The Skyhawks were seeking to end the 2013 season on a high note, and they did so in a game with an atypical amount of plot twists.
The Fort Lewis College women’s lacrosse team jumped out early and rode a typically balanced offense and yet another solid defensive effort for a 16-9 win over Colorado Mesa on Friday at Ray Dennison Memorial Field as the Skyhawks celebrated Senior Day for lone senior Jenna Steele.
FLC capped the season 7-7 and 6-4 in the Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, and the goal for next year will be to crack the glass ceiling of a .500 record.
“Next year we’ll get a winning record, though,” FLC head coach Kelsey MacDonald said, still smiling from the final high point of 2013.
FLC did well to keep the Mavericks (3-10, 3-6 WILA) from building any kind of offensive momentum. Colorado Mesa never scored more than two consecutive goals, and often the Skyhawks would answer those spurts with a run of two, three or four goals of their own.
Jessica Norby, who also had an assist, and Brook Wineland each scored four times. Ellie Carpenter scored twice and had an assist, while Abby Kvidera and Kylie Smith also scored twice for FLC. Kathryn Dunn and Jozi Campbell each tallied once, and Marissa DiCecco had two assists.
FLC’s offense continued its strong finish to the season.
The Skyhawks again were solid defensively, too, including a stretch where they played two players down on defense because of penalties. More times than not when they weren’t, goalie Alyssa Spencer had an answer. The Durango High School alumna and FLC freshman made 10 saves, including many on point-blank opportunities, such as one where she came from the left side of the net and went post to post in a flash to turn away a quality scoring opportunity for the Mavericks.
“It was actually a really fun game, and I felt good. My team felt good,” Spencer said. “I was sitting in the pregame room, and I felt closer as a team than we have ever. And that was an amazing feeling. And to come out here and play and perform well is amazing.”
Spencer was thrown right into the mix out of high school, and she proved up to the task, posting 113 saves and a .475 save percentage in her first 11 games this year.
“I was actually really scared in the beginning. I was so scared,” she said. “Playing college ball coming from high school, being the top, then coming to college, and everybody’s like ‘Oh whatever, you’re just a freshman.’ I really wanted to show everybody, and I think I did.”
rowens@durangoherald.com
