Box score

DURANGO, Colo. — Five different players scored goals and six players had assists as defending national champion Fort Lewis (9-6-2 overall, 6-5-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) trounced Colorado Christian (1-16-0, 0-13-0) 5-0 today at Dirks Field.
 
“I think today was probably the most we've clicked this year,” said fourth-year FLC head coach Oige Kennedy, whose side took out a season's worth of frustrations on the Cougars. “I think we started with an emphasis to be strong in tackles. It started with Derek Freeman and those guys in the back being strong and it permeated through the entire team.”
 
Yannis Becker opened the floodgates early, diving for Artur Piperkov's crossing pass from the right at the near post. He got enough of a foot on it to flick it off the far post for his team-leading sixth goal of the season at 8:36.
 
A set piece extended the lead to 2-0 at 28:21 when Becker floated in a corner kick from the right that Casey Dean passed to his left to Stephan Engeln, who blasted a shot into the open half of the net for his first goal as a Skyhawk.
 
Jordan Alexander netted a highlight-reel goal in the waning moments of the first half. Daniel Wilson sent a ball toward the middle of the goal that Alexander flicked toward the far post with his back heel and facing away from the net. The shot rang off the post into the netting at 44:42 for his first score of the 2012 season.
 
Kyle Woodson added insurance at 79:01 when his shot from the right flank deflected off a CCU defender into the goal. Zac Lawrence assisted on Woodson's second marker of the year.
 
Austin Derksen scored less than two minutes later when Sameth Al-Basith fed him a pass into space to the left of the goal at 80:47. The score was the first of Derksen's Skyhawk career.
 
All totaled, Fort Lewis outshot the Cougars 45-1 overall and 20-0 in shots on goal. CCU's lone shot clanged off the goalpost midway through the second stanza. Becker hit two crossbars for the Skyhawks in the second half, both of which were blasts with pace from the top of the box.
 
About the only thing that didn't happen was crowd favorite Andy Hoffman getting on the scoresheet. Hoffman fired six shots during the game, including a pair that were stopped by CCU goalkeeper David Ilgenfritz, who registered 15 saves on the afternoon.
 
“I think the whole crowd wanted to see Andy score,” said Kennedy, who started the senior for the first time in his two-year FLC career. “He really worked his socks off and created some things for the guys.”
 
Hoffman was one of four seniors to be presented with framed jerseys in a pregame ceremony, along with Freeman, Wilson and Woodson. The Skyhawk skipper praised the efforts of all four.
 
“Derek was very strong in the back. Dan was very good in possession of the ball, creating chances and having an assist (the first of his career). Kyle, whose just been a pleasure to coach since he's been here, it was great to see him get a goal. He's been our most consistent player all year.”
                    
With the win, Fort Lewis continued its dominance of the Cougars to 21 straight wins and 38-5-2 overall in the series.
 
With today's victory, the Skyhawks clinched a berth in the RMAC playoffs for the 17th straight season and are the only team to earn bids to every RMAC postseason in the league's 17-year history of men's soccer. FLC also ensured its 16th straight winning season.
 
Fort Lewis closes the regular season at 3:30 p.m. Sunday when they host No. 1 Regis (15-0-1, 13-0-0). The Rangers are trying to duplicate FLC's perfect 14-0-0 RMAC record in 2009.
 
The Skyhawks lead the all-time series with Regis 32-10-5, but the Rangers won 5-2 last Friday on the Regis Match Pitch.