Fort Lewis College isn’t used to missing out on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference soccer tournaments. It is used to producing All-RMAC talent.
FLC’s men’s soccer team placed five players on the All-RMAC awards list that was released Tuesday. Junior Ty Lang, a midfielder and defender, was named to the first team, while freshman Bar Hazut and junior Marshall Metzger made the second team. FLC seniors Nicolas Perez and Raul Pescador earned honorable mention nominations.
The FLC women saw freshman Katie Smith earn a spot on the First Team All-RMAC list. Smith, who came to FLC from Grand Junction, played more minutes than any other Skyhawk (1,562) and started all 17 games this season. From the back row, she was second on the FLC team with three goals. During the season, she was twice named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week. The FLC women (6-9-2, 5-7-1 RMAC) missed the RMAC playoffs.
The FLC men finished 9-6-2 overall and went 7-6-1 in the RMAC to miss out on postseason play. Lang also starred from the back line. Like Smith, he also started all 17 games and logged the most minutes on the team (1,591). His four assists tied for the second most on the team, and he added four goals to finish tied for third most on the squad. Of his 25 shots, 15 were on goal.
Hazut, from Israel, led the team with six goals and six assists for a team-high 18 points. He also started all 17 games as a freshman.
Albuquerque’s Metzger saw action in 16 games and started 15. He had three goals.
Perez, from Ecuador, had one goal and three assists in 17 games, all of which he started. Pescador, from Spain, started nine of 17 games. He had three goals and three assists.
FLC also added a final player of the week honor from the conference, as junior Ventura Salcido won the goalkeeper of the week accolade for the first time this season. He made 10 saves last week in a 1-0 double overtime win against No. 23 Colorado Mesa and a 2-1 win against CSU-Pueblo.
Kendra Swackenberg was named the RMAC Setter of the Week on Monday to give FLC a player on the weekly awards list for a second consecutive week.
The senior from Brighton helped FLC to a 3-1 win at CSU-Pueblo before a 3-0 loss to New Mexico Highlands. She had 85 assists in the two matches, and she added 21 digs, five kills and four blocks. At CSU-Pueblo, she had a double-double with 47 assists and 14 digs.
FLC will honor Swackenberg along with fellow seniors Haley Christiansen, Megan Graefe, Hannah Martinez, Maddie LeBlanc and Jessie Roukema on Thursday, as the Skyhawks will host Adams State at 7 p.m. in the final game of the regular season. FLC has a one-game lead ahead of Adams State for the eighth and final spot in the RMAC Tournament. FLC needs to win only one set to hold off the Grizzlies in a tiebreaker for that final spot. The Skyhawks beat Adams State 3-0 on Oct. 2 in Alamosa.
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