Nobody needed to tell Alex Tillberry how urgently the Skyhawks needed to score. He already sensed it.
Only one minute into overtime of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men’s soccer opening game, Tillberry blasted a shot from more than 30 yards out. After making highlight reel saves all day, South Dakota Mines goalkeeper Jack Seifert couldn’t get his gloves on the laser-beam shot, as Tillberry sent Fort Lewis College to a 2-1 win and an early 1-0 record in RMAC play.
“That last goal was one of the best college soccer goals I’ve ever seen,” South Dakota Mines head coach Jordan Kadlec said of Tillberry’s shot that beat his team. “Not much you can do about that.”
FLC (2-3) dominated much of the match with 29 shots to only six for the Hardrockers (0-4, 0-1 RMAC). Seifert made 15 saves to keep his side in the match, and a goal by Lane Schroeder gave South Dakota Mines a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute.
The Skyhawks desperately tried to tie the match, coming up short as shots went a little wide or high if not corralled by Seifert. But, on one of 14 corner kicks in the game for FLC, the Skyhawks found a late equalizer when Coleman Kane used his body to put the ball in the back of the net. It came on a corner kick by Dana Kowachek and was directed toward goal by Churchill Onumonu before Kane got to it.
“I saw the ball come up, and I jumped and hit it,” Kane said. “It fell right in front of me, and I just helped it on its way in.”
FLC had a few late chances for a game winner in regular time, and it only took one minute into overtime for Tillberry to deliver his winning blast.
“I knew we needed to win, and we didn’t have too much time to do it,” Tillberry said. “I took a chance, and it worked out.”
It was a big win for the Skyhawks, who have now won two in a row after an 0-3 start. It also gives the team some momentum going into a home matchup Sunday against No. 12 Regis.
“I felt like it really wasn’t until the last 15 minutes that we came alive for whatever reason,” said FLC head coach David Oberholtzer, who is in his first year as head coach of his alma mater. “We’re dealing with inconsistencies, but we showed what we’re capable of.
“We’re fortunate to get a win, but it could’ve easily been a very different story.”
FLC did suffer one loss early in the match when starting defender Alex Kramer went down with a knee injury 29 minutes into the match. The senior didn’t return, and his status for Sunday is uncertain.
South Dakota Mines made its first trip to Dirks Field as a new member of the RMAC this season. The Hardrockers executed a good gameplan to compete against the three-time national champion Skyhawks, but Seifert’s efforts weren’t enough.
“It’s very disappointing, but you could feel the tides were shifting,” Kadlec said. “Fort Lewis has an incredible atmosphere for college soccer, from their coach to the stands and fans. The fans are second to none.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
