Over the last two years, the Fort Lewis women’s soccer team has improved each year. In 2021, the Skyhawks finished 5-10-2 overall. In 2022, FLC improved to 6-11-2 and last year, the Skyhawks finished 9-4-6 overall and 5-3-4 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
This season, FLC returns 17 of 18 players who had points in games last year. Skyhawks head coach Damian Clarke has plenty of experience and continuity to push FLC up the RMAC standings.
“I'm excited,” Clarke said. “It's always exciting to get a fresh start and start to kind of figure out what the team is really going to look like against outside competition, start to build the group. Every year is going to be a different team, even if it's the majority of the same players. It’s always a different team with what they've carried over from the previous year, what they've forgotten and how much can you add. There's a lot.”
Last year, FLC averaged only 1.32 goals per game and only allowed 0.79 goals per game. The Skyhawks had many low-scoring games including three 0-0 ties, three 1-1 ties and three 1-0 victories.
Gone from that offense is Aubrey Swindle. The senior forward transferred to the University of Hawaii at Hilo for her fifth year. Last season, Swindle led the Skyhawks with four goals and three assists.
Even without Swindle, Clarke is confident the Skyhawks can be better at scoring goals this year. He said the team didn’t think of itself as a defensive-oriented team, they wanted to keep possession of the ball and this has led to lower-scoring games.
This season, senior midfielder Gabi Mera-Fishbein should be the conductor of the Skyhawks’ offense. Playing center defensive midfield, Mera-Fishbein is the most cerebral player with communications, controlling the team’s shape and the direction of how the possession will be carried out.
“For Gabi, she came in just absolutely maximizing her athletic potential and ability which allows the person that's in that position to really make decisions for long periods of time,” Clarke said. “When your fitness level is not super high, or is not maximized, it's tough to make decisions at a high level for long periods of time. So our focus with her is, ‘Hey, you're a great footballer. We're not necessarily too concerned with decision-making or technical ability. Let's just make sure your senior year here that you set yourself up to play as many minutes as possible and be capable of making those decisions.”’
Clarke said the standard of behavior on and off the field for this team is very high because of how many returning players the Skyhawks have.
Two of the biggest leaders and example-setters are fifth-year goalkeepers Riley Bravin and Katlyn Rosenbaum. Both keepers split time last year and Clarke expects them to do the same this year. He said both players have set a great example of how to behave in a highly competitive environment.
On defense, sophomore defender Amber Otts returns along with junior defender Rachel Peebles after seeing major minutes last year. Clarke is excited to see fifth-year defender Elizabeth David return after tearing her ACL.
Senior Danielle Gonzales is back on defense after suffering some injuries last year and transfer junior defender Renee Junna should also help out on the back line.
Junior forward Josie Coulter should have a big role in replacing Swindle. She scored two goals last year. Coulter can post up, play with her back to the goal and help bring players forward, according to Clarke.
In the nonconference, the Skyhawks will face five Lone Star Conference members. The Skyhawks started play on Thursday at Lubbock Christian and then will travel to Eastern New Mexico. Midwestern State is after that which Clarke said will be an emotional game for him since he coached there in between his two stints at FLC. Road games at UT Permian Basin and West Texas A&M will finish up the nonconference.
Clarke thinks these matchups will help the Skyhawks have the regional criteria to compete for regional spots in the NCAA Division II tournament.
The Skyhawks were picked sixth in the RMAC preseason poll. Clarke wasn’t surprised and said with the level of play in the conference, FLC needs to show it can finish higher before it can be picked higher.
Clarke said while this team doesn’t have one premier scorer who could score 10 goals, this team has as much talent as any of the teams he’s coached.
“The goal is for us always win the RMAC whether that’s inside the tournament, or whether that's in the regular season,” Clarke said. “That's always going to be a goal of these programs and making the national tournament. I don't think any of us have ever expected less from Fort Lewis soccer.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
