#3 Mines (6-0-0) vs. UCCS (2-2-2) – Friday, 6 p.m. – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#3 Mines (6-0-0) vs. CSU Pueblo (1-3-2) – Sunday, 1 p.m. – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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THE ROAD BEGINS
After sweeping their way through their six non-conference matches to open 2024, the ## Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team returns to Stermole Stadium for Homecoming weekend as they begin Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action starting Friday night against defending league champion UCCS before hosting CSU Pueblo Sunday afternoon.
 
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.
 
PARKING ADVISORY
With a full slate of events taking place starting Friday evening as part of Homecoming@150 festivities, parking may be limited on campus for Friday's match against UCCS. The Mines-Golden OreCart shuttle service will run until 8:30 p.m. The Splash Lot at Splash Aquatic Park is available and is a stop on the OreCart route. Information about on-campus parking as well as the OreCart shuttle service may be found by clicking on those selections.
 
HOMECOMING@150, WOMEN'S SOCCER@20
This weekend is Homecoming weekend at Mines and as part of the Mines@150 celebration this year, this year's edition of the event is primed to be a big one. In addition to 2024 being the 150th anniversary of Colorado School of Mines' founding, it is also the 20th anniversary of the introduction of women's soccer at the university. This weekend, dozens of alumni from the first 19 seasons of the program's history will descend on Golden this weekend to celebrate, reminisce and cheer on the Orediggers this weekend.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches this weekend will be streamed free of charge on the RMAC Network. 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 3 RECAP
Mines went north by northwest last weekend for a pair of matches in the Evergreen State against Saint Martin's and Western Washington. Friday against the Saints Afton Rasco led the charge with a career day, scoring twice and recording two assists for six points while Reese McDermott scored two goals in succession while adding an assist for five points. Washington native Kaitlyn Manalili also added an assist while Allie Lundgren logged two saves in goal.
 
Sunday against the Vikings, Ava Harman was at it again with her third game-winner of the season on a header from Laura Butler thanks to an attack run by McDermott right before the half. McDermott then went on to score again in the second half after teaming up with Ellise Putnam to run her points, scoring and assist streaks all to three matches while in goal Lundgren made four saves directing her third straight 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 230-41-38 (.806), 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.
 
SENSATIONAL START
A 6-0-0 start to the season sure sets a tone for a team and program heading into the gauntlet that is RMAC play. However, the last time a Mines team started 6-0-0, the season turned out pretty alright. Back in 2016 the Orediggers did just that and ended up making a run to the NCAA Quarterfinals, sweeping the RMAC Championships, winning the NCAA South Central Region and posting a record of 20-3-1 overall and 10-2-0 in conference play. That season, the winningest in program history, is a good one to be mentioned in the same sentence with as the 2024 club looks to maintain their torrid start this fall.
 
WANNA SEE ME SCORE? WANNA SEE ME DO IT AGAIN?
With as much firepower as the Mines offense has at its disposal, scoring quickly isn't all that uncommon an occurrence. But Friday Reese McDermott took that to a whole new level. In the 84th minute against Saint Martins, the senior from Houston scored twice in a span of 29 seconds. That's the third-quickest consecutive goals in program history behind the duos of Kayla Mitchell and Mikayla Buenger (12 seconds, 10/12/08 vs. Adams State) and Alyson Burchardt and Ann Newman (24 seconds, 9/17/05 vs, Johnson & Wales). But you readers might be saying "McDermott did that by herself!" Well fear not, as that 29 seconds between goals shattered the previous record of fastest consecutive goals by an individual ever at Mines. The previous record holder was Lauren Clingman who scored twice a minute apart on September 24, 2021 against Adams State. Oh, and one more thing, McDermott's double-dip was just the fifth sub-60 second two*goal performance in program history.
 
WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
For the first time since October 2021, Mines made a clean sweep of the RMAC's weekly awards with Reese McDermott and Allie Lundgren repeating as Offensive Player and Goalkeeper of the Week, while Ava Harman earned her second honor this season as Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career. Read more about the trio's performances 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 remained at #3 this week as more shuffling continued to take place in the rest of the poll. Colorado Mesa dropped out this week from #14 but still earned votes as did MSU Denver. Grand Valley State and Gannon remained 1-2 followed by the Orediggers with Columbus State and Cal Poly Pomona rounding out the top five this week.
 
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. Now up to seven goals in 2024, the senior now can claim sole possession of third place all-time in scoring with 41 goals and counting, passing Megan Woodworth (2009-12) and after another monster weekend now stands at 97 career points, three shy of becoming the fourth 100-point player in program history. She's still two game-winning goals behind Woodworth for third in that department and now is just three assists back of tying the great Kayla Mitchell (2006-09) for fifth in that department. Ellise Putnam also finds herself on the cusp of the record books as she too has 15 assists in her career.
 
Meanwhile, goalie Sadie Wolf's opening day shutout raised 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 is up to 42 points in her career and is already 10th on the all-time list, trailing behind Haley Cole's (2014-17) mark of 46 for ninth.
 
CHECKING THE STATS
It may not come as a shock to hear that Reese McDermott's team-leading seven goals also lead the RMAC entering conference play this weekend, as do her three assists 17 points, 27 shots and 15 shots on goal. About the only thing she doesn't lead the league in in game-winning goals, as that honor goes to Ava Harman with three as she also has an assist for eight points. Bella Campos has two goals and two assists for six points as does Afton Rasco after her do-it-all outing last Friday.
 
Laura Butler and Natalie Rouse each round out the scoring with one goal apiece, while the rest of the assist department sees Kaitlyn Manalili and Ellise Putnam with two each and Butler, Cloey Seltzer and Jordan Bowermaster with one assist.
 
Allie Lundgren has stepped into the starting role the last three matches and has pitched three shutouts, making 11 saves against 22 total shots faced in 315 minutes and is yet to allow a goal in 2024. Sadie Wolf started the season in goal, appearing in the first three matches for 225 minutes and making six saves against one goal allowed for a 0.40 GAA and an .857 save rate with a shutout against 15 shots faced.
 
As a team Mines is +15 in scoring margin at 16-1, averaging 2.67 goals and 19.0 shots per contest while allowing just 0.17 and 6.2. They have been whistled for 45 fouls and have been issued just one caution. 17 saves have been made in goal, 38 corner kicks have been taken and they are 2-3 on penalty kicks.
 
SCOUTING UCCS
It's been about an even a start as J.B. Belzer could have asked for with the Mountain Lions in 2024 as his club enters RMAC play following a 1-1 weekend in California with a 4-3 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills and a 5-2 loss to defending national champion #17 Point Loma.
 
Six different players have found the back of the net for UCCS to start the fall led by Emily Aguilar with three goals and Brooke Pavlich with a pair. Fie Steenberg, Luka Johnson, Taylynn Levi and Jessica Rockwell all have one goal apiece. Four players each have an assist including Aguilar and Steenberg along with Sopha Broberg and Amelia McManus.
 
The departure of All-American keeper Isabella Whitmore has resulted in a youth movement in goal for the Mountain Lions with freshmen Alexa Malaspina and Izzy Lalouette taking over. Malaspina has started all six matches and logged 526 minutes, making 22 saves against 11 goals allowed for a 1.88 GAA and .667 save rate and is 2-2-2 with two shutouts against 62 shots faced. Lalouette came on in relief against PLNU Sunday and logged 14 minutes in her collegiate debut and has yet to record any statistics.
 
On the season, UCCS is -2 in goal differential at 11-9 and averages 1.50 goals and 11.8 shots per match with opposing teams averaging 1.83 and 10.5 respectively. They have four assists on their nine goals and have 23 saves as a team. They have committed 47 fouls and been issued three cautions, taken 20 corner kicks and are just 1-3 on PKs this season.
 
SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO
Following a 1-0 win over Rockhurst in their second match of the season, CSU Pueblo is 0-3-1 in their last four matches and last weekend came out on the wrong end against #10 Tampa and #7 Cal Poly Pomona by scores of 2-1 and 6-2. The ThunderWolves will be in Durango Friday night for their RMAC opener against Fort Lewis Friday night before heading to Golden Sunday afternoon.
 
Four players have comprised the offensive output for CSUP in their first six matches led by Sydney Lasater with three goals. Cameron Farthing, Abby Menk and Allyson Sparks all have one goal each. Carila Johnson and Jerzie Troost have the only two assists so far this season.
 
In goal, fifth-year keeper Jaqueline Dominguez and freshman Elaina Leitner have just about split time evenly this season. The newcomer has started three times in four appearances for 279 minutes and made 15 saves while allowing 11 goals for a 3.55 GAA and .577 save rate against 47 shots faced. Dominguez started the first three matches of the season before leaving with nine minutes left against Cal State San Bernardino and hasn't seen the field since, but in her 261 minutes played she logged 15 saves against two goals allowed for a 0.69 GAA and an .882 save percentage and a shutout.
 
As a team CSU Pueblo is -7 scoring at 13-6 this season and averages 1.00 goals and 7.7 shots per match with opponents putting up 2.17 and 13.5. They have two assists on their six goals and have 30 saves in goal. They have committed 54 fouls and been issued six cautions while taking 16 corner kicks and going 0-1 on penalties.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Though Mines leads the series with UCCS 17-8-2 all-time, the Mountain Lions have had the upper hand in recent years taking three of the last five matches including a 2-0 win in Colorado Springs in the RMAC opener last year. 2022 was the last meeting in Golden, and saw Mines pick up a 2-1 win in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
 
Against the ThunderWolves, the Orediggers are 18-8-5 and looking to atone for a 1-1 draw in Pueblo last year that broke up a three-game winning streak. Since 2016, Mines is 7-1-3 against CSU Pueblo and when playing in Golden during that span, is 5-0-1 and outscored the ThunderWolves 15-3 in those matches.
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers open up a four-match road trip next weekend when they head to Black Hills State Friday October 4 before returning to the Denver metro area and making the trip over to Regis Sunday October 6.
 
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.