The Fort Lewis women’s soccer team struggled to score last season and only averaged 1.32 goals per game.
This year, the Skyhawks returned almost all key offensive players and added a few transfers. The experience and continuity looks like its starting to pay off. FLC scored a season-high four goals on the road on Sunday to beat West Texas A&M 4-2.
FLC improved to 3-1-1 overall with the win while West Texas A&M fell to 3-2 with the loss.
Skyhawks women’s soccer head coach Damian Clarke said there were 30-mile-per-hour winds that added an element of difficulty. Clarke said the training the team has put in the last few years has really begun to show itself. FLC is getting to the attacking third regularly so now the coaching staff can draw up more training scenarios to practice scoring in the attacking third.
Junior forward Abigail Nkrumah scored her first goal of the season and as a Skyhawk in the 44th minute to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 halftime lead. Sophomore Jenna Salazar increased the lead to 2-0 in the 57th minute. Sophomore forward Abila Tapia took over the game with goals in the 63rd and 67th minutes to put FLC up 4-0.
“Abila is a really explosive athlete and technically she's a really clean player too,” Clarke said. “So the more chances you give a player like that to attack a flank and break people down, the more production you're going to get out of her.”
West Texas A&M scored in the 74th and 89th minutes but the game was already out of reach.
After five games on the road to start the season, FLC will have its home opener against CSU Pueblo on Friday at 7 p.m.
Football struggles in RMAC opener at Black Hills State
FLC’s football team got a rude awakening to the level it needs to be at to compete in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference this year.
After a historic 17-12 victory over NAIA Arizona Christian, the Skyhawks opened up RMAC play on Saturday and got handled 33-7 at Black Hills State.
The Skyhawks fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in RMAC play with the loss. Black Hills State improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the RMAC with the win.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Stone Walker played the first half and finished 6-16 passing for 32 yards. He had 11 carries for 24 yards. Redshirt freshman quarterback Jacob Morris played the second half and went 8-16 passing for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Junior wide receiver Jamille Humphrey led FLC with three receptions for 39 yards. Freshman running back Orlando Guevara had a touchdown reception for a yard.
Black Hills State had 373 yards of total offense compared to only 175 yards for FLC. The first quarter ended in a 0-0 tie before Black Hills State scored 19 in the second quarter for a 19-0 halftime lead. Black Hills State scored seven in the third and fourth quarters. The Skyhawks scored the final touchdown of the game with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter.
FLC plays South Dakota Mines on Saturday at 2 p.m. at home.
Volleyball’s struggles continue to start RMAC play
It couldn’t have been the start FLC volleyball head coach Giedre Tarnauskaite was hoping for.
After starting the season 2-6 with two out-of-conference tournaments, the Skyhawks hit the road and faced Westminster on Friday and Colorado Mesa on Saturday.
FLC lost both matches 3-0 and fell to 2-8 overall and 0-2 in RMAC play.
The Skyhawks lost the three sets against Westminster 25-20, 25-20 and 25-23. Fifth-year player Lauren Shea and junior Ella Butler had seven kills for FLC. Fifth-year player JJ Curry had five kills for the Skyhawks.
Against Colorado Mesa, the Skyhawks lost the sets 25-12, 26-24 and 25-19. Curry had 11 kills, Butler had five kills and Shea had four.
The Skyhawks have their home opener on Friday against Colorado Christian at 6 p.m. before facing Chadron State on Saturday at home at 7 p.m.
Skyhawks men’s cross country finishes second, women finish eighth
The FLC cross country teams traveled up to Denver to race in Washington Park in the 2024 Roadrunners Invitational hosted by MSU Denver.
FLC finished second as a team in the men’s 8-kilometer race out of 14 schools. Colorado School of Mines won the event with a team score, the combined finishing position of each team’s top five runners, of 20. The Skyhawks were second with a team score of 97 followed by MSU Denver in third with 106.
Junior Elijah Smith finished in ninth in 25 minutes and 14.94 seconds. Senior Caden Resendez finished in 17th in 25:42.14. Junior Cebastian Marquez finished 22nd in 25:55.11. Junior Brady Burrough finished 24th in 26:00.50 and freshman Andres Cura finished 25th in 26:01.81.
On the women’s side, the Skyhawks finished eighth as a team out of 13 schools with a score of 237.
FLC sophomore Tessa Stadler led the way for the Skyhawk women, finishing in 26th place in the 6K race in 23:06.96. Behind her for FLC was freshman Jade Reid who finished 48th in 24:16.31.
Junior Claire Peterson finished 49th in 24:19.96 and junior Cadence Corby finished 52nd in 24:34.77. Junior Skylar Charlie was the final scoring runner for FLC, finishing 62nd in 25:12.71.
The Skyhawks next travel to Colorado Springs for the Ted Castaneda Invitational on Oct. 5.
Men’s golf finishes sixth at Dunning Invitational
After three rounds at Mossy Oak Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi, the Skyhawks men’s golf team finished sixth out of 14 teams with a +20-over-par team score after 54 holes.
FLC redshirt junior golfer Jordan Jennings finished seventh with an even-par finish. Jennings was second going into the final day before shooting a +5-over-par 77.
Fellow Skyhawk junior Traejan Andrews was the only other FLC golfer in the top 20, finishing tied-17th after a +5 tournament. He finished the final round -1.
FLC next plays in Mescalero, New Mexico, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods for the RJGA South Central Shootout on Monday.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
