Saturday saw another convincing win for Colorado School of Mines, as the Orediggers have celebrated their return to DII college rugby with three wins, 194 points scores, and seven allowed.

Mines and Western State have joined Regis and Colorado College to double the size of the Rocky Mountain DII league. And in doing so, they’ve jumped to the top of the standings, with Mines comfortably on top.

Photos by WJ Pratt Photography www.wjprattphotography.com. Used with permission.

“We’re focused on getting better with each outing, with the goal of playing rugby to the team's maximum potential,” said Mines Head Coach Alex Eves.

The Team’s approach is simple - they want to make every training session, and every game an opportunity to get better. And in terms of game plan, their approach is fairly direct, as well.

“To score you have to have the ball, and if the other team doesn't have the ball, they can't score,” explained Eves. “On attack, CSM is creating space and attacking it; always going forward. On defense, CSM is very focused on getting the ball back, knowing full well it is more physically tiring to play defense than attack.”

The results are good, and Mines may well be back to the level they enjoyed a few years ago when they were among the best DII teams out there. Eves said he has a committed group of players, and as the experience playing in the national Small College competition has grown, so has their ability.

“The past few years competing in NSCRO were good for the team, especially the taste of a solid playoff run last year,” said Eves. “It made the players want more of that and they know that comes with hard work and commitment.”  

They also have a group of committed coaches. Evens is in his third season and he works with Jared Heath and Chuck Crowley, who have tied to area clubs the Denver Barbarians and Glendale Raptors. 

“We are fortunate to be in a rugby rich area in terms of teams,” said Eves. “So I'm always inviting guest coaches out to lend a hand..It is good for the players to hear different voices as they add to tools to their rugby tool box.”

Colorado School of Mines is a highly-regarded engineering school, and the students are problem-solvers. Eves said he has been blessed with some good athletes, but he also has had to learn how to teach a game that can be over-thought. 

“As a non engineer myself, coaching a team full of engineers took some getting used to,” said Eves. “One of the best assets of the team is that each and every player is very smart and they pick things up quickly.”

Leading the way for the Orediggers in the forwards are Ben Bymaster, the forwards captain, forward VC Andrew Rixon, and Konstantin Rehbein. Newcomers Marcus Turner and Jason lee have made an impact, also.

In the backs, leaders John Law and Zach Melphy have been outstanding, while Josh Urbonas and Ben Long are two of those athletes with potential Eves has been excited about.

But above all, it’s just good news to see School of Mines back in the mix. And not only are they back in DII, they are really back, and winning.