GOLDEN, Colo. – Looking to put the disappointment of last weekend in California behind them, the Colorado School of Mines men's soccer team took the field on an idyllic evening Thursday night at Stermole Stadium for non-conference action against Regis to get homecoming weekend underway. Unfortunately for the Orediggers (1-6-0), a pair of goals by the Rangers (1-1-5) in the opening half hour of action were the difference in a tightly-contested and, at times, extremely physical 2-0 match.
 
Quin Collins got the fans on their feet in just the third minute of action as Mines pressed home their attack early, but his shot rattled off the left woodwork and was followed by a corner kick. The first shot of the night for Regis ended up being one of their best and ultimately the game-winner, as Elias Taubo played a ball ahead from the center circle to Ignacio Bellina, who won a foot race against Carter Jansen before beating Caden Allaire one-on-one just outside the six-yard area for the opening score in the fifth minute.
 
Ayman Bushara, who scored his first Mines goal last Friday night, looked to equalize in the 15th minute, but his shot was saved by Greg Squire before ricocheting off the right post and back into play for the Rangers to clear and maintain the lead.
 
Trouble was afoot again in the 30th minute as once again Taubo and Bellina teamed up, with the former played a ball from the near corner into the penalty area just above the six. Allaire came off his line looking to deflect, but misjudged his slide and found himself out of position as Bellina finished again to make it 2-0.
 
Immediately after the restart, Jimmy Koufidakis put up back-to-back shots, with Squire saving the first at point-blank range and the second off the rebound missing outside the post into the side of the net.
 
Allaire rebounded to make a pair of key saves in the final 15 minutes of the period against Liam Corr and Jacobo Betancourt-Tovar while the final shots from Collins and Koufidakis before the break were both blocked by the defense as the intermission came with the visitors out front.
 
Despite coming out with renewed vigor in the second half, the Orediggers found it tough sledding against the Rangers' defense with chances hard to come by. What looks were available never materialized into much as the action intensified with three of the night's five yellow cards came out in the final 45 minutes.
 
One last flurry from Mines in the final five minutes saw shots from Smith Russell and John Burnett between corner kicks in their attacking third, but the efforts were not to be rewarded as time expired on a 2-0 result.
 
NOTABLES
-Koufidakis and Collins led the Mines attack with three shots each
-Russell and Burnett each finished the night with two
-Mines recorded a season-high 16 shots and finished +5 on the shot chart, but just targets two went on goal
-Henry Saunders played a season-high 63 minutes
-Noah Roles made his Stermole Stadium debut, recording a shot in 12 minutes
-Caelin David saw his first action since September 7 against Cal State San Marcos
-Bryce Bowman made his season debut in the second half
-Allaire closed with four saves in goal
 
UP NEXT
Mines makes trip downtown to take on MSU Denver Sunday September 29 at 1 p.m. in their final non-conference action of the season.
 
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.