GOLDEN, Colo. – A 12^th minute goal from freshman defender Luke Noameshie proved to be the difference on Thursday evening in Golden, Colo., as the No. 4 nationally ranked University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's soccer team secured a 1-0 victory over Colorado School of Mines to open their conference schedule.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UCCS 1, Mines 0
Records: UCCS (8-0-1, 1-0-0 RMAC), Mines (1-8-0, 0-1-0 RMAC)
Facility: CSM Soccer Stadium | Golden, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions improve to 16-46-4 all-time against Orediggers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UCCS' conference opener began quietly with redshirt senior Lars Walczyk recording the lone shot from either team in the opening 10 minutes of play. In the 12^th minute, junior Dani Barajas got the offense kickstarted as he found a lane and unleashed a shot to the top part of the frame that was narrowly re-directed out of bounds by Mines goalkeeper Peter Saunders. On the ensuing corner kick, Walczyk played a low line drive into the box that was perfectly placed for Noameshie to charge forward and tap the ball into the nylon for a 1-0 UCCS lead.
• The remainder of the opening half passed by without much significant action as UCCS registered just four additional shots before the halftime horn and held the Orediggers without a single shot in the period.
• The Mountain Lions came out of the break with a renewed aggressiveness on the offensive end as they managed to put a trio of shots on frame in the first 15 minutes of the period. Despite the pressure, Saunders and the Oredigger defense managed to stand tall and keep UCCS' lead at just the one goal. On the defensive end, UCCS continued to lock down the Orediggers as they kept the home team to just five total shots and one shot on goal across the second period to secure their second clean sheet of the season in a 1-0 conference win.

STATS FROM THE GAME

• UCCS held advantages over the Orediggers in total shots (12-5), shots on goal (6-1), and corner kicks (5-0).
• Noameshie nabbed the game-winning goal for UCCS in the 12^th minute for his first of the season, while Walczyk dished out his second assist of the campaign.
• Barajas paced UCCS with four shots and three shots on goal, while a trio of Mountain Lions recorded two shots apiece including Walczyk, Noameshie, and Miles Seminario.
• Russell played the full 90 minutes in frame for UCCS, securing his second clean sheet of the season while recording a save on his lone opportunity of the evening.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• With tonight's result, the Mountain Lions earned their first win against the Orediggers since securing a 1-0 overtime victory during the 2014 season.
• Russell's clean sheet marks the seventh of his career and moves him into a five-way tie for fifth place all-time in program history in the category.
• After securing three conference points with their win over Mines, UCCS extended their program-best winning streak to eight games and their unbeaten streak to nine games.

UP NEXT

• The Mountain Lions will continue their conference slate on Sunday, Oct. 6 as they travel to Denver, Colo., for a 12 p.m. kickoff against Metropolitan State University Denver.

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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics. 
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