Box Score RAPID CITY, S.D. --- It may have been the energy of homecoming weekend or maybe the fact that the South Dakota School of Mines men's soccer team was playing in its first home event this season, but whatever it was worked as the Hardrockers picked up their first win of the 2016 season with a victory over Colorado Christian, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at Sioux Park Stadium in Rapid City, S.D.

SD Mines defeated the Cougars, 2-1, in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference bout.

"It's good to finally be able to compete on our home field, but it's great to get a win – especially in this conference," said Hardrocker men's soccer head coach Jordan Kadlec. "We've been close in so many games this season. Our guys were finally able to finish a game on a high note --- and to accomplish that feat in front of our home crowd is the icing on the cake."

The Hardrockers took it to the Cougars in the early goings, notching the first goal of the game during the 12^th minute of the bout when freshman Danny Whitfield took a pass from freshman Justin Barkow and blasted it into the back of the net.

CCU answered back on a miraculous goal off a header from Blake Goodale finding the back of the net a second before time expired in the first half which took the wind out of the sails of the home team.

The two squads traded blows for a majority of the second half, but with about 10 minutes remaining in the game, Barkow received a pass from senior Andreas Skau and shot one by the Cougars goalkeeper for SD Mines' second goal of the game which proved to be the deciding factor.

"It was a total team effort today," Kadlec said. "Some of our younger players really stepped up today."

The Hardrockers recorded 15 shots on the day, six on goal, while Colorado Christian had just six shots, one on goal.

Barkow paced the Hardrockers with seven shots (four on goal), Skau and Whitfield had two shots, and sophomore Noah Mckenzie, junior Lars Skau, junior Thomas Stasiak and senior David Cabrera where all credited with one shot.

"This win will give our guys the confidence needed to keep going out there and keep competing," Kadlec added.

The win gives SD Mines a 1-8 overall record and 1-5 in the RMAC. The Hardrockers are back at Sioux Park Friday afternoon, taking on MSU-Denver in a 2 p.m. bout and then will face University of Colorado Colorado Springs Sunday afternoon in Rapid City at 1 p.m.