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RMAC MSOC Quarterfinal Preview

PREVIEW | Men’s Soccer Set to Host Colorado School of Mines in RMAC Quarterfinal Match

11/8/2024 8:04:00 AM

By: Tyler Tvelia, Sports Information Director
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP
  • The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's soccer team finished their conference schedule with a 6-1-3 record and 21 points to earn the No. 4 seed in the RMAC Men's Soccer Tournament. They are set to host No. 5 seed Colorado School of Mines in an RMAC Quarterfinal matchup with kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10, at Mountain Lion Stadium.
  • On the opposite side of the bracket, the tournament's No. 3 seed Fort Lewis College will play host to No. 6 seed Metropolitan State University Denver, with kickoff for that quarterfinal match set for 5 p.m. from Dirks Field in Durango, Colo.
GAME COVERAGE TICKETS
  • All fans will be charged admission and are encouraged to purchase tickets online before 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10. Online ticket sales will not be available after 11 a.m. or at the ticket gate at Mountain Lion Stadium. Fans who did not purchase tickets online in advance can purchase tickets at the gate with cash only.
  • Ticket Prices:
    • General Admission - $15.00
    • Kids (6-17), Over 65 & Military - $10.00
    • Children 5 and Under – Free
RMAC NETWORK
  • Fans unable to attend in-person will be able to view each game of the RMAC Men's Soccer Tournament on the RMAC Network. The conference provides a variety of purchase options for postseason action, including day passes for $9.99 per day and tournament passes for $20. The full complement of purchase options can be found here.
2024 REGULAR SEASON IN REVIEW
  • After making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, the Mountain Lions began the 2024 season with high expectations and did not fail to deliver as they opened the campaign with a 7-0-1 record through their non-conference schedule that was capped by a 2-1 win over then No. 9 nationally ranked CSU Pueblo.
  • UCCS continued their success into the start of their RMAC slate as they posted a 2-0-1 record across their first three games with wins over Mines and Colorado Christian University. On Oct. 17, the Mountain Lions suffered their first setback of the season in a 3-1 defeat against a strong Fort Lewis College squad. The team quickly rebounded, however, as they finished their conference schedule with a six-game unbeaten streak to claim the No. 4 seed in the RMAC Tournament.
  • The Mountain Lions finished their regular season schedule with a 13-1-4 overall record, which matches the program record for wins in a single season.
UNITED SOCCER COACHES NATIONAL RANKINGS
  • The Mountain Lions have risen to new heights this season, securing their highest national ranking in program history in the Week 9 edition of the United Soccer Coaches National Poll at No. 3.
  • After opening the season unranked in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, UCCS quickly jumped into the top 25 with a No. 24 ranking in Week 1 before climbing inside the top 10 in Week 2 with a then program record No. 8 ranking. The Mountain Lions continued their historic climb in Week 3 as they moved up to No. 5 in the rankings and have maintained their position inside the top five for the past seven weeks.
2024 United Soccer Coaches Rankings
Preseason           Aug. 6               NR
Week 1                Sept. 10            #24
Week 2                Sept. 17            #8
Week 3                Sept. 24            #5
Week 4                Oct.  1                #4
Week 5                Oct.   8               #4
Week 6                Oct. 15              #4
Week 7                Oct. 22              #5
Week 8                Oct. 29              #5
Week 9                Nov. 5                #3
 
NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS
  • In the second edition of the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Regional Rankings that were released on Wednesday, Nov. 10, the UCCS Men's Soccer team earned a No. 3 ranking within Super Region 4.
  • The top ten teams from each of the four super regions across the country will qualify for the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament. The South Central region, which includes the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and the Lone Star Conference (LSC), is combined with the West region that includes teams from the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), and the Pacific West Conference to make up Super Region 4. The top four seeds in each Super Region will earn the right to host at least one tournament match.
  • The third and final set of regional rankings will be released by the NCAA next Wednesday, Nov. 13, before the field of 40 teams for the 2024 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship is set to be announced on Monday, Nov. 18 with the official NCAA Selection Show being live streamed on the NCAA website at 4:30 p.m. (MT).
RMAC LEADERS
  • As a team, the Mountain Lions finished the regular season with the top ranked defensive unit in the conference as they recorded a 0.78 team GAA, allowing just 14 goals in 18 games played. On the offensive side of the ball, UCCS led the league in total shots with 174 and ranked as the second-most prolific scoring team with 39 total goals (2.167 per game).
  • Midfielder Dani Barajas established himself as one of the top offensive weapons in the conference during his senior season as he led the league in goals (11) and finished second overall in total points (25). Barajas also finished tied for second in the conference with three game-winning goals and tied for fourth with 19 shots on goal.
  • Juniors Nick Walker and Miles Seminario also proved to be key pieces to the Mountain Lions' high-powered offense as they both ranked inside the top 10 in the RMAC with six goals scored apiece. Seminario also found himself among the league leaders in shots on goal as he finished third overall in the category with 20 on the season.
  • Junior Soren Russell turned in a spectacular regular season in frame for UCCS as he appeared in 17 games and logged 1,466 minutes of action while finishing second in the conference with a 0.86 GAA. The native of Bellevue, Wash., also finished second in the league in save percentage (.788) and third in individual clean sheets (5), while collecting 52 saves.
RMAC AWARDS
  • Throughout the 2024 season, the UCCS men's soccer team had four student-athletes earn weekly conference awards with senior Dani Barajas (9/17) and junior Miles Seminario (10/1) earning RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, freshman Dillon Clarke (10/29) collecting RMAC Defensive Player of the Week accolades, and junior Soren Russell (10/1) securing RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week honors.
  • The conference will announce their All-Academic teams on Monday, Nov. 11, at 12 p.m and are set to release the All-RMAC teams and major awards for the 2024 season on Friday, Nov. 15, at 10 a.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES
  • UCCS holds a 16-46-4 all-time record against the Orediggers and are 1-3-1 in the series under current head coach Lewis Wilcox.
  • After snapping a 10-game slide in the series against Mines with a 0-0 draw during the 2023 season, UCCS broke through earlier this season for their first win against the Orediggers since the 2014 campaign.
  • In their first matchup of the season against Mines on Oct. 3, the Mountain Lions came away with a 1-0 victory with a 12th minute goal from freshman Luke Noameshie proving to be the difference.
SCOUTING COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
  • The Orediggers opened the 2024 season with a litany of struggles as they limped to a 1-9 record across their first 10 games of the campaign. After starting their conference schedule with a pair of losses to then No. 4 UCCS and No. 20 CSU Pueblo, Mines miraculously salvaged their season by going unbeaten across their final eight games to finish RMAC play with a 6-2-2 record that earned them the No. 5 seed in the postseason tournament.
  • Redshirt junior midfielder Ayman Bushara has been the focal point for the Orediggers offense as he leads the team with nine goals, including one in each of the team's last seven games played.
  • Raul Gerhardus and Gabriel Rodriguez have also been formidable front field weapons for Mines throughout the season as both student-athletes have recorded double-digit points with Gerhardus posting five goals and six assists for 16 points and Rodriguez nabbing four goals and three assists for 11 points.
  • Peter Saunders and Caden Allaire have split time in frame for Mines during the 2024 campaign. Saunders holds a slight edge in games started (10) and minutes (886) while posting a 1.52 GAA and two individual shutouts with 46 saves. Allaire has made eight starts this season, recording 733 minutes played with a 1.96 GAA and 33 saves.
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH LEWIS WILCOX
  • Head coach Lewis Wilcox is currently in his fourth season at the helm of the UCCS men's soccer program and has posted an exceptional 42-20-14 overall record. Under Wilcox, the Mountain Lions are set to make their third consecutive appearance in the RMAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed on the bracket.
  • Across his first three seasons at the helm of the men's soccer program, Wilcox has led the Mountain Lions to a 29-19-10 overall record while coaching the team to a pair of RMAC Semifinal appearances and their first ever selection to the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament. Under his guidance, UCCS student-athletes have collected 13 All-RMAC honors, including five first team accolades, five second team selections, and three honorable mentions. In addition, Wilcox's resume features a pair of RMAC major awards, including the 2021 RMAC Player of the Year in Alex Andersson and the 2022 Co-Freshman of the Year in Matteo Moreno Madrid.
  • The Mountain Lions have also been well-represented at the regional and national levels during his time at the head of the program, securing eight D2CCA All-Region honors, three United Soccer Coaches All-Region accolades, and one D2CCA All-American (Alex Andersson – 2021 First Team).
  • In addition, UCCS men's soccer has flourished academically with the leadership of Wilcox, securing four RMAC All-Academic First Team honors, five College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District accolades, and one CSC Academic All-America award (Kolby Raineri – 2022 Third Team).
WEATHER
  • After a week full of cold and snowy weather, the forecast for Sunday afternoon in Colorado Springs, Colo., calls for mostly sunny skies with a daytime high of 55 degrees.
UP NEXT
  • The winner of the quarterfinal matchup between the Mountain Lions and Orediggers will advance to the RMAC Semifinal matchup against the tournament's No. 1 seed and No. 15 nationally ranked CSU Pueblo on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
For everything UCCS Athletics, follow the Mountain Lions on social media and stay tuned to gomountainlions.com.
 
SOCIAL
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