For the first time since 2010, Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team had the opportunity to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title Friday afternoon.
But, with four minutes remaining in a scoreless match, Regis’ Maison O’Neill deflected a loose ball in the box past Skyhawks goalkeeper Caitlyn Espinosa to notch the game-winning goal and put the Fort Lewis celebration on hold.
“I thought we had a lot of chances. We possessed the ball more often and we played good defense,” said FLC head coach Jimmy hall. “We played very well (Friday), and it was just a bounce here and there that made a difference.”
The No. 18-ranked Skyhawks (10-4-1, 7-2-0 RMAC) controlled the action most of the game but couldn’t convert on the few scoring chances they had. They outshot Regis 12-10, led in corners taken six to five and had the better of the scoring opportunities.
Jordan Hix led Fort Lewis with five, shots and Courtney Riley nearly scored a few times but was offsides once and missed wide a few minutes later.
FLC senior Brooke Milliet had two shots and looked healthy after sitting out most of the previous match with a muscle strain in her left leg.
The loss to Regis (9-3-3, 4-2-3 RMAC) was the team’s second in a row after running off seven consecutive wins.
“We really have had some unfortunate games lately,” said Milliet, a Durango High School alumna. “This is the time of season when our bodies are breaking down a bit and we have some nagging injuries, but we have one more big game in the regular season, and we have to come out with some fire if we want to do this.”
The fire was there in the first half for Fort Lewis but dwindled again down the stretch. In the last few minutes, Regis applied added pressure on the attack and kept it on until the deciding goal came.
“It was a point in the game where we thought that if we put more pressure on their back line they’d give the ball away, and that’s exactly what happened,” O’Neill said. “We were able to get a corner and the goalie came out to challenge. I just flicked it, and when I saw where it went, it was in the back of the net.”
It was the type of play the Skyhawks have had go their way a few times this season, but this time they were on the other end.
Fort Lewis has another shot at winning the regular season conference title at 1 p.m. Sunday when they host Metropolitan State University of Denver at Dirks Field.
“We need to win on Sunday,” Hall said. “We need to forget about the last couple of games and come out to win.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
