The Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team did not drop their heads after conceding a game-tying goal from Midwestern State’s Kelly Cannistra in the 51st minute of Sunday’s match at Dirks Field. Instead, they pressed forward in search of a winner.
The Skyhawks then scored two goals off of their signature corner kick set piece routine, and then went on to control the majority of the second half in a 3-1 win, which was the team’s first win of the season. Emma Patron dished out two assists, one from each side of the corner flag, as senior forward Bailey Webster headed home the game winner in the 54th minute, after she headed the ball straight up, but with a little help from the wind, the ball wound up in the back of the net to make it 2-1. In the 72nd minute, Patron drove in a corner from the left corner flag, and Britney Johnson headed it into the bottom right corner to make it 3-1.
“Going up a goal in the first half was super exciting, but conceding that goal, it’s pretty hard to keep your head up as a team,” Webster said. “Just having a couple of people being like ‘Hey, we’ve got this, we’re still in this’, we knew that whoever would score next, it’d be their game. Obviously, we work a lot on corners, and Emma drove in two beautiful corners, and to get those goals to get the nail in the coffin, it was huge for us moving forward.”
The Skyhawks (1-1) outshot the Mustangs 14-9, including 9-6 in the second period.
In the first half, Skylar Byrnes opened the scoring with a goal in the 11th minute, after she received a pass from Corrine Sanderson, took two touches and just got enough on it and it was tucked away into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0. The Skyhawks nearly got a second before halftime, but McKenna Thompson’s shot sailed just wide of the post. After the break, the Mustangs (1-1) got the answer through Cannistra, who followed up a rebound that came off of the crossbar, and she was unmarked and put it away.
FLC head coach Damian Clarke was impressed with the attacking chances his team created on Sunday.
“I was most happy in the fact that we found another goal after we went up 2-1,” Clarke said, “It looked as if there’s goals in us. I think set pieces we always knew, we make those opportunities dangerous, we did it and scored a goal in the run of play as well, through pressing. When we show the energy to double team and help each other out, the energy then gets the whole group going in the right direction.”
The Skyhawks will begin a five game road trip when they travel to No. 10 West Texas A&M University at 7 p.m. Thursday in Canyon, Texas.
Men’s soccer
Men’s soccerRyan Lee scored left it late, but he scored both goals in Sunday’s comeback against Hawaii Pacific in a 2-2 double overtime tie in Salt Lake City. Lee scored in the 78th and 80th minute to complete a two-goal comeback, after the Skyhawks conceded two goals in the opening five minutes of the second half. Five yellow cards were issued in the match, and HPU’s Ryosuke Hirayama was sent off in the 57th minute after he received a second yellow card in the 57th minute.
In the overtime period, Fort Lewis created chances, but were unable to find the winner and it finished level.
The Skyhawks will travel to Colorado Springs for a matchup against St. Edwards (0-2) at 4:30 p.m. Friday at UCCS’ Mountain Lion Field.
Volleyball
VolleyballThe Fort Lewis College volleyball team suffered a three-set loss to University of Texas-Permian Basin on Sunday in Odessa, Texas, as it lost 22-25, 21-25 and 17-25.
The Skyhawks (2-3) were paced by Chandler Karr, who had eight kills, Courtney Bayles had 19 assists and Kamryn Lopez recorded 13 digs.
Fort Lewis will host the Skyhawk Volleyball Tournament when it takes on Western New Mexico University at 7 p.m. next Thursday at Whalen Gymnasium.
bploen@durangoherald.com
