GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Mines Women's Rugby faced its first major road test of the season Sunday, battling Colorado Mesa University for 80 minutes before falling 46-17.
Colorado Mesa established control early, building a lead in the opening stages of the match. Mines, however, refused to let the early deficit dictate the rest of the afternoon, gradually finding its rhythm and creating more opportunities as the match progressed.
PhD student and Mines rookie Jess Niznik got the Orediggers on the scoreboard with their first try of the afternoon. Charlotte Siervogel added another try as Mines continued to battle, bringing the score to 10 points.
The Orediggers continued to press in the second half, with Ayana Mejorado breaking through for Mines' third try. Mejorado then added the conversion, bringing the Orediggers' final tally to 17.
While Mesa ultimately pulled away for the 46-17 victory, Mines continued to compete through the final whistle, showing resilience against a strong Colorado Mesa side.
The match provided an important early-season test for the Orediggers, giving a young team valuable experience on the road and plenty of areas to build on heading into its next match.
Mines Scoring
Final: Colorado Mesa 46, Mines 17
