The Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team defeated CSU-Pueblo 3-0 on Sept. 18. While it might have seemed like another ho-hum shutout performance from the Skyhawks’ defense, it was more than that.
The shutout was goalkeeper Caitlyn Espinosa’s 24th of her college career, breaking the Fort Lewis career record set by Bree Baker in 2008.
In her senior year, Espinosa isn’t rewriting the school record book, she is setting a winning example for a young Skyhawks team to follow.
“I just want to win games, so personally the record means nothing. It’s just a reflection of the hard work the entire team puts in,” Espinosa said. “What it really means is that we’re winning games, and that’s all that matters.”
With answers like that, it only takes a few minutes with Espinosa to see why she is such a valuable asset to Fort Lewis College’s women’s soccer program.
As one of two seniors on a team of 29 players, her personality is a perfect fit for a leader. When she starts talking about her teammates and what they have to do to win games, her competitive fire can’t be mistaken. On the other hand, her big smile and boisterous laugh is surely comforting to the 21 underclassmen on the Skyhawks’ roster.
“She’s more than just a goalkeeper for this team, she’s super important to me, my family and the soccer family here at Fort Lewis,” said Fort Lewis head coach Jimmy Hall. “She’s super competitive, and she’s got a big personality, and you need that to be a good keeper and a good leader. You just can’t make people do what she does; she just does it naturally.”
Espinosa, from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, won the starting goalkeeper job her sophomore year, beating out then senior Amanda Raso, who currently is the team’s goalkeeping coach, Raso has seen Espinosa’s progression first hand.
“I’ve played with her and against her, so we have a pretty unique relationship,” Raso said. “She’s just a unique individual. She’s fun and caring off the field, but, when she gets out there she’s firm, confident, and she takes charge of the game. It’s a special combination, and she’s been great for the program.”
Espinosa also is a member of the Fort Lewis College women’s track and field team, which became a full varsity sport last year. She throws the shot put, discus, javelin, and this year she’ll take on the hammer-throw.
“I really don’t like being bored, so I have to keep doing something,” she said. “I’m a competitive person. I like to push myself and be the best that I can be.”
When it comes to goalkeepers at Fort Lewis, she’s among the best in school history and continues to add to her résumé.
Along with her career shutouts record, she’s first in goals against average (0.735) and third in wins (27). The Skyhawks have gotten out to a 4-2-1 start to the 2015 season and, by the end of the year, the name “Espinosa” might be at the top of a few more categories in the Fort Lewis College record book.
It won’t mean anything to her, though, as long as the team keeps winning.
jfries@durangoherald.com
