In a rare non-conference game against rival Adams State, the Fort Lewis College men’s soccer team made sure a seven-game winning streak wouldn’t turn into a two-game skid.
After falling 3-0 Sunday at Colorado Mesa, the Skyhawks (8-3, 4-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) answered with a 3-0 win Wednesday in Alamosa against Adams State (1-8-1, 1-3-1 RMAC).
“I think as soon as you lose you’re looking for that next game to set things right,” FLC head coach Oige Kennedy said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “We performed well, possessed the ball and created stuff going forward.”
Freshman Martin Lopez opened the scoring in the 12th minute with an assist from Yannis Becker. It was Lopez’s second goal of the season and Becker’s team-high sixth assist.
“The way we play, we allow Yannis to do a lot of things on the creative, attacking end,” Kennedy said. “He’s capitalizing on them, and, most importantly, the guys around him are finishing, and that’s the hard thing to do in our sport.”
The Skyhawks would strike again in the first half, when defender Coleman Kane finished a shot with an assist from Alex Tilberry.
“Beautiful goal from Coleman, a header from outside the 18,” Kennedy said. “Then, defensively, we looked very solid. We restricted Adams to not much. We dominated through the air and were physical on the ground.”
Martin Lopez’s twin brother, Andres Lopez, capped it off with an 82nd-minute goal. It was also his second goal of the season, as the freshmen twins from Ecuador continue to dazzle.
“Martin and Andres are lively in front of goal,” Kennedy said. “Then we had assists by Alex (Tillbery) and Laurin (Weiland). Young guys are contributing.”
FLC dominated possession and allowed only two shots on goal by the Grizzlies. Elliot Chadderton made both saves for his fifth shutout of the season and to move his record to 8-2.
“Most important is the clean sheet. That’s the biggest difference in this team and maybe the team last year,” Kennedy said.
The win also gave FLC a season sweep of Adams State with a combined score of 5-0.
The Skyhawks will play a night game at 7 p.m. Friday at Colorado State University-Pueblo (5-5, 1-3 RMAC).
“The games are only going to get harder from here,” Kennedy said.
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