LA MIRADA, Calif. – Seeking to put a disappointing loss Thursday out of their minds, the Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team resumed action Saturday night against Biola and came away with a hard-earned 2-2 draw in a match that at times looked more like a main event in the ring than a soccer match. Trailing to the Eagles (1-2-1) on two separate occasions, the Orediggers (1-1-1) netted goals from Charlie Newberry and Brady Scheinfeld to come away with the result.
 
Kiernan DiBella went to work for Mines in the fifth minute, making a save against Luca McGreevy Couchman and again in the 14th minute, also against McGreevy Couchman.
 
As the half wore on, the shots started to stack up in favor of the Eagles as they quickly hit double figure looks at goal in the opening 45 minutes.
 
Biola broke through in the waning moments of the first half as Ryan Ellsworth scored with help from Jake Saffer to take a one score lead into the intermission.
 
DiBella rebounded as play resumed in the second half, making a pair of saves in the first 10 minutes of the period to keep it a 1-0 game as Mines looked to get their offense going.
 
As it turned out, it didn't take long for that to happen as 83 seconds after DiBella's fourth save of the night, Lucas Taitt connected with Newberry for the equalizer. Taking a long throw in for the Orediggers deep in their attacking third, Taitt's heave sailed well inside the box to the top of the six, where it was headed up and toward the back post by Luke Hanna. Charging in to finish things up was Newberry, left all by himself by the back post as his lunging header snuck past the reach of Francesco Tricarico to tie things up at 1-1.
 
A wild sequence of events in the 70th minute saw Biola's keeper Tricarico sent off with a read hard after striking Hudson Waddell in the midsection with his foot as he was attempting to clear a ball played back to him. Mines was awarded a penalty as Taitt's shot was saved by Jaden Nisperos to keep things even at 1-1.
 
Now playing down a man, Biola flipped the momentum the other way as they scored a shorthanded goal when DiBella came out nearly 30 yards from goal to try and break up a breakaway run by Ryan Ellsworth, but slid and missed allowing Ellsworth to score a nearly uncontested goal in the 71st minute.
 
Things flipped almost immediately back the other way for Mines as the Orediggers immediately renewed their attack against the short-handed Eagles. With another throw in opportunity deep in Biola's end of the field, this time from the far side of the field, Taitt sent another long throw into the box and found the head of Scheinfeld as the second-year man playing in just his third career match slipped a shot just inside the back post to tie things up at 2-2 with 16 minutes to go.
 
With the score even once more, both sides frantically sought the go-ahead score as time continued to tick by. The intensity ratcheted up as well, with the aggressive play against Waddell and subsequent ejection of Biola's starting goalie impacting the remainder of the match. Both sides ditched decorum as hard challenges and fouls dominated the final quarter hour of action.
 
Mines' best look at a go-ahead score came on a header by Taitt of a free kick that missed wide of the near post while Biola had a series of free kicks just beyond the top of the penalty area that all sailed high and wide.
 
Three cautions were issued in the final four minutes, including one to Biola's reserve keeper Nisperos. In the end, neither side was able to find the net for the go-ahead score as the clock struck zero on a physical 2-2 draw.
 
NOTABLES
-Newberry's goal was the second of his career and first of the season
-Scheinfeld's goal was the first of his career and comes in just his third career match as he also played the full 90 minutes for the first time in his career
-Taitt recorded his first career points with the assists on the long throw ins on the Newberry and Scheinfeld goals
-Hanna was credited with an assist on the Newberry goal, the first of his career
-DiBella ended the night with four saves
-Leo Santana and Scheinfeld each made their first career starts in the match
-Mines was outshot 24-6 in the match, but put five of their six shots on target
-A combined 17 fouls and five cards were assessed in the match which saw both of Biola's keepers assessed a disciplinary card
 
UP NEXT
Mines is back home at Stermole Stadium for two matches next weekend against #2 Cal State Los Angeles on Friday September 19 at 7 p.m. followed by a noon matchup with Cal Poly Pomona on Sunday September 21.
 
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.