GOLDEN, Colo. - Two second-half goals, including
John Haist's go-ahead penalty kick in the 79th minute, helped #9 Colorado School of Mines lift the RMAC Tournament cup with a 2-1 comeback win over #19 Colorado Mesa.
The Orediggers (17-3) won their seventh RMAC Tournament cup all-time and fifth of this decade. They earn the RMAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Championship, entering that competition on a 10-match win streak. NCAA selections will be announced Monday afternoon at ncaa.com.
Trevor Amann and Haist scored in the second half after Benji Delgadillo's phenomenal strike to end the first half had the Mavericks (16-3-1) up at the break. CMU outshot Mines 12-9, but the Orediggers controlled long stretches of the game including most of the first half.
Haist, who was named the tournament's most valuable player, tied Tesho Akindele's program season scoring record with his 22nd of the season, taking his tournament total to three after scoring twice in the semifinal against MSU Denver.
Mines was unlucky to be behind at halftime, dominating first-half possession before a late surge by Mesa resulted in a stunning 30-yard strike by Delgadillo to put them ahead. The Orediggers leveled in the 57th minute when Amann headed
Nikolaus Grotz's corner to the far post; the ball was handled by a CMU defender but not before it had crossed the line, and Mines was awarded the goal.
That set up a nervous final half-hour, and Mesa nearly went back ahead when Malik Mennana hit the post from long range in the 78th minute. Only seconds later, however, Haist was pulled down in the box at the other end, and he hit a cool finish on the penalty kick as Briley Guarneri dove the other way to put Mines ahead 2-1 at 78:04.
Mines would then hang on as
Collin Hall made two of his five saves in the final seven minutes.
QUOTABLES
"If you were going to call for an RMAC Tournament final, this was about as good as it gets... it was a battle of two really good teams, we've got some great athletes and great players." - head coach
Greg Mulholland
"It was a great strike that [Delgadillo] had, nothing we could do about it. We went into the half, we knew we had been down before in games and we had to come out strong and bounce back." - midfielder
David Boldt
"It gives us confidence heading into regionals... That was something we haven't had to do this season, that was the first time we've had to come from behind, at least in awhile." - Haist on Mines having to play from behind
All-RMAC Tournament Team
MVP:
John Haist (Mines)
Ryan Blarr (Mines)
Ryan Wilson (Mines)
Jason Zobott (Mines)
Trevor Amann (Mines)
Collin Hall (Mines)
Kevin Del Mazo (CMU)
Briley Guarneri (CMU)
Moshe Perez (CMU)
Benji Delgadillo (CMU)
Marshall Metzger (FLC)
Dylan Wood (MSUD)
