#3 Mines (4-0-0) at Saint Martin's (0-4-0) – Friday, 1 p.m. PT – Lacey, Wash. [Live Stats] [SMU YouTube]
#3 Mines (4-0-0) at #RV Western Washington (1-1-2) – Sunday, 1 p.m. PT – Bellingham, Wash. [Live Stats] [WWU YouTube]

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ROAD TRIPPING
After running their winning streak to four matches to begin 2024, the #3 Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team will be back on the road this weekend as they return to the Pacific Northwest for a pair of matches in Washington, first taking on Saint Martin's Friday afternoon before wrapping up the weekend against a team that has become a regular opponent in recent years, Western Washington on Sunday afternoon.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches this weekend will be streamed free of charge on the Saint Martin's and Western Washington YouTube pages. 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 2 RECAP
The perfect start to 2024 continued for Mines at home last weekend as they hosted Lubbock Christian and West Texas A&M, posting a pair of wins by scores of 2-0 Thursday night and 5-0 Sunday afternoon behind an offensive explosion and lockdown defense. Ava Harman teamed up with Bella Campos against the Lady Chaps for the second game-winning goal for the duo in as many matches 14 minutes into the second half before the sophomore converted a penalty kick in the 63rd minute to double the lead, while the defense held LCU to just five total shots in the match and just three on goal in the combined shutout. Campos ran her point streak to three matches with an early PK conversion in the ninth minute and after Reese McDermott missed a PK of her own minutes later, the senior more than made up for it over the remainder of the afternoon, scoring three goals and assisting on a fourth in the winning effort. Jordan Bowermaster, Kaitlyn Manalili and Ellise Putnam all logged assists while Laura Butler rounded out the scoring. In goal, making her first regular season start in almost two years, Allie Lundgren was a perfect 3-3 on saves and directed a defensive effort that surrendered only six shots on her way to her second career shutout.
 
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 228-41-38 (.805), 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.
 
FAMILY FEUD
One of the great things about college athletics is when siblings end up attending different schools with the opportunity to compete against one another in the same sport. A household divided can always lend itself to some friendly competition and bragging rights at the next family get together. Last Sunday, it was the Putnam sisters squaring off with elder sister Elise taking on Avery in Mines' 5-0 win over West Texas A&M. This week, it'll be another showdown between siblings, this time in the Manalili household Sunday against Western Washington when Kaitlyn suits up for the Orediggers and Morgan takes the field for the Vikings. The twin sisters have played against one another twice so far in their careers, each claiming a win although the argument could be made Morgan's had more impact as she was part of a WWU team in 2022 that bounced Mines from the NCAA Tournament before ultimately winning the national championship that season.
 
HATS OFF
For the third time in her already decorated career, Reese McDermott scored three goals in a match during the 5-0 romp of West Texas A&M last Sunday. The senior from Houston, whose name is littered across the Mines record book already, added her name in another place with her third hat trick performance, becoming the third player in Mines history to do so. She joins Anna Evans (2010-13) and Kayla Mitchell (2006-09) as the only players to accomplish the feat and with 14 more matches remaining before the postseason, time will tell if McDermott can add another match or two to that impressive tally.
 
WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
For the second week in a row, Mines took home two of the three weekly awards from the RMAC, this time with Reese McDermott taking home Offensive Player of the Week honors for the third time and Allie Lundgren claiming her first Goalkeeper of the week honors. Read more about the duo's performances from last weekend here.
 
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.
 
On the national stage, Mines continued their climb in the national rankings up to #3 this week after some significant shuffling in the top 10. Colorado Mesa rose to #14 after to dropping to #18 last week, while MSU Denver and UCCS, who each earned votes last week, failed to do so this week. Sunday's opponent Western Washington checked in at #20 last week and though they did drop out this week, still did earn votes.
 
CLIMBING THE RANKS
It's no secret by now that Reese McDermott is one of the best players in the history of women's soccer at Mines. Already with four goals in 2024, the senior now finds herself tied for third all-time in scoring with 38 goals alongside Megan Woodworth (2009-12) and has 89 career points which is good for fourth and she remains behind Woodworth by one for third in game-winning goals. Meanwhile, goalie Sadie Wolf's opening day shutout raises her career total to 19 and now trails Briana Schulze (2007-10) by seven for third all-time. Someone else on the verge of breaking 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 now has a point in each of the last three matches for Mines, giving her 42 now in her career and passing Jackie Knott (2013-16) for 10th on the list and is now four behind Haley Cole's (2014-17) mark of 46 for ninth.
 
CHECKING THE STATS
Following her three-goal outing Sunday, Reese McDermott now leads Mines in scoring and is tied for the league lead in that department and thanks to her assist now has nine points on the season. Bella Campos and Ava Harman each have two goals in the early going with two and one assist respectively. Natalie Rouse and Laura Butler round out the scoring for the Orediggers, while Jordan Bowermaster, Kaitlyn Manalili, Ellise Putnam and Cloey Seltzer can all claim an assist.
 
In goal, Allie Lundgren is coming off her second career shutout after starting Sunday and through 135 minutes in goal has saved all five shots on target she's faced out of eight total shots and is 2-0-0 with a solo shutout. Sadie Wolf, who started the first three matches of the season, has logged 225 minutes and allowed just one goal against six saves facing 15 shots for a 0.40 GAA and an .857 save percentage and is also 2-0-0 with a solo shutout.
 
Following a weekend in which they fired off 50 shots across two matches, the Orediggers now average 19.5 shots per contest and are allowing less than six to the opposition. They are +9 in goal differential, outscoring teams 10-1 in four matches and have put 34 shots on target. They have eight assists on their 10 goals with 11 combined saves in goal. They have taken 27 corner kicks with opponents taking just 14 and are 2-3 from the spot already this season.
 
SCOUTING SAINT MARTIN'S
The start of the new season hasn't been kind to the Saints as they stand at 0-4 heading into their lone match of this weekend against Mines, though two of their losses have been by one goal including a 3-2 decision at Colorado Mesa last weekend.
 
Three different players have scored the three goals for Saint Martin's this fall in the persons of Rachel Kimura, Hinata Kojima and Lia Lopez. Two players, Payton Aselton and Inara Lopes De Andrade, have recorded assists.
 
Those five, along with Ravyn Mummey, have accounted for 14 of the 17 shot attempts that the Saints have taken as a team this season.
 
In goal Flavia Burrell started the first three matches of the year, allowing seven goals while making 21 saves against 52 shots faced and posted a 2.33 GAA and .750 save rate. Mallory Patzer got the nod last time out against Westminster on Sunday and made 10 saves while allowing two goals against 25 shots faced.
 
As a unit, Saint Martin's is -6 in goal differential being outscored 9-3 by their opponents and has been out shot 77-17 through four matches with 41 shots going on goal by opposing teams. They have two assists on their three goals and have a combined 32 saves in goal. They've taken 13 corner kicks with opponents taking 30 and have yet to attempt a PK this season.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN WASHINGTON
The Vikings dropped their first decision of 2024 Tuesday on the road to Azusa Pacific by a score of 1-0 in a tightly contested match that saw just 15 combined shot attempts, with six shots on target by each time with the game-winner for APU coming just 13 seconds after play resumed in the second half.
 
Mines will be the third RMAC opponent for WWU in their first five matches and entering Sunday are 1-0-1 against the likes of MSU Denver (T, 0-0) and then sixth-ranked UCCS (W, 2-0) and also be the third team to make the trip to Bellingham this fall.
 
So far two players account for three of the goals credited to the Vikings in 2024 (the third was an own goal against Sonoma State) as Morgan Manalili and Lydia Myers have each found the back of the net. Olivia Connell and Emily Rice are responsible for assists on those two offensive goals as that quartet is responsible for 20 of the team's 43 shot attempts.
 
In goal, Abigail Trengrove returns and through four matches has made 12 saves against just two goals allowed for a 0.50 GAA and an .857 save percentage against 27 shots faced and has two shutouts to her credit already.
 
As a team, WWU is +1 in goal differential but has only scored three times in four matches. They average 10.8 shots per game and limit the opposition to just 6.8 and put 5.0 shots on target per contest. They have two assists on their three goals and 12 saves defensively while taking 14 corner kicks and limiting teams to just five corners on the season.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Friday will be the first-ever meeting between Mines and Saint Martins, while Sunday will be the seventh time the Orediggers and Vikings square off. WWU holds a 3-2-1 lead in the series and is 2-0-0 all-time when playing in Bellingham, including a win in the 2022 NCAA Tournament on their way to the national championship that season. Mines does have the most recent win in the series, though, as they picked up a 2-0 result in Golden last September.
 
UP NEXT
Mines will be back at Stermole Stadium for homecoming weekend to begin RMAC play when they host UCCS Friday September 27 at 6 p.m. and CSU Pueblo Sunday September 29 at 1 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.