Box Score GOLDEN, Colo. – After a tough start to the game, the Fort Lewis College men's soccer team showed fight and battled their way back in the second half. After a goal by Coleman Kane made it a one score game, #5 Colorado School of Mines was able to answer a few minutes later on their way to taking the 3-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Sunday afternoon.
The start was anything but ideal for FLC (7-6-2, 5-6-1 RMAC) with Colorado School of Mines (14-1-1, 11-0-1 RMAC) scoring just under two minutes in when John Haist buried his conference-leading 16th goal of the season.
A scramble off a throw-in a few minutes later ended up going off a Skyhawk defender and into the net giving the Orediggers a 2-0 lead six minutes in.
FLC responded getting a chance by Ryan Lee on the next rush with his shot just missing left. Marshall Metzger had a header shot on goal in the 10th minute that was saved. Nicolas Perez and Lee had a few more chances near the end of the half, but Colorado School of Mines was able to take a 2-0 lead into halftime.
The game ramped up in play and physicality in the second half, as shortly after a corner kick by the Orediggers, FLC turned the field when Bar Hazut hit Kane in the clear who went one-on-one with the goalie and buried it for his fourth goal of the season at the 73:35 mark leaving the Orediggers ahead by just one at 2-1.
Just when it seemed the Skyhawks had momentum on their side, Colorado School of Mines answered right back when a Matthew Summerfield shot went in for a key goal at the 76:16 mark to push the Orediggers back in front by two at 3-1.
FLC tried to push over the reminder of the game to cut into the deficit, but they were unable to generate another shot with Colorado School of Mines taking the 3-1 win.
The win for the Orediggers assured them of the RMAC regular season crown. In terms of the rest of the RMAC standings, FLC remains in the seventh, but are now five points back of the final tournament spot currently occupied by MSU Denver. UCCS defeated MSU Denver 2-0 earlier on Sunday to move seven points ahead of FLC. That means FLC can only catch MSU Denver for the final tournament spot and for that to happen, the Skyhawks would have to win both of their final regular season games and then have the Roadrunners fall in their final two games or have a tie in only one of the two games. If they finished tied, FLC would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker having won the earlier meeting this season.
Colorado School of Mines held a 19-12 edge on shots and 8-2 on goal. They also held a 9-5 edge on corner kicks. The match featured 38 fouls, with 20 committed by FLC.
Perez had four shots, Lee added three and Hazut with two. Ventura Salcido played all 90 minutes in net and made four saves.
John Haist had six shots to lead Colorado School of Mines, while Drew Johnson played all 90 minutes in net and made one save.
FLC will remain on the road this week as they will face nationally-ranked Colorado Mesa for the second time this season on Thursday starting at 7 p.m. They will close out the trip on Saturday at 11 a.m. at CSU-Pueblo.
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