Trailing 2-0 to the No. 12 team in the nation, the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks never doubted their ability to win the match.
The FLC men’s soccer team opened the 2014 season Friday on their home pitch at Dirks Field. The Skyhawks faced a tough task against No. 12 Midwestern State of Wichita Falls, Texas, a team that had revenge on its mind from a 3-1 loss to the Skyhawks that opened the 2013 season.
The Midwestern State Mustangs claimed an early 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by senior midfielder Andrew Power, and the Mustangs appeared poised to build upon their lead further in the first half.
But it was the Skyhawks who settled into the match and riddled off four unanswered goals to claim a 4-2 victory in the season opener.
“I never really doubted us winning, to be honest,” said FLC junior midfielder Yannis Becker, who had an assist in the victory. “I was pretty sure we were going to win this game, especially in the altitude. Teams are going to be struggling after awhile. After 60 minutes, huffing and puffing.”
Becker’s assist set up the FLC comeback. He delivered a perfect corner kick to the head of sophomore midfielder Tamino Kroeger, who headed the ball past Midwestern goalkeeper Nick Petolick toward the far post. It was a perfect connection between the two dangerous German midfielders.
“It was very important to score our first goal, especially before the halftime when we were 2-0 down,” Kroeger said. “And then the header, I never scored a header goal, my first actually, so I’m pretty happy.”
“He didn’t have to do nothing. I put it on his head,” Becker joked.
The Skyhawks went into the locker room with confidence at halftime, and they came out of the 10-minute break fast and furious, and speedy transfer Cesar Castillo came through with an equalizing goal off a pass played in perfectly by junior midfielder Zac Lawrence. The goal gave FLC two goals within four minutes of game time spanning two halves, and the equalizer put a charge into the FLC side the rest of the match.
“It felt good. It was a great team effort,” Castillo, a senior, said of his goal. “We knew we needed to get that back.”
Castillo created the Skyhawks’ third goal off a major blunder by Petolick. The Mustangs’ goalie softly rolled a pass to one of his defenders, but, like a cornerback in American football, Castillo jumped on the pass and had only the keeper to beat. But Castillo passed on the opportunity for a second goal and took the better option in passing to a wide-open Kroeger, who tapped the ball in for his second goal of the match, and this one came in the 56th minute.
FLC scored its fourth goal, created by another corner kick, in the 76th minute. Becker played in another perfect cross, and Luke Lawrence got his head on the ball. Lawrence’s redirection didn’t find the net, but it found the body of sophomore defender Tyler Miller, who guided the ball in for the Skyhawks’ final marker.
Midwestern State was confident after its first two goals, and talk on the sideline indicated they wanted to pour as many goals as possible on FLC. But the 43rd-minute goal by the Skyhawks that cut the Mustangs’ lead to 2-1 changed the game, Midwestern State head coach Doug Elder said.
“That goal right before halftime made a difference. It gave them a shot of confidence and let them come out of half knowing they needed just one goal in 45 minutes to tie the game,” Elder said. “Then they got that early goal in the second half, and the guys kind of hung their heads a bit.”
FLC outshot the Mustangs 18-14 in the game, and FLC freshman goalkeeper Niall Burdon made five saves in the match.
“He did really well. It’s been a process (picking a goalkeeper), but we do have a good goalkeeping class,” Kennedy said of Burdon and his choice to start the freshman from France.
FLC will host another South Central Region opponent in St. Edward’s of the Heartland Conference at 1 p.m. Sunday.
“St. Ed’s is a great team, and they got a lot of guys as seniors this year that had a great year last year,” Kennedy said. “We beat Midwestern last year in the first game and then tied St. Ed’s, so we know it is just as hard of a game.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
Skyhawks’ IR
FLC freshman defender Isaac Currie exited Friday’s game in the first half with a foot injury, and he did not return to the game. After halftime, Currie emerged on the sidelines with crutches. FLC head coach Oige Kennedy said the swelling had not gone down and that he was concerned about the injury to the 6-1, 178-pound player from Nottingham, England. “We have to take a look at it and send him for an X-ray if he needs it,” Kennedy said. “We will look after him, and hopefully it’s not too serious.” ... Senior midfielder Alberto Capdepon also exited the game in the second half with a knee injury, but Kennedy said early reports from the team trainers indicate it is not serious.
