GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team battled MSU Denver to a 2-2 draw Thursday evening at Stermole Stadium in a non-conference matchup between Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foes.
Leonardo Santana and
Abou Bakar Berthe scored the goals for Mines (1-1-4).
Charlie Newberry,
Tommy Jernigan, and
Kian Mueller collected one assist each. Oredigger goalkeeper
Kiernan DiBella recorded eight saves. Bakar Berthe and
Lucas Taitt led Mines with three shots apiece. MSU Denver (1-2-4) found goals off the respective feet of Charlie Matsumoto and Charlie Lucero. The Roadrunners finished the match touting 14 total attempts with 10 shots on goal. The Orediggers had 11 shots with three going on target.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It took Mines and MSU Denver less than 20 minutes to get a feel for each other. Then, the scoring came fast and furious. Santana put the Orediggers on the scoreboard first in the 18th minute. A long throw-in by Newberry from the sideline found Santana's head. The redirect went low and left, away from the MSU Denver goalkeeper.
Ayman Bushara was in close proximity to finish if needed. Three minutes and three seconds later, the Roadrunners responded on a cross from Matt Vogel to Matsumoto at the top of the penalty area. That tally made the score 1-1 in the 21st minute. Bakar Berthe pushed Mines back into the lead at 25:33 on a beautiful buildup which started from the Orediggers' back line.
Maxwell Stultz played the ball across the midline to Jernigan who quickly found Mueller charging central into the attacking third. A touch from Mueller to the far-right corner of the penalty area was all Bakar Berthe needed for a powerful finish and a 2-1 lead. That resounding strike wrapped the scoring and most legitimate chances in the first half.
The final 45 minutes of action had plenty of opportunities but far less scoring. MSU Denver found its key moment less than six minutes into the start of the second period. In the 51st minute, DiBella saved one Roadrunner shot, but the rebound got away and Lucero knocked it home for the equalizer. As the half went on, MSU Denver pushed nine players into its offensive half, desperate for a game-winner. However, Mines held strong on defense and just missed its own game-winner in the 67th minute when a sharp, low attempt by Mueller glanced off the right post. Eventually the clock hit 90 minutes and both teams had to settle for the draw.
NOTABLES
- Mines is now 48-36-11 in the all-time series against MSU Denver.
- The Orediggers are 7-1-3 against the Roadrunners since 2017.
- Thursday's draw was Mines' fourth straight in 2025. The Orediggers haven't lost a match since Sept. 11.
- Santana's goal was the first of his collegiate career.
- Bakar Berthe notched his second goal of the season and as an Oredigger. He touts 11 as a collegiate student-athlete.
- Jernigan, Mueller, and Newberry all boast two assists each this season. Mueller is up to three in less than two seasons with Mines.
- DiBella's eight saves marked career high for the true freshman.
- Mines Head Coach
Greg Mulholland is now 90-26-22 as the Orediggers' head man.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines plays Westminster in Salt Lake City on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Fans can keep up with Mines volleyball on "X" (formerly Twitter) at @minesvolleyball and on Instagram at @mines.volleyball. They can also follow all of Mines Athletics year around on Facebook, "X", and Instagram at @MinesAthletics.
