There are advantages and disadvantages that come with an extended amount of time off. A full week of rest was welcomed for the No. 14 Fort Lewis women’s soccer team after a seven-game winning streak and a big late season road trip in which they returned home 3-0. However, when a team is hot, time off might be the only thing to cool it down.
Whether it was rust, the injury bug, fatigue from this week’s midterm exams or trouble getting back into the groove, the Skyhawks (10-3-1, 8-1-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) had a tough time with Adams State and lost 1-0 in extra time Sunday at Dirks Field.
Grizzlies freshman Arin Seidlitz picked a good time to score the first goal of her career. The golden goal in the 92nd minute was the difference maker after neither team was able to find the net in regulation.
“At halftime I was told to keep crashing the net,” Seidlitz said. “We felt like we were getting the better of the chances and they were wearing down. I knew if I just kept going something good would happen and it did.”
In the early moments of the match, it looked like it would be another win for the nationally-ranked Skyhawks. They were possessing the ball well, passing with precision and applying the pressure. They outshot the Grizzlies 9-3 in the first half.
But injuries and fatigue came into play in the second half.
Fort Lewis College senior and Durango High School alumna Brooke Milliet started the game with a heavily wrapped left leg and was taken out in the first half. She never returned.
In the final minutes of the second half, starters Milliet, Jordan Hix, Shayla Malecki and Courtney Riley were all on the sidelines either catching a breather or getting worked on by trainers. Haleigh Macomb, a regular in the starting lineup, didn’t play at all.
From the opening whistle of the second half to Seidlitz’s golden goal, the Grizzlies (6-5-3, 3-4-1 RMAC) outshot the Skyhawks 9-2.
“I think we got a little complacent in the second half, and I think we got a wake-up call (Sunday),” said Fort Lewis head coach Jimmy Hall. “I don’t think it was rust. It was midterms week for them, and instead of being able to catch up on sleep after the long road trip and build their bodies back up, they were up late studying. Even though the schedule said it was a week off, it was still a difficult week for them.”
Fort Lewis goalkeeper Caitlyn Espinosa came up big at times in the second half to keep the game scoreless. On the game-winning goal, she made an excellent save on Adams State’s Hope Cruz but nobody was there to prevent Seidlitz from sending in the rebound.
Aside from Espinosa’s play in the second half, it was an uncharacteristically sluggish performance from a team that has gotten better and better with every game.
“Having a week off, your legs start to go a little. Fatigue sinks in and your touch isn’t as sharp as it was when you took the field last time,” said Fort Lewis sophomore Shayla Malecki. “That played a role in our practices this week and probably affected our timing in (Sunday’s) game. We didn’t play our best down the stretch.”
The good news for Fort Lewis is that the match was designated as a non-conference match at the beginning of the season even though Adams State is a RMAC team. Sunday’s loss will not count toward their conference record.
jfries@durangoherald.com
