GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado soccer hopes the home field advantage at Katy O. Rady Field helps the Mountaineers extend a three-game unbeaten streak as they welcome Colorado State Pueblo and top-ranked Colorado Mines to the turf on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The soccer program at halftime on Friday will present honorees of its annual Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night, and on Sunday will host its annual Pink Game as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

WESTERN COLORADO HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2024 Stats

• The Mountaineers opened their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule with wins over UC Colorado Springs and Adams State, followed by a 1-1 draw at N.M. Highlands.
• Each of those games set historical program marks: the 2-1 victory over UCCS was the first time the Mountaineers won their RMAC-opening game; the 2-1 win over Adams State marked the first time they won their first two RMAC games in a season; and the draw at Highlands marked the first time they have been unbeaten in the RMAC through the schedule's first three league games.
• Western does not have a winning record against either of the weekend's opponents. It is 2-7-2 against Pueblo and 1-12 against Mines. The Mountaineers defeated Pueblo, 2-0, in 2022 but the ThunderWolves earned a 3-0 shutout last season. Western's last win against Mines was a 3-2 double-overtime victory in 2016.
• Two of Western's goal scorers in its three-game unbeaten string collected monumental individual goals. Ellie Kubena scored her second career goal but first game-winning goal in the win over UCCS, and Abby Raio's first career goal was the game-winner in the Adams State game.
• Kubena's two goals this season trails team leader Cianna Thomas, who has three goals, including the game-winner in Western's 1-0 victory over Eastern New Mexico.
• Goalkeeper Aubree Orosco (3-2-2) has been in goal for each of the three wins, accumulating 654 minutes and registering a 1.65 goals-against average. Her 63 saves are the most in the conference, as is also her 7.88 save per game average.
• Orosco set a career high with 13 saves in the UCCS win, added 6 saves in the Adams State victory, and hit double figures again with 10 saves in the Highlands draw.

CSU PUEBLO HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2024 Stats

• The ThunderWolves enter Friday's game with a 2-6-2 overall record and a 1-3 mark in RMAC action. Two of their non-conference losses were to teams that at the time were ranked in the top 10 nationally. Their RMAC win came in their most recent outing, a 1-0 victory over visiting Colorado Christian University (CCU).
• Pueblo has not yet gotten its attack rolling this season, averaging less than a goal a game (0.80). It has also been outshot by opponents 142-82, and 70-45 in shots on goal.
• Senior Sydney Lasater has half of the team's goals with four, including the game-winner in the ThunderWolves' 1-0 non-conference win over Rockhurst. Four other players have scored once each, with Carlia Johnson's marker the game-winner against CCU.
• Freshman Elaina Leitner has played most of the minutes in goal for Pueblo, accumulating 638 minutes over 7 starts and 8 games played. She enters the weekend with a 2.54 GAA and with a total of 35 saves.

COLORADO MINES HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2024 Stats

• At 9-0-1 overall and 3-0-1 in the RMAC, Mines has risen to the top of the NCAA Division II rankings. The Orediggers' only blemish on their record is a 1-1 RMAC draw at Black Hills State University on October 4.
• Putting up 26 goals through 10 games shows a dominance in possession, partly reflecting a defense that has surrendered just 3 goals.
• Reese McDermott leads the RMAC with 10 goals and has earned a pair of game-winners along the way. Bella Campos, with 4 goals, and Afton Rasco and Ava Harman with 3 each have also been heavy contributors in the attacking third.
• Goalkeeper Allie Lundgren (7-0-1) has started seven of the team's 10 games, logging 675 minutes on the field. She's recorded seven shutouts and one combined shutout and allowed just two goals for a miniscule 0.27 GAA while making 17 saves.

UP NEXT
Following the weekend's homestand, Western will take on host Westminster University in Salt Lake City on Oct. 13 before hosting Colorado Mesa University two days later at Katy O. Rady Field.