Fort Lewis men’s soccer head coach David Oberholtzer has been waiting for this moment all season. He’s seen plenty of players in his rotation go down with injuries. Only four players have played all 22 games for Oberholtzer. FLC had its entire team healthy for its second round NCAA tournament matchup and showed its potential with a resounding 4-2 victory over University Colorado Colorado Springs on Sunday.
The No. 6 seed Skyhawks improved to 13-3-6 overall after the win and No. 3 seed UCCS finished its season 14-3-4 overall. It’s the second consecutive year FLC beat UCCS in the NCAA tournament.
“We created some really good chances,” Oberholtzer said. “It could have easily been more, especially once we got out in front and they were forced to chase the game a little bit. They left themselves open at the back quite a bit and we got in a couple of times … Two of them came from Anton (Hjalmarsson), having him back and healthy. He played the bulk of the game and is such a big weapon. It was a really good team performance. We kept the ball really well. We forced them to chase and defend and opened them up throughout the game.”
FLC also won at UCCS 3-1 on Oct. 17. Oberholtzer said the Skyhawks and the Mountain Lions play a similar style so FLC matches up well against them. He said they also play an attractive style but FLC plays it better, is more dangerous and more well-rounded.
UCCS outshot FLC 20-14 and had an 11-9 shots on-goal advantage. Skyhawks sophomore goalkeeper Lucas Martin had eight saves in the win.
Freshman midfielder Jacob Ramos scored the first goal for FLC to put the Skyhawks up 1-0 in the 34th minute. The Skyhawks had a corner kick and junior Casey Stracher headed the ball across the net. Ramos was in the right place at the right time and finished.
UCCS’ Nick Walker responded in the next minute for a 1-1 tie.
Right before halftime in the 44th minute, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Freshman of the Year Fabrizio Aguilera found the back of the net to put FLC up 2-1 going into halftime. With seconds left on the clock, Aguilera hit a ball toward goal into a crowded 18-yard box. The ball found its way past the UCCS keeper and into the far post.
In the 60th minute, Aguilera created another chance with a strike from about 25 yards out. It took a deflection and bounce to sophomore forward Anton Hjalmarsson who finished one-on-one with the keeper for a 3-1 lead.
Hjalmarsson then found himself in an advantageous position in the 74th minute with an FLC counterattack. He was one-on-one with a Mountain Lions defender, got pass him and finished past the keeper for a 4-1 lead.
UCCS’ Dani Barajas then scored in the 75th minute but it was too little too late.
FLC plays No. 2 seed Midwestern State on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the third round of the tournament. Midwestern State beat FLC in the second round last year 2-1.
The Skyhawks have won a game in the NCAA tournament for two consecutive years for the first time in Oberholtzer’s nine-year stint as head coach. It’s the first time the program has done this since 2008 and 2009. The 2009 team won the Division II Men’s Soccer National Championship.
“It's a great sign for sure,” Oberholtzer said. “The program feels like it's in a great place. The guys are really believing in themselves and in what they can do. Every game at this point is going to be a tough game but we know that we are good enough to play with anybody in the country. We know that we're an elite team and elite program. Now, we're just excited to see what we can do with it and where we can take it.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
