After three weeks on the road, it was fitting to see the Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team come back home and stage a comeback win in the home opener Friday against Colorado Mesa.
With the score tied at the end of regulation, the Skyhawks (4-2-1, 2-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) were beneficiaries of a foul call in the 18-yard box that led to a penalty kick. Alicia “Cooper” Sanchez’s right-footed rocket slotted into the lower left corner gave Fort Lewis a 2-1 lead and a sudden-death win.
“I just stepped up and took it,” Sanchez said. “I always have a spot where I know where I’m going, so it was all about placing it, and I’m glad we got a win out of it.”
Colorado Mesa (1-5-1, 1-2 RMAC) came onto the field and took it to the Skyhawks. The Mavericks had the majority of the early chances, but FLC goalkeeper Caitlyn Espinosa was well positioned to disrupt those opportunities. Espinosa made eight saves in the match.
After a scoreless first half, the Mavericks broke through with a goal by Ashley Wallace to take a 1-0 lead in the 54th minute. Wallace looked to have been offsides on the play, but the officials let the play go.
Three minutes later, Durango native Brooke Milliet got credit for the equalizer for FLC, as her patented flip throw-in was said to have been redirected and ended up in the Colorado Mesa net. The Mavericks’ coaches and bench felt that the goal was not deflected and shouldn’t have allowed.
“It’s disappointing the way we let up that goal because I don’t think the keeper got a hand on it, and you can’t score on a throw-in,” Colorado Mesa head coach Jason Clare said. “The officiating has got to be better in these games.”
The 1-1 tie carried into extra time, and if Colorado Mesa was upset about the first goal, the Mavericks were irate about the game winner.
In the 95th minute, Skyhawks freshman Ariel Lopez hustled after a ball that was approaching the Mavericks’ keeper. Her persistence paid off, as she was sent to the ground in the box, and the referee called a foul.
Sanchez was called on to take the penalty kick and she finished the comeback with a solid strike.
“It was a very intense match, and Mesa really brought it to us,” said Fort Lewis head coach Jimmy Hall. “The fact that we came back and fought to win this game really speaks volumes about how far we’ve come since last year when we might have gotten down after that first goal or just settled for a tie. It’s a sign of maturity and growth.”
The Skyhawks will try to keep the momentum going at 1 p.m. Sunday at Dirks Field with a matchup against Westminster College, a new addition to the RMAC the Skyhawks have yet to face.
jfries@durangoherald.com
