Mines (0-6-2, 0-0-0) at South Dakota Mines (4-1-2, 0-0-0) – Friday, 3 p.m. – Rapid City, S.D. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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ON TO CONFERENCE PLAY
Looking to turn the page on their season with Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play the rest of the way, the Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team will square off for the second time in eight days with South Dakota Mines as they make the return trip to Rapid City for the only action of the week.
 
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
Friday's forecast should be favorable for soccer. The high is expected to be in the low 70s with light clouds and strong southeast winds at 13 miles per hour.
 
WEEK 4 RECAP
Mines is still on the hunt for their first win of the season after an 0-1-1 week against Adams State and South Dakota Mines to conclude the non-conference portion of their schedule. Kiernan DiBella was the hero Wednesday in Alamosa as the Orediggers played to a short-handed scoreless draw with the Grizzlies. After Timothé Strout committed a foul inside the box and was sent off with his second yellow card, DiBella saved the ensuing penalty kick while Carlo Kobelt and the defense dug in their heels the final half hour-plus to preserve the draw. Friday night the Orediggers seemed to be on the cusp of their first win, taking a 2-0 lead over South Dakota Mines thanks to goals by Murray Peart and Pol Garcia Oliveras with assists from Garcia Oliveras and Kaoru Kato. Unfortunately, victory was snatched away in the final 28 minutes as the Hardrockers rallied for three unanswered goals to earn their first-ever win over the Orediggers 3-2.
 
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. Longtime Regis head coach and one of the most successful coaches in RMAC history, Tony McCall returns the bench this season to work alongside Ben Fredrickson, who played under McCall from 2010-13. No stranger to the RMAC, McCall led Regis to the program's first #1 overall ranking and posted an overall record of 132-64-17 (.659) and a mark of 99-39-13 (.698) in conference play. 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 RETURNERS
Of the group of 10 returners for the Orediggers this fall, six saw action last season. The other four, Zach MacDonald, Braedan Wallace, Ashish Gurung and Noah Bills eagerly await their collegiate debuts as they'll look to make an impact in 2026. Meanwhile, Kiernan DiBella, Hudson Waddell, Leo Santana, Cody O'Brien, Avi Levin and J McGill will look to build off their experience as freshmen and lead the way heading into the new season.
 
THE CAPTAIN
Andrew DeBerardinis was selected by the team to serve as captain following the conclusion of preseason camp. The Colorado native and graduate transfer from Stonehill will be making his Mines debut Thursday afternoon. 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.
 
HERE TO PLAY SCHOOL, TOO
One would be hard-pressed to find a match of higher academic caliber and career earning potential than the one Friday night between the Hardrockers and Orediggers. According to Payscale.com data, Colorado School of Mines graduates are #1 in NCAA Division II in both early career pay ($87,800) and mid-career pay ($165,700). South Dakota Mines ranks #3 in D-II at $79,800 and $131,500. Combined, that's upwards of $70 million per year in mid-career salary between the future graduates of the teams
 
CHECKING THE STATS
Murray Peart is the clubhouse leader in scoring this season with two goals and an assist for five points in the non-conference portion of the schedule. Pol Garcia Oliveras will look to make it three matches in a row with a point, having scored his first goal and taken the team lead with his second assist of the year last time out. Davyan Martinez and Avi Levin round out the goal scorers for the Orediggers, while Kaoru Kato joins Martinez with a single assist as well.
 
Kiernan DiBella started both matches in goal last week and in three outings, has faced 44 shots and made a team-high 15 saves against five goals allowed for a 1.67 GAA and a .750 save percentage. Noah Hildreth has also started three times in his debut season and against 45 shots, had made six saves and allowed six goals for a 2.00 GAA and .500 save percentage. DiBella and Hildreth each have one shutout on the year. Zach MacDonald round out the room with two appearances and against 34 shots faced, has made 10 saves against four goals allowed for a 2.00 GAA and a .714 save percentage.
 
As a team, Mines has been outscored 15-5 in their first eight matches and averaged 8.8 shots per match while ceding more than 15 shots per match to opponents. They have five assists on their five goals and are yet to attempt a PK this season. In goal they have combined for 32 saves while taking 30 corner kicks. Mines has been called for 113 fouls, issued 27 cautions and seen two ejections.
 
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
South Dakota Mines posted two wins to wrap non-conference play, coming from behind to beat the Orediggers 3-2 before routing Adams State 6-0 on Sunday afternoon.
 
After the last week of action, nine different players have scored for the Hardrockers in 2026 led by Lucas Miranda with five goals. Nickolas North is second on the team in both goals and assists with four apiece. Zach Peroff has three goals to his credit, while Rider Grow, Kaulden Hood and Julen Artega all scored at least once in the last week and have two goals each. Erik Castanon, Ethan French and Even Henriksen have all scored once. Long throw specialist Shon West leads South Dakota Mines with seven assists, while Grow and Bennett Dykstra have two each. Hood, Castanon and Parker Yocum round out the contributors on offense with one goal each.
 
Abdo Salem Abdullah had been the main man in goal for the Hardrockers until suffering a non-contact injury last Friday against the Orediggers. While his status remains uncertain, in 467:33 across six appearances, he has made 14 saves against seven goals allowed while facing 54 shots with a 1.35 GAA and a .667 save rate. Claudio Otto shook off a pair of goals on the first two shots he faced of the season against Mines last week to post a shutout Sunday of ASU. In 162:27, he's faced 18 shots and made seven saves against two goals allowed for a 1.11 GAA and a .778 save percentage.
 
One of the highest scoring teams in the RMAC entering conference play, South Dakota Mines is +12 in goal differential at 21-9 in seven matches. They average 18.4 shots per match and allow 10.3 shots per match to opposing teams. The Hardrockers have 18 assists on their 21 goals and are 1-1 on penalties this fall. Thet have taken 43 corner kicks and made 21 saves in goal, while being called for 98 fouls and issued 16 yellow cards.

SERIES HISTORY
Against South Dakota Mines, the Orediggers will look to rebound after suffering their first ever loss to the Hardrockers in the series last Friday at home. Mines leads the series 12-1-0 and 5-0-0 all-time when playing in Rapid City. The last trip north resulted in a 1-0 Mines win in October of 2024.

UP NEXT
The Orediggers return home next weekend as they'll take on a pair of metro area foes to open October, first taking on #RV MSU Denver on October 1 before taking on Colorado Christian October 4.
 
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.