match on deck next week as they'll make the short trip to Lakewood and Trailblazer Stadium to take on Colorado Christian October 31 at 3 p.m. for their final away contest of the 2024 regular season.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines men's soccer on X and Instagram at @minesmsoc and @mines_msoc. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, X and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.