DENVER, Colo. – Looking to gain some momentum heading into the conference opener next week, the Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team made the short trip to the Assembly Athletic Complex in downtown to take on MSU Denver in the first of two meetings this season. Though the Orediggers (1-7-0) scored first, the Roadrunners (3-4-1) managed to net three of their own before the intermission to take a 3-1 win.
 
It took only 76 seconds for the Orediggers to jump on the board. After a shot from Luke Hanna missed out right, Mines was awarded a corner kick from the bench side of the field. Marc Zimmermann was the one to put it back into play and delivered a magnificent ball that found Ayman Bushara all alone on the back post for the tap in goal and the lead.
 
MSU Denver went to work about equalizing things with the resumption of play as in the seventh minute Dallas Baer tried to get one by Allaire, but had not luck. Five minutes later in the 12th however, the Roadrunners did find the net on a goal from Nicco Shiappa from Luke Bone on a corner kick of their own to level at 1-1.
 
The Roadrunners went ahead moments later by way of a defensive miscue by Mines. Cooper Landry outraced Alex Gonzalez to the end line and played a cross to one of his teammates inside the six-yard area. Allaire came out looking to intercept while Caelin David came back looking to break it up as the ball caromed into the net on the play for an own goal to make it 2-1.
 
Allaire rebounded with a save in the 22nd minute, but in the 33rd the Roadrunners scored again following a turnover by the Orediggers deep in their own end which saw Harrison Tibbets head one home inside the far post thanks to Parker Landry and Joey Kresnik to make it 3-1.
 
A try from Kian Mueller in the 38th minute was saved by Nick McNiel as it remained a two-score game going to halftime.
 
The second half opened with MSUD nearly adding a fourth goal as a shot from Bone in the 49th minute hit the left post before bouncing out of play.
 
Gabriel Rodriguez and Zimmermann each had looks in the 61st and 65th minutes but came away empty as it remained 2-1.
 
To the Orediggers' credit, they turned in a gem of a defensive effort in the second half directed by Peter Saunders in goal, allowing just six shots by the Roadrunners and none in the final 28 minutes of action. Despite making a last-ditch effort in the closing 10 minutes of the action with a flurry of substitutions, the Orediggers came up short in the 3-1 contest.
 
NOTABLES
-Bushara's goal was his second of the season, tying him for the team lead with Rodriguez
-Bushara's goal also set a new career-high and doubled his career total entering the 2024 season as he scored once in each of his two seasons at Air Force
-Zimmermann's assist was his first of the year and fourth of his career as he now has recorded a point in each of his three seasons as an Oredigger
-Smith Russell made his first career start and logged 52 minutes of action with one shot attempt
-Noah Roles played a season-best 64 minutes off the bench
-Allaire ended the afternoon with three saves in 45 minutes during the first half
-David returned to the starting lineup, logging 26 minutes of action
-Abou Bakar Berthe played a season-best 38 minutes with one shot
-Maxwell Stultz logged a season-best 80 minutes of action
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers return to Stermole Stadium next weekend starting Thursday night at 6 p.m. against #5 UCCS before hosting #9 CSU Pueblo Sunday at 12 p.m. for the first weekend of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
 
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.