RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The South Dakota Mines men's soccer team is headed to the road this weekend. Getting closer, and closer to breaking through their slump, they hope it can happen this weekend as they travel to Golden, Colorado for a 5:00 p.m. matchup, before heading to Lakewood for a Sunday matinee against Colorado Christian at 1:00 p.m.

Series History

      vs. Colorado School of Mines

• The Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota Mines have met 7 times.
• The first matchup between the two schools was on 10/4/2015, while the most recent was on 11/1/2019.
• All 7 of the previous matchups have been won by the Orediggers.

      vs. Colorado Christian  

• Colorado Christian and South Dakota Mines have met 11 times, beginning 8/30/2012.
• The Hardrockers have an edge in the series overall, winning 7 matches, losing 3, and drawing 1 time.
• The most recent matchup was on 9/24/2021 and it was a hard-fought contest, won by Colorado Christian, 1-0.
• Liam Lakey scored the lone goal in the match in the 64^th minute.

Gold Nuggets

• The Hardrockers have lost 9 in a row, after starting the season 1-0-1.
• South Dakota Mines beat and drew with St. Cloud State to start the season but has since been defeated by Texas A&M International, St. Mary's, MSU Billings, Colorado Christian, Adams State, Regis, MSU Denver, CSU-Pueblo, and UCCS.
• This season has been defined by bad breaks, and not finishing games, as the Hardrockers have lost five matches by one goal.
• George Martinez has had a fantastic start to the season, scoring six goals to tie for 2^nd in the RMAC in goals scored. In addition, he is third in the conference in shots taken and second in shots on goal. Martinez is also third in the RMAC in total points with 13.
• Tyler Ring leads the RMAC in saves and saves per game.
• With two more wins, South Dakota Mines head coach Ryan Thompson will become the winningest coach in program history.

Scouting Report
 
Colorado School of Mines

• A five-game winning streak has propelled the Orediggers to a 9-3 record and a national ranking of #25 in the country.
• The Colorado School of Mines has yet to lose an RMAC contest, sitting at 4-0 in the conference.
• Their offense has been a strength, as they sit near the top of the conference in shots, points, goals, and assists.
• Defensively, they are strong as well, allowing just .92 goals per game, the third-best in the RMAC.
• Lucas King and Gabe Rodriguez are the Orediggers' offensive leaders, with King leading the conference in assists, and third in points, while Rodriguez has 5 goals on the season.

Colorado Christian

• Colorado Christian is having their best season in program history, sitting at 8-2.
• Despite the record, the Cougars are middle of the pack in the RMAC in most offensive and defensive categories.
• Liam Lakey is 8th in the conference in both shots, and shots on goal.
• Lakey has been efficient with those opportunities, scoring 6 goals to tie for 2nd best in the conference, on top of being 6th in points.
• Eli Donaho and Adrian Diez are in the top 10 with 3 assists each.

 
About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 11 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.