Early goals and dominant possession helped keep momentum building for the Skyhawks.
In front of a good homecoming crowd Friday afternoon at Dirks Field on the Fort Lewis College campus, the FLC women’s soccer team earned a 3-0 victory against Black Hills State for the team’s third consecutive win.
It was the first-ever meeting between the two programs, as Black Hills added women’s soccer as a varsity program in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference this year. The Yellow Jackets (1-9, 0-5 RMAC) had a tough time connecting passes, and the midfield of Fort Lewis (6-4-1, 5-2 RMAC) controlled the match all day, rarely letting Black Hills across midfield.
“We looked confident and we kept the ball,” FLC head coach Jimmy Hall said.
“We’re talented. Whoever I rotate in there, we have strength off the bench. From the starters to the subs, we continue to be creative and keep the ball.”
FLC outshot Black Hills 34-3 and put 14 shots on target. Without the solid play of Black Hills goalkeeper Therese Wilhelmi, the game could’ve been much more lopsided. She made 11 saves.
Black Hills put only one shot on target all game, and it didn’t test FLC keeper Kaylee Mickens, who is now 4-1 in goal this year.
Alicia “Cooper” Sanchez got the scoring going in the 18th minute. The Skyhawks got a free kick from 20 yards out, and Sanchez brilliantly played the ball around the wall and into the bottom left corner of the goal. It was her fifth goal of the season.
In the 37th minute, defender Keisha Green made an oustanding hustle play to beat a Black Hills player to the ball and slid in to strike the ball with her right foot. The shot got past Wilhelmi for Green’s first goal of the year.
“I played a little bit of attacking mid last week and got a taste of what it’s like to be up there,” said Green, who is known to play from box to box to help FLC continue its attack. “I wanted to hunt it down and get one and took advantage of the opportunity.”
FLC added a goal in the 44th minute, when freshman Emma Patron scored on a shot from 25 yards out in front of goal. All three FLC goals were unassisted.
After a pair of 1-0 losses at Regis and Metro State, FLC has won three in a row by a combined score of 11-3. The Skyhawks hope to see that goal-scoring ability continue next Friday at Colorado Mesa in a 7 p.m. game.
The Skyhawks are currently second in the RMAC standings with five games to play before the conference tournament. Colorado Mines leads the conference, and FLC will see the Orediggers on Oct. 28 in Durango.
“We need to keep building confidence and continue to play sharp,” Hall said.
“We need to keep the ball and not be impatient and make sure we are working as a group.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
