Mines (1-9-0, 0-2-0) at Colorado Mesa (3-2-4, 0-1-1) – Thursday, 7 p.m. – Grand Junction, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (1-9-0, 0-2-0) at Westminster (4-4-2, 1-1-0) – Sunday, 1 p.m.– Salt Lake City, Utah [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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WESTWARD BOUND
Still seeking their first league win of 2024, Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team will hit the road for the next two weeks starting Thursday when they head across the mountains to take on Colorado Mesa at 7 p.m. before catching a flight to Salt Lake City for a Sunday contest at 1 p.m. against Westminster.
 
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 5 RECAP
It was another hard-fought weekend that didn't earn the desired result for Mines as they returned home to faced #4 UCCS and #20 CSU Pueblo. Thursday night an early first half goal off a throw in saw the Mountain Lions come away with the 1-0 win. Five different players attempted a shot in the match, while Peter Saunders tallied five saves in goal.
 
Sunday the Orediggers rallied to tie things late in the first half after the ThunderWolves scored first, also off a throw in. Raul Gerhardus forced a turnover deep in the CSUP zone and charged up field before passing off the Quin Collins for the finish. Unfortunately, a PK was awarded to the visitors in the second half and the subsequent conversion as the difference in a 2-1 contest as Saunders recorded a career-high eight saves in goal.
 
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 90-34-18 (.697) overall and 61-9-8 in RMAC action over his first seven seasons 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.
 
There was no change among the national top five this week as the order remained Lynn, Cal State Los Angeles, Charleston, UCCS and Limestone. CSU Pueblo rebounded back up to ninth this week while Fort Lewis dropped down #14. Colorado Mesa, who had earned votes in previous weeks, failed to do so this week.
 
IMPACT PLAYER
After missing the entirety of his first two seasons due to injury, a vast portion of 2023 and a further six games this fall, Raul Gerhardus has only seen time in nine matches since his arrival to Golden in the fall of 2021. However, when he's on the field he's a game-changer. After his assist Sunday, Gerhardus now has six points in his nine games played, which comes out to 339 minutes. While not quite averaging a point per match in his career, the striker is a difference maker when he's available as Mines will certainly turn to him in the second half of the season to try and get back into the playoff conversation.
 
A LOOK AT THE STANDINGS
With one week of conference play in the books, CSU Pueblo and Regis lead the way at 2-0-0 and six points followed by a three-way tie for third with UCCS, Colorado Christian and South Dakota Mines who all stand at 1-0-1 with four points.
 
A three-way tie also exists for sixth between Fort Lewis (0-0-1), Colorado Mesa (0-1-1) and MSU Denver (0-1-1) who all have one point while three teams are still looking to get on the board as Mines (0-2-0), Westminster (0-2-0) and Adams State (0-1-0) round out the field.
 
CHECKING THE STATS
Quin Collins became the fourth different player to score this season for Mines Sunday, joining Luke Hanna while Ayman Bushara and Gabriel Rodriguez continue to lead the team with two goals each.
 
Bushara and Collins both have an assist each this season while John Burnett, Raul Gerhardus, Jaden Igarta, Kian Mueller and Marc Zimmermann also have one assist each.
 
Despite two strong matches in goal over the weekend, Peter Saunders still saw himself come out on the wrong end of the results but lowered his GAA to 2.00 and raised his save rate to .760 as he's now seen time in four games with three starts for 270 minutes with 19 saves and six goals allowed against 47 shots. Caden Allaire, who has started seven times in eight games, ranks among the RMAC leaders with 31 saves while allowing 16 goals for a 2.29 GAA and a .660 save percentage against 105 shots.
 
As a team, Mines has been outscored 22-6 this season and averages 0.60 goals and 9.5 shots per game while opponents average 2.20 and 15.1. They have seven assists on their six goals and have combined for 50 saves defensively. They have taken 48 corner kicks, been whistled for 109 fouls, issued 11 yellow cards with one ejection and are yet to attempt a penalty shot this season.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
Like the Orediggers, the Mavs are searching for their first league win of the season after being doubled up last Thursday by a surging Regis club 4-2 before playing South Dakota Mines to a 1-1 draw Sunday afternoon. The draw Sunday snapped a three-game skid for CMU that included losses to #5 UCCS and #18 Fort Lewis after starting the season winning three of their first five matches.
 
Sporting a roster that includes nearly 20 new faces from last season's club, a dozen different players have found the back of the net for Colorado Mesa through nine matches this season, with four scoring two goals each. One of those newcomers, NAIA transfer Marc Bonafe leads the team with eight points thanks to his two goals and club-leading four assists.
 
A further eight players have scored one goal apiece with five members of that group comprised of Stefanos Christodoulakis, Tommaso Ferrara, Justin Ibrahim, Shane Bryan and Connor Chilson, all have one assist to their credits as well.
 
In goal, reigning RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year Deigo Chavez is back and has played all 810 minutes this season, making a league-leading 46 saves against 12 goals allowed for a 1.33 GAA and a .793 save rate with two shutouts against 154 shots faced.
 
As a team, CMU is +4 in scoring margin at 16-12 and averages 1.78 goals and 14.1 shots per game while allowing 1.33 and 17.1 to opponents. The have 11 assists on their 16 goals and taken 39 corner kicks. They have committed 76 fouls and been issued 17 yellow cards and are 0-1 on penalties this season.
 
SCOUTING WESTMINSTER
Westminster also finds themselves 0-2 in league action after losing to South Dakota Mines 2-1 on Friday followed by a 3-0 loss to Regis on Sunday as the Rangers got one back after losing 2-0 in Salt Lake City in non-conference a week earlier. The Griffins started the season strong, going 3-0-2 in their first five contests before skidding to a 1-4-0 record over their last five. Freshman Mattero Bonelli is second on the team with six points thanks to two goals and two assists while returner Matheus Lazzuri and junior college transfer Kensho Negi both have two goals each.
 
Seven players comprise the offensive output this season for Westminster headed by Jack Cardwell's four goals. Landon Ward has three goals to go along with two assists while Alejandro Puente has found the net twice in six games.
 
Four further players all have goal each, with Jack Miguel Epstein adding an assist to his ledger. Speaking of assists, Gage wood leads WU with three while alongside Ward, Cam Neely and Broc Underhill also have two assists with a further four players recording one each.
 
Roark Looney has been the main man in goal this season, starting all eight of his matches and playing all 720 minutes and making 34 saves against 10 goals allowed for a 1.25 GAA and a .773 save percentage with two shutouts while facing 92 shots. Tommy Manwaring has started twice for 180 minutes in both matches with Regis and has made eight saves against three goals allowed for a 1.50 GAA and a .727 save rate with one shutout against 21 shots.
 
As a team, Westminster is even with their opponents in terms of scoring at 13-13 this season, averaging 1.30 goals and 8.4 shots per game while allowing 1.30 and 11.2. they have 15 assists on their 13 goals and a combined 42 saves defensively. They have taken 36 corner kicks and are 1-1 on PKs, while they have been whistled for 84 fouls, issued 14 cautions and handed one ejection in 10 matches.
 
SERIES HISTORY
All-time against the Mavericks, the Orediggers are 22-6-2 but are coming off a tough 3-2 loss a season ago in Golden but are 7-1-2 in the last 10 meetings going back to 2017. All-time in Grand Junction Mines is 10-3-1 and has come out ahead in each of their last five trips there, the most recent being a 3-0 win in 2022.
 
Against the Griffins, Mines is 16-7-3 following a split of the two meetings last season, which both took place in Golden with Westminster taking the non-conference bout 1-0 on September 24 before the Orediggers captured the one that counts 2-1 just two weeks later on October 8. The two teams also played twice in 2022, which was the last time Mines was in Salt Lake city were they pocketed a 2-1 win to improved to 5-3-2 as the road team in the series.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Orediggers continue their road trip next weekend when they'll first make the short drive over to Regis on Thursday October 17 before heading north Sunday October 20 to take on South Dakota Mines.
 
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.