BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Looking to leave Harrington Field with a different outcome than in the 2022 national quarterfinals, the third-ranked Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team lined it up for their final non-conference action of the season Sunday under overcast skies against #RV Western Washington. After a pretty level start to the match, the Orediggers (6-0-0) finally broke through for the go-ahead goal late in the first half before adding some insurance late in the second to record the win over the Vikings (1-2-2) by a score of 2-0 for the second consecutive season.
 
Things started out rather pedestrian in terms of offensive highlights with just three combined shots in the opening 30 minutes between the two teams. Following a collision between Bella Campos and WWU keeper Grace Wales in the 30th minute on a 50-50 ball out near the edge of the six-yard box, the Orediggers put newcomer Ava Courtney to work right away as she made back-to-back saves against Reese McDermott and Laura Butler in the 33rd minute.
 
In the closing moments of the first half, Mines cracked the scoreboard on a spectacular play as they caught the Vikings' defense napping. McDermott collected a touch pass from Ava Harman at the edge of the 18-yard box. McDermott's attack was cut off by two defenders, forcing her to play the ball back out to Butler. Butler collected the pass and chipped the ball back toward goal all in one motion from about 30 yards out, finding Harman on the back end where she finished with a header past Courtney for the day's first goal to put the Orediggers ahead going to the break.
 
Coming out in the second half, Morgan Manalili tested Allie Lundgren 65 seconds into the period but the junior easily made the save before returning the ball into play. WWU's best chance at an equalizer came in the 72nd minute when off a throw in Abby Succi lined a shot off the right post with the rebound coming back to Lydia Myers who had a chance to head it home but couldn't quite get enough on it as Lundgren was able to corral the shot.
 
After the save, Mines wasted little time getting it back going the other way, as Ellise Putnam played a ball ahead from the center circle to McDermott, who had gotten behind the entirety of the Vikings' defense before shaking the keeper Courtney with a deke move for an uncontested right-footed finish to double the lead to 2-0.
 
One final shot at getting a rally started for the home team came from Kyrsten McGuffey in the 77th minute, but the sure-handed Lundgren again made the save. McDermott and Cloey Seltzer looked to add to the scoreboard in the final minutes and while both tries were denied by Courtney, the outcome was all but decided at that point with Mines posting a clean-sweep of their non-conference schedule with a 2-0 result.
 
NOTABLES
-Harman's goal was her third of the season, setting a new career-best mark in a season and now gives her six career goals, all of which have comes since the 2022 season
-Five of Harman's six career goals how now been game-winners as she now needs just two more go-ahead goals to tie Erin Onat (2008-11) and Caitlin Kaltenbaugh (2013-16) for seventh all-time
-Butler's assist was her first of the season and first since October 23, 2022 on the road at CSU Pueblo
-McDermott ran her point streak to three consecutive matches with her assist on the Harman goal, registering the 15th dime of her career in the process
-McDermott's assist was also her third in as many matches, marking the second such streak of three assists in her career as she registered a four-match streak last season from October 8-20
-The second half goal was the seventh of the season for McDermott and her sixth in the last three matches, tying the second-longest scoring streak of her career of three matches which last came from October 23-November 2, 2022 and ended up as part of a four-match goal streak
-The senior now has 41 career goals as she continues her march toward second all-time now needing 14 to tie Anna Evans (2010-13) while she now has 97 career points, 23 back of Megan Woodworth (2009-12) for third all-time and is on the cusp of becoming the fourth 100-point player in program history
-Putnam tallied her second assists of the season and 15th of her career on the McDermott goal
-Lundgren made four saves in goal on her way to her third shutout of the season and fourth of her career
-Despite being held to their second-lowest shot total of the season, Mines outshot WWU 12-10 in the match and 9-4 in SOGs
-The 6-0-0 start to the season is the first such start since the 2016 campaign when the Orediggers went 20-3-1
-Over the course of their six non-conference matches, Mines outscored teams 16-1 and outshot them 114-37 and 54-18 in SOGs
 
 
UP NEXT
With non-conference action concluded, Mines will begin their RMAC slate at Stermole Stadium this weekend over Homecoming against UCCS Friday September 27 at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. against CSU Pueblo. As part of Homecoming @ 150 festivities, Mines women's soccer alumni will be recognized over the weekend as part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the program.
 
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.