GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines women's soccer closed out play at Stermole Stadium in 2024 in style Sunday, claiming the program's seventh regional title by way of a 3-1 come-from-behind win over Angelo State. The Orediggers (20-0-2) overcame an early deficit  to level the score midway through the opening half before snatching the lead for good with two goals in the second half to advance past the Rambelles (14-2-5) and secure a spot in the national quarterfinals.
 
A free kick by Jolie Jiricek in the third minute saw Amber Lockwood make the first save of the day in goal before Sanai Stewart scored the first goal in just the eighth minute. It was shades of last weekend for the Orediggers, but this time they were on the wrong side as Stewart took a corner kick from the near side on the west end of the stadium that skipped once just inside the endline before rolling across the mouth of goal and sneaking inside the back post for an Olimpico-style goal to take the early lead.
 
Right away Mines went to work looking to level the contest following the miscue as Laura Butler took aim immediately after play resumed but was denied by Lockwood. Allie Lundgren rebounded to make a save in the 15th minute against Christina Clark before a shot from Ellise Putnam that was batted away by Lockwood set up a set piece for the home team in the 20th minute.
 
Jiricek lined up to take the corner kick from the near side out of the east end and played a dandy of a ball to the six-yard line where Afton Rasco was waiting. After a near-miss on an earlier header attempt, the junior won the aerial battle and heading a shot down and past Lockwood to the near post to draw even at 1-1.
 
With the teams back to square one with 30 minutes in the opening half still to play, the Orediggers and Rambelles jockeyed to find an advantage against one another and despite several promising chances, no further goals materialized. Rasco took aim again in the 33rd minute with no luck before a banger of a shot from Bella Campos caromed off the near post in the 37th. On the other side Mariah Griffin and Stewart each had chances in the final six minutes against Lundgren, but the junior was able to make the save each time to send the match to the intermission level at a goal apiece.
 
The final 45 minutes of action saw Mines take the lead in the 55th minute on a brilliant effort play. Rasco played a long ball ahead from just across midfield to the top of the penalty area in search of Reese McDermott. McDermott raced to catch up to the pass, battling her way between a pair of ASU defenders and winning possession as the two gray-clad Rambelles ended up tangling legs and stumbling to the turf. McDermott then spun and played cross to Campos just above the six-yard line as she worked just enough room to corkscrew a shot around a defender and past Lockwood inside the back post to take the lead 2-1.
 
The Orediggers kept pressing home their attack following the resumption of play, backing up their defense which dug their heels in and stymied the Rambelles time and time again. After Butler came up snake eyes in the 66th minute, McDermott all but iced the outcome in the 77th. A foul by Stewart against Kaitlyn Manalili was followed by a yellow card for delay of game and a free kick from in front of the Mines bench. Again it was Jiricek serving up the set piece and airing it out to the top of the penalty area, finding Campos who deflected the ball down while bracketed by two defenders. McDermott took care of the rest as she gathered quickly before pulling up for a shot just inside the arc to the back post past the arms of Lockwood to make it a 3-1 Mines lead.
 
Now in complete control of the action, the Orediggers continued their strong defense performance learning from their mistakes of the previous week against Colorado Mesa. They continued to press their attack and put on a ball control clinic that saw minutes elapse off the clock. Though the Rambelles made a flurry of late substitutions in an effort to work some late-game magic, Mines had other plans as time expired on a 3-1 victory in front of the home faithful.
 
NOTABLES
-Rasco's goal was her second of the NCAA Tournament, fifth of the season and 15th of her career as she approaches top 10 territory in all-time scoring at Mines; she now has three career goals in the national tournament
-Campos recorded a goal and an assist for the second time in as many matches and for the fourth time this season while collecting her fifth game-winner of 2024
-The sophomore now has 30 career goals and 11 assists for 71 points in her career as she becomes the fifth 30-goal scorer in program history and now takes over sole possession of seventh all-time with eight game-winning goals
-McDermott tallied her 19th goal of the campaign and seventh assist as she recorded one of each for the fifth time this fall and now stands with 53 career goals and 19 career assists for 125 points, moving into fifth all-time in assists past Kayla Mitchell (2006-09) while cementing her hold on third all-time in points having passed Megan Woodworth (2009-12) in the RMAC tournament title match
-Rasco and Campos become the first duo to score in consecutive NCAA Tournament matches in program history
-Lundgren finished the afternoon with three saves in goal as she directed a defense that did not allow a shot in the second half
-The Orediggers advance to the Elite Eight for the seventh time in program history and second time in the last two seasons
-Mines is now 17-10-10 in NCAA Tournament play all-time and 5-1-2 in the third round
-The 2024 edition of the program has now tied the single-season wins record of 20 set by the 2016 club which also advanced to the national quarterfinals
-Mines closes play at Stermole Stadium in 2024 with a record of 11-0-1, marking the fifth time they have posted an unbeaten record at home in program history
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers will hit the road for the national quarterfinals next Saturday as they will travel to West Region champion Cal Poly Pomona for a 1 p.m. PT contest.
 
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.