On a night full of trick-or-treating, Fort Lewis College women’s soccer fans were given two treats at home against Colorado Christian on Friday.
The Skyhawks scored a goal in each half for a 2-0 win over the Cougars. The win stretched FLC’s unbeaten streak to seven games, kept the Skyhawks undefeated at home and FLC hasn’t allowed a single goal in seven home games this season.
Once again, FLC’s back line was an impenetrable wall as Colorado Christian rarely challenged FLC’s freshman goalkeeper, Trinity Lujan. It helped FLC’s defense that the Skyhawks’ offense controlled a lot of the possession, keeping the defense fresh and leading to a goal early in the first half and a goal late in the second half.
“It was great to get an early goal, especially against a team that good defensively, organized and just tough … because you could be in a game and that's just rolling on and on (without a goal),” FLC head coach Damian Clarke said. “Maybe you get that goal at the end like we did. But realistically, the early goal is huge.”
FLC improved to 9-4-2 overall and 6-2-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Senior forward Anna Tucker and redshirt freshman Kiana Jameron each had a goal. Junior forward Jenna Salazar, senior Josie Coulter and freshman midfielder Lova Sjölund each had assists for the Skyhawks. Lujan had two saves for FLC.
Colorado Christian dropped to 2-7-6 overall and 1-4-5 in the RMAC.
It didn’t take long for FLC to find the back of the net. Coulter found Salazar with a great through ball down the right side. Salazar then played a ball across the 18-yard box that seemed to take forever to get to Tucker. When it did, Tucker scored from close range for a 1-0 FLC lead four minutes into the game.
“We knew that if we could get to the end line a handful of times, that would be the ticket to creating some dangerous scenarios for ourselves,” Clarke said. “We got to the end line two or three times early … that goal from Anna was a late run; I didn't even quite see her. All of a sudden, the ball is in the back of the net.”
After the goal, FLC controlled the game for the next 15 minutes with possession and didn’t allow the Cougars to put a single shot on goal. FLC had a lot of possession in its own half and in the midfield, but couldn’t break through into the attacking third and challenge for a second goal.
The Skyhawks finally got some shots on cage with less than five minutes left in the first half. Junior defender Amber Otts played a great cross in from the right side and Spence got a soft touch on the ball toward goal that was easily saved. Only 30 seconds later, Gonzales found space, dribbled toward the 18-yard box and ripped one with her left foot that made the Colorado Christian keeper make a diving save.
At the start of the second half, FLC looked as aggressive as it did late in the first half, with multiple chances in the first 10 minutes. It was refreshing to see, since the Skyhawks seem so risk-adverse on offense, that it sometimes feels like pulling teeth to get them to take a risky shot.
“We were struggling to get pressure on their center backs,” Clarke said. “They dropped into a back five with the three center backs and all of a sudden, the wingbacks get higher and pinned us in a little bit … once we solved the problem of getting pressure to the center back who we were serving, then we're able to again dictate the game.”
The Skyhawks looked like they had their second goal with 28 minutes left. Salazar got the ball on the left side, played a great ball across the goal to a streaking Coulter, who headed the ball into the back of the net. Celebration quickly turned into dismay as a questionable offside call against Salazar.
FLC continued to put pressure on Colorado Christian’s defense. Tucker nearly had her second goal five minutes later when her shot from 20 yards out just went over the bar. Lujan was aggressive with her drop kicks, blasting them well into the Cougars’ half.
FLC finally had its second goal thanks to its signature ball movement. After attacking from the wings all night, the Skyhawks moved the ball through the middle, with Sjölund playing a ball from the middle to Jamerson on the left. She dribbled toward goal with a defender on her hip and finished from the left side for the 2-0 lead with 17 minutes left.
“Good football is: Can you go through pressure? … We’ve been trying to get the kids to solve those problems … it was good to see that we didn’t get stuck trying to do one thing and force it one way,” Clarke said.
After controlling possession for the final 17 minutes, the Skyhawks have one regular-season home game left. FLC will play MSU Denver on Sunday at 1 p.m.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
