The Fort Lewis College men’s soccer program has been on an upward trajectory the last few years as it looks to recapture its place at the top of Division II. Skyhawks men’s soccer head coach David Oberholtzer is confident the team can take another step this season.
In 2022, FLC finished its season 4-11-2 overall (those wins and ties have since been vacated due to FLC’s probation.) The Skyhawks took a massive jump in 2023 and finished 12-5-4 overall, winning the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and advancing to the Division II NCAA tournament (FLC’s record was dropped to 9-5-3 overall due to FLC’s probation.)
Last season, the Skyhawks finished their season 14-4-6 overall and made it to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals.
To continue the upward trajectory of the program, the next step for the Skyhawks is to make it to the NCAA tournament semifinals, something the program hasn’t done since it won the national championship in 2011. Oberholtzer thinks the 2025 Skyhawks can have a better season than last year and can make a deep run.
“We feel good,” Oberholtzer said. “We've been together for quite a bit now and the guys are kind of chopping at the bit to get the season underway. Expectations for our group, especially based off how last year went, we feel like we definitely have a group that’s capable of being really good. But, our focus is on Thursday and one game at a time. It starts here, this week.”
The Skyhawks had a longer preseason than most years. The team got together in early July to train for its July 22-29 trip to Costa Rica to play against three professional teams.
FLC definitely needed the extra time this offseason to form chemistry after all the departures from last season.
On offense, Gabriel Legendre finished his five-year career with FLC; he was second on the team with 21 points last season (nine goals, three assists) and Legendre finished his FLC career with 28 goals and nine assists. Tomas Duenes also finished his Skyhawk career after he was fourth on the team in points last season with 18 (five goals, eight assists). Duenes finished his FLC career with 21 goals and 16 assists.
One departure on offense that wasn’t certain after the season was Anton Hjalmarsson. The Swedish forward transferred to play at Division I University of Portland. Hjalmarsson won RMAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in 2023. Hjalmarsson’s 2024 season was full of injuries. Despite those setbacks, Hjalmarrson still played in 12 games and finished with nine goals and two assists for 20 points, good for third on the team.
“It's great for him and we've supported him through that process,” Oberholtzer said about Hjalmarsson. “But that's also just college sports in this day and age. So … once people see the team this year and the attacking options that we've got in the group, Anton was an important player for us, but people will be really excited about the players that we brought in.”
Another player who won’t return to the pitch this year is midfielder David Citron. Unlike the previous three players, Citron is still with the team.
The French star and points leader for FLC last year had some nagging injuries at the end of the spring that weren’t getting better. Then, early in the preseason, Citron was doing some noncontact work and suffered an injury. An MRI revealed it was a torn ACL and Citron will be out for the season. Oberholtzer said Citron should have another year of eligibility.
FLC won’t have its top four point scorers from last season. However, Oberholtzer thinks the 2025 Skyhawks will be have very dynamic attacking players and FLC will be improved with how these players will combine with each other.
One somewhat new player who will be a dynamic option for FLC is redshirt freshman William Bretvik. From Norway, Bretvik had eligibility issues last season and couldn’t play. He’s finally eligible and Oberholtzer thinks he’ll have a big impact.
“He's versatile; he can play in a variety of roles,” Oberholtzer said about Bretvik. “But, first and foremost, just great work ethic, a guy that's willing to do the defensive pieces, cover the ground, tackle, press and make life really difficult for the opposition. Then going forward, he's just got a really high level of quality. He has great control over the ball, can strike the ball with both feet, can go inside, can go outside, can combine with other players, but can also beat players on his own.”
Every attacking player FLC has brought in is special, according to Oberholtzer. Whether it’s French freshmen Yohann Fila, Alessio Andreottola and Lorenz Guintini or Portuguese freshman Francisco Pinto, Skyhawks fans should expect to see those players on the field from Day 1.
The Skyhawks also return some intriguing second-year offensive threats. Fabrizio Aguilera returns after winning freshman of the year in the conference after he finished last season fifth on the team with 14 points (six goals, two assists). Oberholtzer said Aguilera has made big strides in doing the hard parts of the job, like the defensive requirements that require a high level of fitness.
Jacob Ramos returns after a solid freshman year. Oberholtzer credited Ramos with being a steady presence who can play anywhere he’s asked to play. Julián Rojas returns as a redshirt freshman after he only played four games due to injury last year.
FLC also returns a lot of experience in the midfield and on defense. Quinn Bosanko is back for his fifth season with the Skyhawks, along with senior Kaden Schufft, who will take on a big responsibility on defense with the graduation of Jakob Larson. Senior Casey Stratcher also returns. Junior goalkeeper Lucas Martin is back after starting most of his first two years at FLC.
The Skyhawks were picked second in the RMAC preseason poll behind University of Colorado Colorado Springs. FLC begins its season at home against Lubbock Christian University on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
“It's always one of the top conferences in the country for men's soccer,” Oberholtzer said. “So, we know it's always going to be challenging … we know there's going to be good teams across the league and that's an annual thing. But just like every year, we focus on what we're doing in our team. If we can be really good, then the opponent is kind of irrelevant.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
