The regular season is over, brackets have been set, and the No. 4-seeded Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team is poised to make a run in the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Tournament.
The Skyhawks’ second season will begin Friday in San Angelo, Texas, where they’ll meet No. 5 seed St. Edward’s University (13-5-0) in the opening round. The winner will earn the right to play the host team and No. 1 regional seed, Angelo State.
“We’re playing our best soccer right now,” said FLC head coach Jimmy Hall, who was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. “I like the draw we have, and I like that they separated the RMAC teams so we don’t have to play each other again. I’m confident in where we’re at.”
Hall should be confident. Though the Skyhawks (12-5-3) lost a tough 1-0 match in the RMAC Tournament championship game, his team controlled the action against champion Colorado Mines. After allowing zero shots on goal in a first half that was a clinic in possession and defense, an unlucky late goal cost the Skyhawks the match.
“That’s the beauty of soccer,” Hall said Sunday after the loss.
The last NCAA Tournament match the Skyhawks won was a 1-0 victory against Regis in 2011. The last time Fort Lewis played in the tournament was in 2013 when it hosted the opening rounds and lost 1-0 in its first match. The winner of that 2013 opening-round match was Friday’s opponent – St. Edward’s.
The Skyhawks are hoping to deliver some payback to the Hilltoppers for what happened in 2013. The match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., and the winner will play Angelo State (14-3-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday.
jfries@durangoherald.com
