The Colorado School of Mines drew attention in 2017, when it finished 11 points shy of Winona State during the DII College Fall Championship quarterfinals (the Black Katts went on to win the title). That post-season showing was the result of a programmatic shift, which continues to fuel today’s successes. Last weekend, for example, Mines hosted Rocky Mountain nemesis Colorado Mesa and won 54-5.
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“The team had a really good captain in Syd Slouka,” Mines head coach Dan Roder reflected on the team’s turning point in 2015. “She took on the leadership role, and being the best player on the team, the players really responded. More individuals stepped into leadership roles, and the team bought into the systems we’ve put in. With the evolution of the team, I started trusting them more and giving them more responsibility, and that’s really helped us be more successful.”
More recently Roder brought on former WPL Glendale Merlin Andrea Prusinski, who injected a new level of insight and expertise.
“My coaching technique and style are probably a little dated so it was hugely refreshing to have someone come from a high-level program and modernize the coaching and playing style,” Roder said. “She’s been a big influence and has opened up the game plan a bit.
“Rugby’s changed a lot since I played and we try to empower everyone,” the coach spoke to ongoing adjustments. “Mines is an engineering school and the kind of students who go here like to be challenged. Some of the systems we put in lend themselves to that engineering mindset, where you challenge them, especially on the intellectual side, and they’ve really stepped up and responded.”
After the successes of 2017, Mines was optimistic about 2018’s potential. Weather issues saw an unprepared Mines travel to Colorado Mesa for a big loss, but a season’s worth of progress saw that gap shrink to five points in the rematch. Winona State ended Mines’ post-season with a 40-point win.
This year’s team has nine players from that 2017 squad and a good number of returners and valuable rookies – two of which have high school experience, a rarity for Mines.
“I was cautiously optimistic,” Roder said heading into this season. “It takes so many things to go right to have a successful season. There are things you can control as far as evaluating player talent and putting in a system to optimize it, to things you can’t control like injuries and weather. We’ve been fortunate in Colorado to have great fall weather so far so it’s not a big factor.
“This season one of the biggest factors that really helped us was Wyoming bringing back the Jackalope Tournament, which had been a mainstay in this region when I was at Mines in the early 90s,” the coach said of the pre-season event. “We had three games in Laramie against high-quality teams that really helped solidify some systems we were putting in. The students bought in that day.”
Mines played a beneficial friendly against Denver Black Ice and kicked off the DII Rocky Mountain season with a 59-5 win over Colorado College. On Sept. 22, Mines beat DI Colorado University 60-0 in Boulder, and fed off that momentum as it prepared for Mesa on Sept. 29.
“No, it’s not much of a rivalry. In my opinion a rivalry is when each team wins a few games but it’s been lopsided,” Roder said of the Mavericks’ dominance. “Mesa is consistently good and the coaching is top notch. They put out a quality team year after year after year, and I see how difficult that is. I wouldn’t call it a rivalry, but it’s been a personal goal of mine to beat that team.”
Mines has been developing its defense, and aims to exert consistent pressure that forces the attack into mistakes. When those errors and turnovers occur, Mines has the playmakers to make good things happen. Roder reasserted that everyone is empowered to be a decision-maker during game time, but key difference-makers are placed in the skill positions: Hooker Jessica Sigler, No. 8 Mary Oglesby, scrumhalf Morgan Walls, flyhalf Marisa Shigio or Piper Bailey (who have swapped at inside center) and fullback Michaela Adams.
“We’re also trying to get away from the one-off run straight off the forwards and then out to the backs,” Roder spoke to the attack goals. “We want to open it up the game plan more, and trusting players to make those decisions on the field has paid off.”
Mines scored eight unanswered tries through 74 minutes, as Oglesby dotted down three times and Casey Harmon, who is one of two fifth-years alongside flanker Caelyn Rittenhouse, scored twice in the final 10 minutes. Saturday captain Walls and props Raquel Lucero Schnell and Erin Visak also scored, while wing Joyce Kruger kicked seven conversions. At the death, Mesa snapped the shutout with a try and 54-5 finish.
Denver University is scheduled for the next two rounds of play, but Tracy Curtis’ new program will likely be looking for more of a friendly – which is fine with Roder. Colorado College is at the end of the month and then the Mesa rematch occurs in Grand Junction.
“It’s a long season and we’re just getting started. I expect our game against Mesa on November 2 to be completely different as far as what we expect from them,” Roder said. “They have quality coaching and they’ll have the team ready. Our goal is to improve on the previous week, so we’re trying not to get too hung up on wins and losses.”
With that said, if games against Mesa are a bellwether for the rest of the season, then Mines should brace for the post-season.
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