A better start and crisper play couldn’t create a different result from Saturday.

Metro State scored three times in the second half, and the Roadrunners held off the Fort Lewis College men’s soccer team 3-0 on Sunday at Dirks Field, the second loss in as many days for the Skyhawks.

The Skyhawks (8-7-1, 5-7-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) came out sharper than in Saturday’s loss to Colorado Mesa, passing the ball better and generating a total of 18 shots, including 13 after halftime.

“I thought we worked hard and competed with them a lot better than we did against Mesa,” FLC head coach Oige Kennedy said.

But it was the Roadrunners (10-3-3, 8-2-2 RMAC) who struck first. Less than a minute after the start of the second half, Jack Mayfield hit a rocket from distance that tucked inside the far left post to give Metro the lead.

Andy Lopez got free on a corner kick by Brenden Hughes in the 71st minute and doubled Metro State’s lead with a header at the far post, and with FLC pushing for a goal to give them a chance to rally, Michael Jordahl found himself on the end of a one-touch pass by Mayfield and fired a shot in from about 16 yards out in the 81st minute.

“The first one the guy hits, he could probably do that 10 times and maybe hit the target once, so it’s a great strike from him. ... And then the rest of the game we’re trying to get ourselves back in it and left ourselves open,” Kennedy said.

Fort Lewis had several opportunities to get on the board. Alberto Capdepon’s rocket from just inside midfield in the waning seconds of the first half was stopped by a nice save from James Tanner, one of eight stops the Roadrunners’ keeper made Sunday.

Perhaps the best opportunity came in the 61st minute with FLC trailing 1-0. A Zac Lawrence cross skipped dangerously in front of the net and right to Trevor Gibbons, whose sliding attempt on goal found its way into the chest of Tanner before skipping away.

“We worked their keeper eight times; we had 18 shots, I think, to their 12,” Kennedy said. “So, we definitely had the ball in their end enough times. We just didn’t get the breaks in front of goal.

Ryan Schaul made three saves for Fort Lewis, including a nice charging save to keep the game 1-0 in the 69th minute on Clyde Glastetter.

Yellow cards were issued to FLC’s Jordan Alexander, Alberto Capdepon, Casey Dean and Aaron Kloer.

FLC will host Colorado Mines at 3:30 p.m. Friday before wrapping the regular season Sunday in Lakewood against Colorado Christian.

rowens@durangoherald.com