LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Opening their final weekend of the regular season at Cowgirl Field Friday, the seventh-ranked Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team used a big first half led by Afton Rasco and Bella Campos to cruise to a 3-0 win over New Mexico Highlands. The Orediggers (11-2-2, 8-1-1) did all their damage in the first 30 minutes as Rasco and Campos went back and forth swapping goals and assists while the defense and the duo of Allie Lundgren and Emma Thomas held the Cowgirls (1-13-0, 0-10-0) scoreless on the way to their eighth shutout of the season.
 
It didn't take long for the Orediggers to settle in and take control of the match. Following a save by Allie Lundgren on the other end, Mines countered the other way and saw a shot by Afton Rasco hit the back post and bounce right back to her. With Marie-France Foguenne and the rest of the NMHU defense scrambling, Rasco played the rebound to Bella Campos on a back post cutter for the goal to make it 1-0 in the 13th minute.
 
Just under two minutes later in the 15th minute, Mines doubled the lead to 2-0 with Campos and Rasco reversing roles. After being awarded a corner kick out of the far corner, Rasco's ball back in bounced off several players before settling at the field of Campos near the center of the box. Campos played it back wide to the flat for Rasco, who fired a one-timer to the near post as her shot floated off the hands of Foguenne and tucked neatly inside the upper corner to make it 2-0.
 
The Orediggers continued to press home their attack as the half went on, making it a 3-0 contest in the 29th minute. As New Mexico Highlands looked to get something going the other way, defensive pressure by Sam Forde and Jordan Bowermaster resulted in a turnover near midfield. Bowermaster played it back the other way to Rasco near the center circle before she lofted a pass ahead to Campos that set up a one-on-one against Foguenne. With Foguenne racing off her line and a defender on her hip, Campos flicked a lob shot over the head of the keeper before ducking left to avoid a collision as she watched the ball roll into the net for her second goal of the day.
 
NMHU managed a few looks in the closing minutes of the half against the second line of the Orediggers following some substitutions heading into the break, but both looks from Stella Albright and Dalma Zsigó were saved by Lundgren to maintain the lead and the shutout through 45 minutes.
 
The second half saw no change to the score as the teams combined for 13 shots with six on goal over the final 45 minutes. Emma Thomas took over for Lundgren following the intermission and made all three of her saves in the first 11 minutes of the period while Lindsay Jeans and Avery Kelley couldn't find a way to get past Foguenne. Both sides emptied their benches down the stretch as the Cowgirls never threatened beyond their initial burst to start the half as the Orediggers held serve and cruised to the 3-0 win.
 
NOTABLES
-Campos scored twice and added an assist for five points in just 32 minutes of action, bringing her totals on the year to 14 goals and four assists for 32 points as she moves back into a tie for first in goals with UCCS's Abby Stassi while reclaiming the points lead by one
-With her performance Friday, Campos becomes the fifth player in program history to register 100 career points, joining Kayla Mitchell (2006-09), Anna Evans (2010-13), Reese McDermott (2021-24) and Megan Woodworth (2009-12) and is now six goals back of 50 in her career; the junior needed just 60 career matches to reach the milestone and has averaged 1.67 points per match in her career with 44 goals and 15 assists for 103 points
-Rasco scored her third goal of the season and continued to add to her career year in assists, posting her eighth and ninth of the season to take over the RMAC lead; she now needs just one more assist to join into a four-way tie for the fourth-most assists in a single season with Emily Garnier (2016), Megan Woodworth (2010) and Anna Evans (12) and is also on the cusp of the top five all-time with 17 career assists
-Lundgren registered three saves in the first half before turning things over to Thomas for the final 45 as she also finished with three saves as the pair combined to post a shutout for the third time this fall
-Kelley made her first career start Friday and played the full 90 for the first time as and Oredigger
-Carly Walter, Caelan DeBolt and Annelise Rojo both recorded season high marks in minutes played with 25, 59 and 62 respectively
-Eight different Orediggers tallied a shot with Campos leading the way with five while Rasco and Izzy Sontheimer each added three
-Mines outshot NMHU 18-7 on the afternoon
-The Orediggers are now 21-4-3 all-time against NMHU and 9-2-3 in Las Vegas
 
UP NEXT
Mines is back home for their final home match of the regular season Sunday at 12 p.m. against Adams State as part of a doubleheader with the men's team.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's soccer on X 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.