Even after four years of college, there still is a first time for everything.
Four years after being smashed 18-4 by Colorado College, the Fort Lewis College women’s lacrosse seniors finally got some revenge, and it came on senior day at Ray Dennison Memorial Field.
The FLC Skyhawks (9-6, 3-2 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) scored seven unanswered goals during a 37-minute stretch Saturday to take an 8-4 victory and earn the program’s first-ever victory against the Colorado College Tigers (13-6).
“Our freshmen year, we were murdered by them, so it feels good to come back after four years and come out with the win,” said FLC senior Abby Kvidera, who scored one goal and had one assist in the game.
The win capped off the regular season in style for the Skyhawks, who never had finished better than 7-7 in their first five years as a varsity program.
“It is a great feeling, especially finishing on senior day and this being our last home game,” FLC head coach Kelsey MacDonald said. “We came out with a vengeance and killed it.”
Colorado College scored the game’s first two goals, both coming from Sadie Cole in the opening eight minutes of action. Cole finished with a hat trick.
MacDonald was happy to see her squad not give in to early adversity and go on to score seven consecutive goals.
“It was good to see, because, especially in conditions like that earlier in the season, it might not have gone that way,” MacDonald said. “We have gotten into a deeper hole, but our attack turned it on and did what they needed to do.”
Jessica Norby, a senior, tied the game with two quick goals separated by just two minutes of game clock. The first was unassisted and the second on an assist from fellow senior Kylie Smith.
Norby finished with a team-high three goals in the game.
“I couldn’t do it without everybody, so it is a team dynamic,” Norby said. “I’m going to miss these girls.”
The game was tied 2-2 at halftime with FLC sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Spencer keeping the Skyhawks even by making nine saves in the first half. The Durango High School alumna finished the game with 15 saves.
“We have worked on defense really hard all year, and it’s nice to have the feeling of a unit. If I get beat, I know we are going to be there,” FLC senior defender Amanda Cawker said. “Alyssa is absolutely the backbone of that. She is all over the field wherever you need her.”
FLC quickly took the lead in the second half on a goal by Jam Vertner, assisted by Brooke Wineland.
Ally Kvidera, another FLC senior and twin sister of Abby Kvidera, scored a goal on a free-position shot just five minutes into the second half. She went on to assist Norby’s next goal just two minutes later.
Ally Kvidera said it was special to finish her career at Ray Dennison Memorial Field alongside the same girls she played with as a freshman, including her twin sister.
“To play through four years together, it’s pretty crazy,” she said. “It feels natural (playing with Abby); it’s all we’ve known growing up. We played on the same teams and same sports together every single year, and it feels good to end it together.”
Ellie Carpenter added another FLC goal to make it 7-2 before Cole and Elise Burchard scored a pair of goals just 59 seconds apart. But Abby Kvidera added the game’s final goal with 9:56 remaining in the game to tame the Tigers for good.
The Skyhawks have won four of their last five games heading into the first-ever RMAC Tournament on May 3-4 in Denver. Only the Colorado teams in the RMAC are attending the tournament, which means Lindenwood, who went 5-0 in conference play, won’t be in attendance.
“We are feeling really good and real excited to see what our girls can do,” MacDonald said. “We have to take care of business in the first round, and then hopefully make it to the second round.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
FLC Skyhawks
Senior Day
Amanda Cawker
Abby Kvidera
Ally Kvidera
Jessica Norby
Toki Prodnuk
Kylie Smith
Durango Herald
