Durango soccer fans will get their fill this weekend at Fort Lewis College’s Dirks Field.
The Skyhawks’ teams have three home games on the schedule, starting with the women’s regular-season home opener against Colorado Mesa (1-4-1, 1-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) at 12:30 p.m., Friday. The men’s team will take the field shortly after, with a 3 p.m. tilt against CSU-Pueblo. The weekend will close with a 1 p.m. women’s game against new RMAC member Westminster College (4-1, 1-1 RMAC) on Sunday.
“The girls are certainly excited to not be on the bus this weekend,” Fort Lewis women’s head coach Jimmy Hall said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “It’s always an extra boost of energy playing in front of the home crowd, so we’re all looking forward to that.”
Led by senior goalkeeper Caitlyn Espinosa, the new school record holder for career shutouts, the women’s team started the season with a respectable 3-2-1 record on the road. The road trip was highlighted by a 2-1 win against No. 9 Dallas Baptist in Grand Junction.
Though the roster only has two seniors, compared to 20 freshmen and sophomores, the Skyhawks (3-2-1, 1-1 RMAC) aren’t short on experience. Hall has nine returning starters from last season and a nice balance of youth to complement the veterans.
“It’s nice to have a mix of young and older players,” Hall said. “It’s a great combination because the younger ones can push the energy level and effort while the older ones are guiding them and teaching things that need to be stressed.”
One of the veterans leading the charge for the Skyhawks is junior Courtney Riley. She leads the team with two goals, both of which were game winners.
“Courtney has been fantastic for us thus far,” Hall said. “Not only is she very talented but she’s extremely positive, and that rubs off on the younger girls.”
FLC’s women are 9-1-2 against Colorado Mesa in the last 12 meetings. Sunday’s match will be the first ever meeting against Westminster.
The Fort Lewis men’s team is on a roll. The Skyhawks have won five games in a row and are coming off a 2-0 shutout against Adams State. They’ll look to make it six consecutive wins against CSU-Pueblo on Friday.
Junior Tamino Kroeger is leading the team with four goals, all of which have come in the last five games. Fellow German and junior Yannis Becker and seniors Zac Lawrence and Austin Derksen are leading a team dominated by underclassmen.
Freshman goalkeeper Elliot Chadderton and an entirely new back line of underclassmen recorded three shutouts in the last six games. Freshmen Laurin Weiland and Nicolas Perez are fitting right in with Becker, Kroeger and Lawrence in the Skyhawks’ attack. Overall, five freshmen and two sophomores started for head coach Oige Kennedy in Wednesday’s win.
“All these freshmen guys are contributing,” Kennedy said. “We talk about them being a young group, but they’re so talented it’s hard to recognize that they’re so young. I’m excited to have the opportunity to watch them grow and work with them over the next few years.”
The Skyhawks (5-2, 3-0 RMAC) are 25-3-1 when playing CSU-Pueblo (4-2, 1-1 RMAC) at Dirks Field. The ThunderWolves, however, have had a strong start in 2015 and were ranked as high as No. 12 earlier this season.
“It’ll be another exciting game, and it’ll be a game where we’ve got to show up and compete at a high level,” Kennedy said. “They (CSU-Pueblo) had a great start, they’re well organized, and (head coach Roy Stanley) always has them ready to play, so we’ve got to be at our best.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who: CSU-Pueblo at Fort Lewis
What: Men’s college soccer
When: 3 p.m. Friday
Where: Dirks Field, Fort Lewis College campus
Listen Live: KIUP 930 AM/97.3 FM
Twitter: @The7thFreezer
If you go
WHO: Colorado Mesa, Westminster at Fort Lewis
WHAT: Women’s college soccer
WHEN: Friday 12:30 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.
WHERE: Dirks Field
Listen Live: KIUP 930 AM/97.3 FM
TWITTER: @The7thFreezer
