It wasn’t a loss, but it sure felt like one.
Sunday’s match at Dirks Field between the Fort Lewis women’s soccer team and Metropolitan State University of Denver was a big one. Not only was it senior day for the No. 18 Skyhawks, but a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title, the No. 1 seed in the RMAC Tournament and home field advantage were all at stake.
After 110 minutes, the 1-1 score wasn’t a win, it wasn’t a loss and it wasn’t good enough. The draw, combined with a Colorado Mines win, meant that the Orediggers were RMAC regular season champs and the Skyhawks (10-4-2, 8-2-1 RMAC) would have to settle for second place and a No. 2 seed which means they’ll have to travel to Golden for the tournament.
“It was really unfortunate that we just couldn’t get the bounces to go our way,” said Fort Lewis head coach Jimmy Hall. “We played a great game, we created chances to score and I’m so proud of the fight we put up. The chances were there, we just couldn’t get one in.”
The chances were there on both sides. After coming out fast and physical, feeding off of the packed Dirks Field crowd, the Skyhawks hit a lull late in the first half. Some sparkling work in the net by senior goalkeeper Caitlyn Espinosa kept the Roadrunners (6-6-4, 3-2-4 RMAC) off the scoreboard. Fort Lewis was outshot 8-2 in the first half and many of the MSU Denver chances were high quality opportunities.
The second half was a different story. Again, the Skyhawks applied the pressure at the get-go and this time it paid off.
Six minutes into the second half, Shayla Malecki’s strike banged off the crossbar but senior Brooke Milliet was in perfect position to bury the rebound.
On senior day, it was fitting for the Durango native to score in the last game she’ll play in her hometown.
“It was total jubilation,” said Milliet. “Look around, Dirks Field is the field of dreams. I grew up playing soccer here and I grew up watching soccer here.”
However, the lead didn’t hold up.
In the 57th minute, Roadrunner forward Elise Boisnard fired a high shot that Espinosa batted down. The Skyhawks couldn’t get to the loose ball and Josalyn Martin scored on the rebound to tie the match.
As the time ticked away, the desperation was evident. The Skyhawks created chance after chance. FLC’s Renee Terrell was a force late in the match. She hit the crossbar once and created havoc in front of Roadrunners keeper Breanna Flores a number of times. The ball simply wouldn’t go in.
When the final buzzer sounded and the news of Colorado Mines’ win circulated, the Skyhawks knew they let it slip away. Though it was a somber group after the game, there’s plenty of soccer left for the women to play. They secured the No. 2 seed in the RMAC Tournament, a first round bye and they know they can beat the No. 1 seed at their place as they already did this year.
“We played our hearts out and I’m so proud of the girls,” said Milliet. “I’ve been so impressed with the level of fitness and the level of commitment we’ve shown throughout the season. I wanted one last win here but this season isn’t over. We’ll regroup, we’ll get back out there and go at people.”
Milliet, Espinosa and Ana Moran were honored before the game for senior day. Renee Terrell led the Skyhawks with seven shots and Espinosa made nine saves in the draw.
Next up for the Skyhawks is a 7 p.m. match Friday at UC-Colorado Springs. The remaining two games are non-conference games but they’ll have regional implications. The RMAC Tournament starts November 4.
jfries@durangoherald.com
