One goal is enough to win most Fort Lewis College women’s soccer games this season.
The Skyhawks hadn’t allowed a goal in 618 minutes entering Sunday’s game against New Mexico Highlands University.
That school-record streak extended to 648 minutes before Mallory Bostic scored for the Cowgirls to even the match at 1 in the 30th minute.
Bostic corralled a pass from Nicole Millar and lofted a ball over FLC goalie Caitlyn Espinosa and into the net.
Neither team could score for the remaining 60 minutes of normal time or in the 20 minutes of overtime, and they tied at one, the Skyhawks’ fifth tie this season.
FLC (4-3-5, 3-1-4 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) has scored in three consecutive games after not finding the back of the net in their previous three.
“For the past five games we’ve had a lot of opportunities, we just haven’t finished them,” Durango High School alumna and FLC junior Brooke Milliet said. “I think it’s a matter of time before we continue to score the way we want to.”
Milliet, the daughter of Charlie and Janis Milliet, found Cooper Sanchez to set up the Skyhawks’ goal in the 19th minute. She sent a ball across the face of goal that Sanchez tapped in from close range for the lead.
“I saw Brookie going down the line, and I knew where she was going to put it,” Sanchez said. “All I had to do was make my run, and it was an easy ball. It was a great ball from her.”
Both teams stepped up their shot pressure in the second half.
Espinosa had to make three saves compared to four for Highlands’ keeper Sarah Beecher after the pair combined for just one save in the first half.
“She’s brilliant,” Highlands’ head coach Justin Wagar said of his keeper. “She’s probably the best keeper we’ve had at Highlands in my six years here, nerves of steel.”
Beecher made two saves for Highlands in the 60th minute, and the Cowgirls had to deal with pressure much of the second half because of the difficulty of clearing the ball against a strong wind.
Not to be outdone, Espinosa stonewalled Crystal Schuder in the 84th minute 1-on-1 to preserve the tie.
Milliet thought she gave FLC a winner on a breakaway in the final eight seconds of the first overtime after she beat her marker to the ball and punched it into the back of the net.
Offsides was called, and the game entered a second overtime period.
“Realistically, we scored three goals in that game,” FLC head coach Jimmy Hall said. “I’m not sure how the referees can continue to take goals away form us. Those two (Sunday), again, it’s another couple goals that my girls have earned.”
The Skyhawks still haven’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Regis on Sept. 19 and currently sit fourth in the RMAC standings.
Highlands is right behind them in fifth after picking up another point.
“It’s hard to score on Fort Lewis on their own field,” Wagar said. “It’s great when you get points, especially on the road.”
FLC will host Colorado Mines at 12:30 p.m. Friday.
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
