The Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team knows better than ever that in sports, sometimes all it takes is a halftime break to change a team’s fortunes.
FLC’s offense was struggling in the first half in a physical playoff game where the referees were mostly swallowing their whistles. But after the 15-minute halftime break, the Skyhawks scored two goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half to comfortably defeat Regis, 2-0, in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals.
Defense was never a doubt for FLC as the team hasn’t been scored on since Sept. 28. But in the second half, the offense moved the ball beautifully through the midfield and from side-to-side in the attacking third of the field. The Skyhawks’ quality crossing gave their best playmakers chances to score and score they did, moving FLC to the RMAC tournament semifinals.
“It was pretty mature,” FLC head coach Damian Clarke said. “We were definitely struggling the first 30 minutes of the first half. We were having a really hard time getting hold of the ball and finding ways to pass out of their pressure when we did. The way that we respond in the second half was a sign of a team that's beginning to emotionally deal with some pressure.”
FLC, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, improved to 11-4-3 overall; the win extended the Skyhawks’ unbeaten streak to 10 games. Junior forward Jenna Salazar had a goal and an assist; senior forward Anna Tucker had a goal and an assist; freshman goalkeeper Trinity Lujan finished with two saves.
No.5 seed Regis dropped to 10-5-4 overall with the loss.
The first half was a true stalemate, with chances hard to come by with the two possession-dominant teams.
FLC’s best chance of the last 15 minutes was off a poor Regis pass right to FLC senior forward Rozlin Gomez. She found redshirt freshman midfielder Mia Duncan, who then found a wide-open junior midfielder Ann Spence with about six minutes left. Spence took a touch, then skied her shot way over the crossbar from about 20 yards out.
Regis nearly scored a few minutes later with a flick over the FLC back line by Avery Van Netter, but FLC senior defender Renee Juna made a physical tackle in the box and cleared the ball away.
The first half ended with only four shots taken by each team.
Less than a minute into the second half, FLC found the back of the net. The Skyhawks took control of possession immediately and started firing crosses toward the net. The first cross ran across the goal line with no recipient.
FLC then switched the field and Tucker played a beautiful ball from the left side right into the middle of the 18-yard box. Salazar got a foot on it; the keeper tried to make the save, but the ball hit the crossbar and went into the net for a 1-0 lead.
“We knew that if we could find ways to complete movements from right-to-left or left-to-right, that we would turn the corner,” Clarke said. “Realistically, both goals came from the left side ... that allowed some things in front of the box to happen for us.”
After a few close calls on defense, FLC scored again with 33 minutes left in the second half. Salazar received the ball in the middle of the field with a ton of space. She played one of the best through balls of the year, through multiple Regis defenders, to Tucker. The senior forward then cut toward goal and finished from close range into the right side of the net for the 2-0 lead.
“She's just different technically and is capable of playing really long, penetrating passes obviously in a phenomenal way,” Clarke said about Salazar. “The past that she put into Anna was just as impressive as the goal.”
FLC continued to move the ball through the midfield really well and find either outside backs or midfielders on the wings for crosses.
After the two goals, Regis had a lot of possession in the middle of the second half in FLC’s half. FLC’s defense bent, but did not break. The Skyhawks’ midfielders struggled to connect passes, but the defense bailed them out with tackles and clearances.
As the time ran off the clock in the second half, Regis got more and more desperate with playing long balls into the box. However, Lujan and the FLC defense never lost their composure and secured the shutout.
FLC moves on to play at No. 1 seed Colorado Mesa in the RMAC tournament semifinals on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Mavericks are 13-2-2 overall and haven’t allowed a goal in RMAC play this season.
“The goal for us is to just get there, score a goal and see what happens,” Clarke said. “We like our chances against anybody.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
