Mines (0-12-3, 0-6-1) at #2 CSU Pueblo (12-0-2, 6-0-2) – Thursday, 7 p.m. – Pueblo, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (0-12-3, 0-6-1) at #23 UCCS (9-2-5, 4-2-2), Sunday, 12 p.m. – Colorado Springs [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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ROAD FINALE
Just three matches remain in the regular season for the Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team as they hit the road for the final time in 2026 this weekend. Two Top 25 opponents are on deck this weekend, starting with #2 CSU Pueblo Thursday night before squaring off with #23 UCCS Sunday afternoon.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
This weekend's matches will be available to watch with a subscription to the RMAC Network. Free live stats will be available as well. Links for video and stats can be found on minesathletics.com.
 
RMAC NETWORK 
The RMAC Network continues to have a pay-per-view model for all events. Fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $12.50, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours. For technical support questions, fans can contact Hudl Support or email the RMAC directly (rmac@rmacsports.org). For further support, fans can visit the RMAC Network Help page.
 
THIS WEEK'S FORECAST
It should be another pleasant October Colorado weekend as Mines hits the road for the final time this fall. Thursday's forecast in Pueblo calls for a high of 77 with overcast skies and southwest winds at eight miles per hour. Sunday in Colorado Springs will be cooler, with chances of morning showers leading into a high of 55 with southeast winds at 11 miles per hour.
 
WEEK 8 RECAP
Mines dropped a heartbreaker to Adams State Thursday night 3-2 before being beaten 7-1 Sunday by Fort Lewis. Timothé Strout scored the first goal of the night with help from Murray Peart and Hudson Waddell before the Grizzlies scored twice late in the first half before adding a third in the closing minutes. Avi Levin scored a PK shortly after the third ASU goal, as the Orediggers dominated the second half but weren't able to rally for the result. Sunday against Fort Lewis, the Skyhawks controlled the action from start to finish, scoring three times in the first half followed by four in the second half. Pol Garcia Oliveras broke up the shutout with a second half goal with an assist to Levin on the play. Noah Hildreth made seven saves in goal on the weekend, including a season-high six Sunday.
 
IN THE POLLS
In August's RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Mines was tabbed to finish eighth in the league this season. UCCS claimed the top spot followed by Regis, Fort Lewis, MSU Denver and CSU Pueblo in the top five. Westminster and Colorado Mesa were directly ahead of the Orediggers, while behind them South Dakota Mines, Colorado Christian and Adams State rounded out the final three spots in the 11-team rankings.
 
NEW MAN IN CHARGE
After joining the Orediggers as the program's top assistant in 2025, Ben Fredrickson was elevated to Interim Head Coach following the conclusion of the 2025-26 academic year. Prior to joining the Orediggers, Fredrickson served as Real Colorado's Assistant Academy Director and head coach of the U16 MLS Next Academy Team. Prior to his return to Colorado, he spent time in numerous roles with Tennessee Soccer Club from 2022 to mid-2024 as the Video Analysis Director, ECNL Head Coach and Assistant ECNL Director. Fredrickson also spent three seasons with Albion SC Las Vegas, where he was an MLS Next Assistant Coach, U14 Elite Academy Coach and club-wide Video Analysis Director. Prior to coaching at the club and professional levels, Fredrickson logged six years of experience at the collegiate level, getting his start in 2014 as an assistant with Division I Buffalo where he worked with eight All-MAC selections and one MLS draft pick. The following season he moved to Mobile, Alabama for two stints with Spring Hill College, the first from 2015-17 and the second from 2018-19. In between his time at Spring Hill, Fredrickson spent a season with Division I Duquesne University.
 
JOINING THE STAFF
Some new faces will be helping coach the Orediggers this season. Patrick Alvarez joins the bench as well after spending time at Bloomsburg as a graduate assistant following his playing career at Malone, bringing plenty of Division II experience to Mines. Ryszard Gorski joins the staff to work with the goalkeepers, and comes from the Colorado Storm organization where he serves as the Director of Goalkeeping.
 
FIVE YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY PASSES
In early August, NCAA Division II passed a sweeping change to eligibility rules that now gives all student-athletes five seasons of eligibility in a five-year span, and eliminates redshirting. It will apply to this year's incoming freshmen, and returning players can either convert to the new rule or be grandfathered into continuing with the old four-year model, whichever is more beneficial. The new rules supersede the previous freshman rule that allowed them to play in up to four games while still redshirting. 
 
NCAA CHANGES POSTSEASON PROCESS
Another significant change coming to NCAA Division II is how they select the postseason championship field. Playoff selections will now be handled solely by the NCAA Power Index (NPI) instead of regional committees, removing the human element from the process; NPI takes into account winning percentage and strength of schedule, quality wins, and home/away weights, rewarding challenging schedules and road wins more so than in years past.
 
AROUND THE WORLD
Eight different countries or territories are represented on the roster for the Orediggers in 2026. With 20 players hailing from the United States, seven others hail from all corners of the globe. Carlo Kobelt (Germany), Murray Peart (Australia), Djaz Less (Jamaica), Pol Garcia Oliveras (Spain), Marco Vecchini (Puerto Rico), Kaoru Kato (Japan) and Timothé Strout (Canada) bring an international flair to the program, the likes of which hasn't been seen in some time. Additionally, Zeus Tabora, Max Robertson and Luke Marcus all have international ties as well. Tabora has played for the U17 and U20 Honduran National Teams, while Robertson and Marcus both spent a year in Spain competing for CDJ Manisense after graduating high school.
 
THE CAPTAIN
Andrew DeBerardinis was selected by the team to serve as captain following the conclusion of preseason camp. A veteran player on the Oredigger roster this fall, DeBerardinis brings four seasons of Division I experience with him as Mines looks to make a statement in the RMAC this fall.
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT
If one were to look at the Mines roster this fall, one of the first things to jump out would be the distinct lack of upperclassmen. Of the 27 players comprising this year's team, fifth-year senior Andrew DeBeradinis is the lone upperclassman of the bunch. The remaining 26 players are comprised of seven sophomores, four second-year freshmen and 15 first-year freshmen. Without question, that breakdown makes the Orediggers the youngest team in the RMAC by far.
 
LOOKING AT THE STANDINGS
CSU Pueblo was first to clinch a spot in the postseason over the weekend as they remain unbeaten on the year and in league play with a mark of 6-0-2 with 20 points. Regis is second at 5-1-1 with 16 points, followed by Fort Lewis 15 points at 5-2-0. UCCS is fourth at 4-2-2 and 14 points ahead of South Dakota Mines in fifth at 3-3-2 with 11 points. Westminster holds the sixth and final playoff spot with 10 points and a mark of 3-3-1. Colorado Mesa and MSU Denver are tied for seventh with nine points and records of 2-2-3 and 3-4-0 respectively. Colorado Christian is ninth at 2-5-0 with six points followed by Adams State in 10th at 1-6-0 with three points. Mines brings up the rear with one point and a record of 0-6-1.
 
HEATING UP
No Oredigger has been hotter the last three weeks than Pol Garcia Oliveras. The freshman from Barcelona has scored in four of the last six matches for Mines and also has an assist as he's vaulted to the top of the stat sheet on offense with four goals and two assists on the year for 10 points. He played the hero Sunday in Grand Junction, scoring the match-tying goal in the 81st minute to help Mines earn their first points in RMAC play. Heading into the final weeks of the season, Garcia Oliveras is sure to be one to keep an eye on as he looks to throw his name into the running for All-RMAC honors.
 
FIRST STRIKE OFFENSE
Following last Thursday's match with Adams State, Mines has now scored first in a match six times this season. While putting the ball in the net first usually leads to success, it has been maintaining the lead that has proved a challenge for the Orediggers this season. Heading on the road this weekend, they'll look to keep up their first-strike tendencies to keep CSU Pueblo and UCCS off-balance.
 
FAMILIAR FACE
Mines will see a familiar face Sunday afternoon in Colorado Springs in the person of Lucas Taitt. Taitt, who spent the first two years of his career in Golden, redshirted in 2024 before debuting in 2025. Taitt scored goal and led Mines with eight assists for 10 points as he started 11 times in 16 matches for 997 minutes. Amidst the offseason turnover within the Oredigger program, Taitt departed following the spring season and transferred to UCCS. This season, he's been a constant fixture in the lineup for the Mountain Lions, scoring 13 times in 15 matches for 702 minutes with five goals and an assist for 11 points.
 
CHECKING THE STATS
Pol Garcia Oliveras scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season Sunday and has two assists for a team-leading 12 points. Avi Levin is second in scoring with four goals along with two assists of his own for 10 points. Murray Peart now leads the team with three assists in addition to his two goals for seven points. Davyan Martinez has scored once with an assist while Mason Robledo and Timothé Strout have scored once each. Kaoru Kato, Djaz Less and Hudson Waddell round out the contributors on offense with one assist each.
 
In goal, Noah Hildreth has been the leading man this fall, starting all seven of his appearances for 585 minutes. Against 99 shots faced, he's allowed 20 goals and made 22 saves for a 3.08 GAA and a .524 save percentage with one shutout. Zach MacDonald has started five times in six appearances for 495 minutes and against 88 shots, has made a team-high 25 saves against 14 goals allowed for a 2.55 GAA and a .641 save percentage. Kiernan DiBella has appeared three times for 270 minutes. Against 44 shots he's made 15 saves and allowed five goals for a 1.67 GAA and a .750 save percentage.
 
This season Mines has been outscored 39-14 and averages 0.93 goals on 9.7 shots per match while ceding 2.60 goals on 15.4 shots per match to opposing teams. They have 11 assists on their 14 goals and are 2-2 on penalties this season. They have made 63 saves in goal and taken 44 corner kicks. Mines has been called for 191 fouls, issued 40 yellow cards and assessed two ejections.
 
SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO
CSU Pueblo ran their winning streak to five matches over the weekend with a pair results decided by one goal each, as they went on the road and defeated MSU Denver 2-1 and Colorado Christian 3-2. Sunday the ThunderWolves had to rally from a 2-1 deficit, scoring twice in the last 22 minutes to earn the win including the go-ahead score in the 87th minute.
 
Two matches are left in the regular season for The Pack who remain unbeaten in 2026. Nick Cenek is making a case for RMAC Player of the Year this fall with 11 goals and four assists for 26 points. He leads 11 players who have scored this season and is followed by the duo of Juan Pablo Orozco Soto and Matty Parkes with five goals each. Joao Lutz has four goals, while Jamal Bynum has scored three times. Pedro Martinez and Brandon Sanchez have each scored twice while a further four players, Silvio Termini, Alberta Barrios, Alexander Bailey and Don Carlo Rank, have scored once each.
 
Looking at assists, Jose Peris Gimeno leads the team with five followed by Cenek's four. Termini is next on the list with three while Orozco Soto, Lutz, Esteban Gonzalez, Modicai Jones, Gabriel Marchesoni and Leonardo Vilchis all have two assists each. Seven other ThunderWolves have a single assist on the year.
 
Three men have seen action in goal for The Pack this fall, headlined by Esteban Gonzalez. He's started all 13 of his appearances for 1,170 minutes and against 111 shots, has made 36 saves and allowed 10 goals for a 0.77 GAA and a .783 save percentage. He's got five shutouts as well as a goalie assist this fall. Vitor Henning has started his lone appearance of the year for 77:01 and made three saves against five shots faced without allowing a goal. He combined for a shutout of Adams State with Gianluca Suardi who played the final 12:59 of that match and saved the only shot he faced.
 
On the season, CSU Pueblo has outscored teams 36-10 and averages 2.57 goals on 14.1 shots per match while allowing just 0.71 goals and 8.4 shots per match to opponents. They have 31 assists on their 36 goals and are 5-6 on PKs this season. The Pack has made 40 saves in goal and taken 73 corner kicks. They have been called for 162 fouls, issued 40 yellow cards and assessed one ejection.
 
SCOUTING UCCS
UCCS had a four-match winning streak snapped Sunday at the hands of MSU Denver by a score of 3-1 in Denver. The Mountain Lions opened their weekend with a 1-0 win at Colorado Christian Friday morning following wins over #24 Regis, #14 Fort Lewis and Adams State. Sunday's action against Mines is the lone match of the week for UCCS, who also has just two matches left in the regular season.
 
An even dozen players have scored in 2026 for the Mountain Lions, led by Yohann Fila and his seven goals. Cole Wearner has six followed by former Orediggers Lucas Taitt with five. Eduardo Macias has scored four times, while Toby Benitrez and Marcus Garcia have scored three and two times respectively. Sean Belzer, Moses Kamara, Diego Macias, Dalton Uehling, Jack Cook and Olly Reynolds round out the scoring.
 
13 players have an assist this season for UCCS, including six with three or more. Eduardo Macias tops the stat sheet with four assists followed by Fila, Wearner, Benitez, Garcia and Dillon Clarke who all have three assists. Belzer and Kamara have two apiece while Taitt, Diego Macias, Uehling, Ieuan Bailey and Maddox Brown have one each.
 
Between the pipes, Hugo Sjöberg has led the way, starting all 15 of his appearances for 1,280:52. Against 179 shots in that time, he's made and RMAC-leading 61 saves while allowing 14 goals for a 0.98 GAA and a .813 save percentage along with five shutouts. Charlie Lewis has spelled him in goal, starting once in two appearances for 159:08 and made seven saves against two goals while facing 22 shots.
 
This season, UCCS has outscored teams 33-17 and averages 2.06 goals on 18.4 shots per match while allowing 1.06 goals on 12.6 shots to opponents. They have 28 assists on their 33 goals and are 2-3 on penalties. They have made 68 saves in goal and have taken 109 corner kicks. The Mountain Lions have been called for 181 fouls and 39 cautions.

SERIES HISTORY
Mines enters Thursday night in Pueblo looking to snap a three-match losing streak in the series. Overall, the Orediggers lead the ThunderWolves 42-16-7 and sport a record of 18-8-5 when playing on the road. Last season, CSU Pueblo squeaked out a 3-2 in Golden as they score the game-winner with 17 seconds left in regulation from Logan Cozier. The last trip to Pueblo in 2023 saw The Pack post a 3-0 win. The Orediggers' last win in the series was a 1-0 non-conference win in the first meeting of 2023 in Golden, while one has to look back all the way to 2018 for the last road win coming by a tally of 3-2 in overtime.
 
Similarly against UCCS, the Orediggers look to snap a three-match skid in the series. Overall Mines leads the Mountain lions 50-18-4 and is 22-10-1 when playing in Colorado Springs. Last season, UCCS posted a 3-1 win in Golden while earning a 2-1 overtime in the RMAC quarterfinals the last time the teams squared off in Colorado Springs in 2024. Mines' last win in the series was a 1-0 win in Golden in 2022, while their last win on the road was a 5-2 result in 2021.

UP NEXT
The Orediggers conclude matters in the 2026 season with their season finale next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against #17 Regis in the second match of a doubleheader with the women's team. Senior Night festivities will also be held Wednesday night for this year's class.
 
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.