Peter Byrne had a stellar weekend in goal for the Fort Lewis College men’s soccer team and was awarded the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s Goalkeeper of the Week for the second time this season.
The redshirt sophomore made eight saves and propelled the Skyhawks to two crucial wins – a 2-1 overtime defeat of No. 18 Colorado School of Mines and a 5-0 thumping of South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
Friday, Byrne stopped four shots in the upset win over the Orediggers, including two remarkable saves in the final 10 minutes of regulation. The Skyhawks’ back line also played a key part in the win after they cleared three balls off of the goal line. It led to a Loic Jean-Baptiste game-winning goal 30 seconds into the extra time period.
Sunday, Byrne was not heavily tested against the Hardrockers but still made four saves in the win.
Fort Lewis can finish anywhere from second to seventh in the RMAC standings, as it is currently in fifth place with 22 points. Colorado Mesa is one point ahead of the Skyhawks in fourth with 23 points, while Regis is in third with 24 points. Dixie State is right behind FLC with 21 points in sixth.
The men will close out the regular season with two home games at Dirks Field. The Skyhawks will host rival Colorado Mesa (9-4-2, 7-3-2 RMAC) at 3 p.m. Friday and CSU-Pueblo (6-10, 6-6 RMAC) at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
It was not only a significant weekend for the men’s team, which sits one point out of a top-four spot in the RMAC standings, but the women’s team also had a stellar two-game performance to keep its postseason hopes alive with two wins.
Freshman Ashley Strader had a big weekend, as she scored the first two goals of her collegiate career. Sunday, she scored her first game-winning goal in the sixth minute of overtime in a 3-2 win against Colorado Mesa. The goal came after the Skyhawks leveled the match at 2-2 in the 89th minute on a header from senior Courtney Wamboldt.
The Skyhawks have a great chance to sneak into the RMAC Tournament this week, as they sit one point back of Mesa for the eighth and final spot with 15 points. Metropolitan State University-Denver and CSU-Pueblo are within touching distance, as the sixth- and seventh-place teams are tied at 17 points.
Fort Lewis will travel to Pueblo to take on the ThunderWolves (6-7-2, 5-4-2 RMAC) at 6 p.m. Friday and will end the regular season with a trip to New Mexico Highlands (0-13, 0-11 RMAC) at 11 a.m. Sunday in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
bploen@durangoherald.com
