Box score

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Maybe Sam Weiss should dress as Carisa Bradford for Halloween. Or Kate Mahler.
 
The Fort Lewis sophomore — who, earlier in the afternoon was the lone Skyhawk to be named to the All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference first team — scored two goals in FLC's 2-0 win over UC-Colorado Springs tonight at Mountain Lion Stadium in the quarterfinals of the RMAC women's soccer tournament.
 
In doing so, she set a new school standard for most total points in a season (40), breaking FLC Athletic Hall of Famer Bradford's record of 37 points set in 1999. She also tied Mahler's mark of 16 goals in a single season, set in 2006.
 
“I told you she was really, really good,” Clarke said of Weiss. “But all of the forwards did a really good job to spread their defense out.”
 
The Skyhawk skipper said that Weiss and Emma Cannis forced the UCCS sweeper — who plays deep — to decide between one or the other. And that ultimately did in the Mountain Lions' game plan.
 
Weiss' first came off an Elena Benavides assist just 19:43 into the game. “Elena slipped Sam perfectly, who made just a clinical finish to the far post,” said Clarke.
 
Her second was off cross from Cannis at 51:45. “Emma fended off some players on the right side of the field and crossed it in,” Clarke said. “Sam ran across the goalkeeper and just touched it off her hip into the goal. Emma created that second goal, no doubt.”
 
Fort Lewis dominated the stats, outshooting UCCS 16-7 overall and 7-4 in shots on goal.
 
“We really just dominated possession,” said Clarke. “I thought we did a very good job of forcing them to kick it and turn it over to us again and again. On the day we were just good. I'm really proud of the kids.”
 
Skyhawk goalkeeper Amanda Raso recorded four saves while notching her seventh solo shutout — and the team's 11th — of the season.
 
“Raso was fantastic today as well,” said Clarke. “And the back four we're huge. I don't think we gave them much of a chance … and they're a really good, physical team.”
 
Kelly Schroeder stopped five shots and took the loss.
 
Fort Lewis improved to 7-1-0 in the all-time series against UC-Colorado Springs and avenged a 1-0 overtime loss in Durango earlier this season.

The Mountain Lions were certainly in the NCAA playoff discussion entering today, but like the Skyhawks, faced a must-win proposition. They likely ended their best season ever at 13-4-2, but still may have an outside chance at a bid.
 
With the win, the Skyhawks improved to 13-3-3 on the season and kept their chances of earning a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs alive. Clarke thinks a win in the RMAC semifinals may lock up a bid to the Big Dance, but that his team has its sights set on a bigger prize: the silver cup awarded to the RMAC postseason champs and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament that goes along with it.
 
To accomplish that feat, Fort Lewis must get past an opponent that has confounded them the past two weekends: RMAC regular season champion Regis (12-4-2). The Rangers scored four goals in a 10-minute span early in the second half en route to a 6-3 win over the Skyhawks on the Regis Match Pitch on Oct. 19, blowing the doors off a 2-2 halftime deadlock. Then, last Sunday at FLC's Dirks Field, the Rangers twice rallied from a one-goal deficit in the final minute of regulation to force overtime in a game that ended in a 3-3 tie. The two sides combined for an NCAA-record three goals in a 27-second span in that one.
 
“Obviously, we've got to win that next game to give ourselves a chance (at the NCAA tournament),” said Clarke. “Let's just look forward to that next game at Regis and play like we can.
 
Sunday's fireworks may have motivated the Skyhawks.
 
“I think in a way our girls have gotten stronger,” he said. “Regis has definitely got to feel good about themselves getting a tie the way they did. But our girls are pretty excited about it. Our mindset is going to be in a healthy place.”
 
The Rangers lead the all-time series with FLC 26-10-4 and are 12-4-2 all-time at the Regis Match Pitch.
 
But the Skyhawks have fared much better under Clarke's guidance, going 5-4-3 against Regis during his six-year tenure.
 
The two teams are also no strangers in postseason play and will meet for the seventh time in the RMAC or NCAA playoffs. Fort Lewis is 3-2-1 all-time against Regis in the postseason, including a 1-1-1 mark in RMAC championship games (the 1999 title bout ended in a 1-1 draw through two overtimes, but FLC claimed the league trophy by ousting the Rangers in penalty kicks).

The two sides meet for the third time in 15 days when they square off at noon Friday at the Regis Match Pitch.