Box score
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Fort Lewis (7-2-2 overall, 3-2-2 in the
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) and New Mexico Highlands (4-6-1, 2-4-1) slugged it out for 110 minutes tonight at Perkins Stadium.
“We were better than we've been in the last two or three games,” said sixth-year FLC head coach Damian Clarke. “We moved the ball extremely well at times. We didn't pass the ball for a long enough time, though, to get it past them.”
The Cowgirls outshot FLC 15-10 overall, 9-4 in shots on goal.
Skyhawk freshman
Caitlyn Espinosa was outstanding in goal, registering nine saves in recording the first complete-game shutout of her collegiate career. As a team, FLC has now recorded three straight clean sheets.
“Caitlyn played quite well,” said Clarke.
Highlands' Nikita Rivera was equal to the task, making four saves in goal.
“We're in a rough spell right now,” said Clarke, whose has nearly completed a stretch of five road games in nine days. “We just have to keep getting better.”
With the tie, the Cowgirls ended FLC's eight-game winning streak in the series between the two RMAC rivals, which now stands at 25-3-4 in favor of FLC. The Skyhawks extended their unbeaten streak over to NMHU to 20 games (16-0-4), which stretches back to the 2001 season when the Cowgirls swept FLC.
Fort Lewis departs Las Vegas in the morning for a 1 p.m. Sunday tilt against Adams State (4-7-0, 2-5-0) at the ASC Lacrosse and Soccer Field in Alamosa, Colo. The Skyhawks defeated the Grizzlies 4-1 at Dirks Field in Durango on Sept. 21 and has won 16 straight in the all-time series that FLC leads 17-2-2.