GOLDEN, Colo. – Playing at home for just the second time this season Sunday, the ninth-ranked Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team opened their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule opposite Fort Lewis in front of a crowd close to 400-strong at Stermole Stadium. In a match that started slow before building to a fever-pitch ending, it was the Orediggers (4-1-1, 1-0-0) came out ahead thanks to a 90th minute penalty kick by Callie Fuhr to down the Skyhawks (3-4-1, 0-2-0) for the second time in as many meetings by a final score of 1-0.
 
It took less than a minute of action for Fort Lewis to fire the opening salvo in the match, but chances in the opening part of the match were hard to come by for both the Orediggers and the Skyhawks. Amber Otts lined the first shot on goal of the match into the hands of Allie Lundgren in the 18th minute.
 
Meanwhile the two best looks for Mines came in the waning moments before halftime as a corner kick into a scrum in front of goal caromed off the person of Natalie Mezarina toward the near post before being cleared away by a defender. Izzy Sontheimer then collected up the rebound in the final 10 seconds but her shot missed high and wide right as the first half ended with no change to the scoreboard.
 
With the resumption of play, the pace picked up as whatever each halftime message was received by each time with immediate effect. Sam Forde, Bella Campos and Callie Fuhr each lined up shots that missed their marks or were blocked over an eight-minute stretch starting in the 48th minute. FLC meanwhile started stacking chances in their attacking third starting the 59th minute with Jenna Salazar and Otts combining for three cracks at Lundgren, though none ever really threatened coming from beyond 25 and 30 yards away. Molly Widmark tried to sneak one near post against Lundgren in the 74th minute for the Skyhawks on perhaps their most competitive chance of the period, but the senior made a diving save saw the action remain scoreless.
 
As time wound down, both the intensity and physicality went up as numerous players hit the deck by way of hard challenges with not many whistles for stoppages of play disrupting game action. One whistle that finally did draw a stoppage was a big one and came with just 33 seconds left in regulation to provide the Orediggers with an opportunity to win.
 
With Mines on the attack, Jolie Jircek played a ball from the near side of the field toward to opposite corner of the 18 for Bella Campos. Campos, along with Skyhawk defender Addyson Carpentier, skied for the ball looking to win the aerial, but Carpentier got too much of Campos on the play, sending her to the ground inside the box and awarding a penalty kick to the Orediggers. Campos handed the ball off the Fuhr, who wasted no time attacking freshman goalkeeper Trinity Lujan. Lujan misread the senior's run-up and got caught leaning to the far post when instead Fuhr buried a strike nearside for the go-ahead score to earn Mines the 1-0 win and three points to begin league play.
 
NOTABLES
-Fuhr's goal was the second of her career and first since October 8, 2023 against Western Colorado
-Fuhr is now the sixth different Oredigger to score a goal in 2025
-Fuhr's goal checks in as the sixth-latest goal in regulation in program history, and the third-latest game-winner in regulation behind Reese McDermott (89:53, 10/24/24 vs. MSU Denver) and Kayla Mitchell (89:39, 9/9/07 vs. New Mexico Highlands)
-Four different Orediggers ended the day with at least two shots including Forde, Campos, Rasco and Fuhr
-Lundgren recorded her second shutout of the season thanks to a season-high seven saves
-Match captain Allyson Townsend provided major minutes off the bench in the second half, helping stymie Fort Lewis in her 23 minutes on the day
-Avery Kelley played a season-high 45 minutes off the bench
-Annelise Rojo made her Stermole Stadium debut in her first career start, clocking a career-high 52 minutes
-Fort Lewis outshot Mines 17-11 overall and 7-2 in shots on goal in the match
-With the win, the Orediggers improve to 22-7-3 all-time against the Skyhawks and 14-1-1 when playing at home
 
UP NEXT
Four in a row away from home awaits the Orediggers though only one will take them outside the Denver metro area as they'll head back to Spearfish for a Friday afternoon clash with Black Hills State before heading over to Federal Boulevard Sunday to square off with #RV Regis.
 
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.