Freshman goalkeeper Kate Dunbabin made her first-career start for the Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team, made 11 saves and kept a clean sheet Sunday against Dixie State at Dirks Field.
Fort Lewis was able to keep the Trailbalzers (5-3-4, 3-2-3) off the board in a 0-0 overtime tie. Dixie out shot the Skyhawks 21-12, but head coach Damian Clarke was proud of his back line’s organization to preserve the draw.
“I think what we needed to do defensively,” Clarke said. “Keeping up with their attacking threat and pace up top was not going to be easy, but I thought we did a really good job of it today. Diana Sifuentes was fantastic, and for Kate to keep the clean sheet, she was phenomenal. She made some big saves in traffic in overtime, and kept us in it. She was fearless.”
The Skyhawks (3-6-3, 2-4-3 RMAC) had chances in overtime to win the match, but in the 107th minute, Katie Smith’s shot clanged off of the crossbar, and her rebound opportunity was denied by Dixie State goalkeeper Adelle Brown.
“I thought we were the more dangerous team in the extra period,” Clarke said. “I felt pretty good with what we did today. There aren’t too many moral victories with draws, but this time last year, we didn’t get any points against the Utah schools.”
The Skyhawks sit in 10th place in the RMAC table.
Fort Lewis will host Western Colorado (2-10-1, 2-6-1 RMAC) at 1 p.m. Friday.
Men’s soccer
Men’s soccerThe Fort Lewis College men’s soccer team was unable to take all six points on the road, as the Skyhawks fell 2-0 to Westminster on Sunday in Salt Lake City.
The Griffins (9-3-2, 7-1-2 RMAC) scored in each half, with goals in the 31st and 46th minute.
Preston McIllece scored the opening goal on a miss-hit cross that floated over Fort Lewis goalkeeper Peter Byrne’s head, and into the back of the net. The Griffins also scored just after the break, as Bridger Hansen broke through the Skyhawks’ back line, and found the back of the net to make it 2-0.
The Skyhawks (6-4-3, 3-4-1) were unable to muster a response, as they were outshot 15-5, and had just one shot on goal.
“I thought we started off really well in the first 20 minutes of the game,” said FLC head coach David Oberholtzer. “We created a couple of really good chances, but then Westminster got control of thee match. We were never able to really gain control after that. Westminster is a good side, and they did a good job today. We weren’t nearly dangerous enough to threaten.”
The Skyhawks sit in fifth place in conference.
FLC will host conference leaders Colorado School of Mines (10-2-2, 8-0-2 RMAC) at 3 p,m. Friday.
bploen@durangoherald.com
