The Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team did not have enough energy in the second half, as No. 24 University of Colorado-Colorado Springs scored twice leading to a 4-1 win over the Skyhawks Friday
The Mountain Lions (9-1-1, 7-0-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) had a 25-6 shot advantage over FLC and it was the third consecutive loss for the Skyhawks.
In the 14th minute, the Mountain Lions opened the scoring when Anna Gregg beat Kaylee Mickens from outside of the 18-yard box and it went into the left corner of the net.
Just five minutes later, Tarah Patterson scored on a penalty kick to give UC-CS a 2-0 lead.
However, Fort Lewis’s offense was not out of it by any means. In the 38th minute, a shot from a Skyhawk attacker hit a hand and a free kick was given in a dangerous spot. Britney Johnson stepped up and scored her third goal of the season, making it 2-1.
In the second half, UC-CS coach Sian Hudson made a few tactical adjustments and it paid off.
“In the second half, Fort Lewis made it really difficult for us, they sat with 11 players behind the ball and sat really deep,” Hudson said. “We had to move the ball quickly and made a couple of tactical adjustments at halftime and we created a lot of good opportunities in the game.”
Putting so many defenders behind the ball would only work for so long for FLC head coach Damian Clarke’s side.
The Mountain Lions were able to put the game effectively out of reach in the 70th minute when Amelia Junge scored her third goal of the season when Naomi Gurriola made a brilliant pass to Junge, who knocked it into the right corner.
UC-CS would add one more in the 86th minute, when Tori Maydew scored her seventh goal of the season after Gurriola passed to Maydew and she was able to chip Mickens for the goal.
The Skyhawks (4-5-1, 3-3 RMAC) were outshot 14-1 in the second half.
“I think we got caught in a few counterattacks and our plan was to try and just put it behind them every once in a while and catch them in a mistake and possibly score a set piece,” Clarke said. “The negatives were that if you don’t concentrate for 90 minutes against a team this good, you’re going to suffer in the end. That’s a phenomenally coached team and they changed their system four or five times, and for our kids to compete as long as they did, we have to look at the positives. We made them find a different way to compete and beat us and get comfortable. That’s sometimes what we’re going to have to do – to make them compete against us.”
The Skyhawks will take on Metropolitan State-Denver at noon Sunday at Dirks Field.
bploen@ durangoherald.com
