The No. 19 Colorado School of Mines Men’s Soccer Team took on No. 13 Incarnate Word in the second round of the NCAA Division II soccer tournament. The two teams faced off earlier in the season with Mines earning the 3-2 victory back in September. Saturday, with a mixture of snow and rain falling for most of the match, the Cardinals of Incarnate Word earned a bit of revenge, coming out on the winning side of a 4-2 contest to move on to face Regis in the third round of the tourney.
Incarnate Word struck quickly, scoring the game’s first goal just five minutes in on a corner kick by Vincent Bailey. Mines responded just seven minutes later in the 13th minute on a strike from nine yards out by Tesho Akindele with the assist by Zach Page-Belknap. Incarnate Word once again countered with their second goal ten minutes later at the 23rd minute. UIW’s Leon Taylor Headed a ball off the far post that just barely rolled past the line to give UIW the 2-1 lead. The Orediggers once again found a response eight minutes later when Page-Belknap this time connected on a cross from Akindele. The first half ended with the score tied at two.
In the second half, Incarnate Word came out and put the pressure on Mines with the go ahead goal in the sixty-eighth minute on a free kick that was headed in from point blank range. Three minutes later, in the 72nd minute, UIW netted an insurance goal to take a 4-2 lead. Mines failed to find the net in the second half after outshooting the Cardinals 8-5 in the first half. However, in the second half, UIW returned the favor and outshot Mines 11-6 with 12 of their 16 shots overall on goal. UIW recorded 13 fouls to Mines 11 and had the advantage in corner kicks 8-5.
The Orediggers finished the 2012 campaign 14-5-2 as the RMAC tournament champions. On the year, Akindele tallied 22 goals and Alex Nass led the team with 11 assists. Four seniors played their final match for the Orediggers in the contest, goalkeeper Manville Strand, midfielder Alex Nass and defenders Sean Helster and Page-Belknap. The four seniors became the one and only senior class to make it to three NCAA tournaments.
