GOLDEN, Colo. (August 27, 2026) - The women's soccer team opened up their season with a statement win, taking down the twelfth-ranked Colorado School of Mines Orediggers by a score of 2-1 on the road.
The first half saw Mines dominate possession as they peppered
Lauren Mehos with constant pressure and a whopping 14 shots. Though they weren't all on goal, Mehos did a phenomenal job of stifling any and all clean looks that the Orediggers had. In addition, the backline of the Tars, led by junior
Amanda Caines, were able to play their strongest when it mattered most.
After the two teams headed to the locker room following a scoreless first half, the game took an exciting turn in the second period. In the 58th minute, Rollins found themselves on the scoreboard following a beautiful set piece that featured a pair of talented freshmen.
Zahira Freeman launched a free kick near the bench area into the six-yard box were
Gracie DiStefano was waiting. The Massachusetts native connected with a header, putting the Tars on top.
The score stayed that way for about 15 minutes before Mines was able to answer back. A loose ball in the Rollins box was collected and subsequently put into the net by Natalie Mezarina in the 74th minute, tying the game at one each.
In the 84th minute, DiStefano played the role of hero in her NCAA debut. After the ball was sent in to the Mines scoring area, it bounced around a few times before she took control and blasted a shot to the far post, giving Rollins a 2-1 lead. The Orediggers only managed one shot in the final six minutes, with Mehos making the save on the potential game-tying strike just seconds before the final horn went off.
Mines outshot Rollins 23-7 in the game, including eight to three in shots on target. Mehos was a wall between the pipes, stopping seven shots in the win.
DiStefano follows the recent tradition of a true freshman dazzling in her debut game. Last season,
Emma McMurry scored three times for the Tars in her first game.
After a day off on Friday, the Tars will head to Denver to faceoff against Regis University before flying home to Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm Eastern.
