Fort Lewis College’s women’s soccer team closed out the regular season Sunday with a 0-0 draw at Western State (7-7-4, 4-5-3 RMAC), but the Skyhawks have plenty of soccer left to play.
As the No. 2 ranked team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Fort Lewis (11-4-3, 8-2-2 RMAC) will enjoy a first round bye in the RMAC Tournament. Head coach Jimmy Hall won’t know the opponent for Friday’s semifinal in Golden until Wednesday’s opening round matches are over, but it’ll be either No. 3 University of Colorado Colorado Springs or No. 6 New Mexico Highlands, Friday at 4 p.m.
“It would have been nice to get the No. 1 seed and had the tournament at our place but getting a bye and an extra day off is just fine with us,” Hall said. “We’ll be ready for whoever we get.”
More important is Fort Lewis’ NCAA Division II regional ranking of No. 2, which guarantees them a spot in the NCAA Division II National Tournament scheduled to begin Nov. 13. If the Skyhawks can hold on to a No. 2 or No. 3 ranking, or win the RMAC Tournament, they’ll host a first round match at Dirks Field.
“Now, that’s a huge advantage,” said Hall. “I’ve been through this before and it would be really nice to have some of the teams from the lower elevations come up here to play in the first round. It’s hard enough to travel, but when you add in the elevation and the home field advantage, it’s a big deal.”
The regular season RMAC champion and No. 1 seed Colorado Mines Orediggers will host the RMAC Tournament. The Skyhawks beat the Orediggers in Golden this season for the first time in the program’s history.
In the latest NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer South Central Regional Rankings release, Fort Lewis is No. 2 and Colorado Mines is No. 5.
jfries@durangoherald.com
